https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:05:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-528268 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:26:44 +0000 Tidybee 528268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@heartsnsunshine: You poor thing. Reading your post brought me right back to all the pain and stress of my breastfeeding experience. My story is almost identical to @hilsy85: .<br /> My LC noticed a tongue tie and we got it clipped when DD was about 2 weeks old. I thought that would be the magic solution, but it definitely wasn't. I had the burning and breast soreness you mentioned. It wasn't thrush, but it turned out to be vasospasms. I noticed how white my nipples would be after I fed her. I lived with pain in my breasts for a solid 3 weeks. DD would be crying in hunger, and my family members were saying she was hungry, and I was trying to find other things to soothe her because I did not want to feed her.<br /> I remember reading similar posts that said BFing gets better around 6-8 weeks and thinking, I won't make it 6-8 more days, let alone weeks! @winniebee told me to never give up the day I want to. That message really helped me get to the next day, and the next and next.<br /> Don't be afraid to take time off, pump and bottle feed. The nipples do heal quickly, and for your own state of mind, you need a break from the pain. Don't worry about nipple confusion...the baby will most likely always prefer the boob.<br /> Even at 12 weeks, DD has feeds that are not great. She's a shallow latcher, but the pain is tolerable, and i'm proud to say she went 5 weeks without a bottle. She is only getting them now because I went back to work. I EBF her when I'm home.<br /> What ultimately ended up working for us is seeing an occupational therapist who specialized in sucking. DD had a disorganized suck as well as tightness in her jaw and a hypersensitive soft palate. SHe showed us some exercises and within 3 sessions of craniosacral therapy with her, DD was remarkably better.<br /> Reach out to other women in your life who had trouble. Had i not had several friends to lean on, I would have given up a long time ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-528267 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:25:20 +0000 Rubies 528267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO's tongue was clipped when she was 2 days old and it took several days and before breastfeeding became comfortable and another several weeks until it because "easy". Hang in there, it will get better! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-528163 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:52:31 +0000 hilsy85 528163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was in your EXACT situation--LO was tongue tied and my nipples were cracked, bleeding, and scabbed. The LLL woman who came to my house said she'd never seen damage that bad. Even after my LO's tongue tie was clipped, I continued to have pain for a while. I found out recently that he also had a lip tie that should have been clipped at the same time but it wasn't--has your LO been checked for a lip tie? </p> <p>The pain significantly decreased for me around8.5/9 weeks. Now, at 14 weeks, it has gotten SO MUCH BETTER and barely hurts at all. I also had pain in my nipples almost all the time, even when LO wasn't nursing. It could be thrush, as @Kemma suggested, but you may also be suffering from vasospasms, which are common in babies who don't latch properly (basically the circulation to the nipple is clamped down on because of poor latch and when blood returns, it hurts). Taking 500mg of magnesuim daily helped A TON and within a few days the pain had almost gone away. I now no longer need to take the magnesium. </p> <p>Hang in there mama, it really does get better, and it won't always hurt like it does now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-527916 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:59:40 +0000 Kemma 527916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>First of all congratulations on your new baby!</p> <p>I can certainly empathise on the tongue tie, my LO didn't have hers clipped till she was seven weeks old although it doesn't sound as severe as yours. That's great that they caught it relatively early for you as this should mean that feeding can only get easier from here!</p> <p>The burning pain your having makes me think you could have thrush, does LO have any white patches in his mouth? If you don't want to get treated with an antifungal I'd recommend washing all your clothes, bras etc in a hot wash with some vinegar to kill any yeast that might be hanging round. I'd also recommend keeping your nipples as dry as possible and try having them out in the air and sun when possible. You could also try a probiotic</p> <p>I know it seems like it will never get better but just keep taking it one feed at a time and remember that you and Baby are both learning and you've only been breastfeeding for two weeks! </p> <p>I've definitely been there and experienced the dread and anxiety that can come with breastfeeding (we had cracked nipples and thrush for two months as well as tongue &amp; lip tie) but I can honestly say that at almost fifteen weeks I'm almost completely pain free and feeding is a thousand times easier and better than it was in the early days!</p> <p>Hang in there Mama because you're doing a wonderful job! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-527633 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:14:52 +0000 purrpletulips 527633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can get it on amazon, at GNC or health food stores; it comes in both liquid and pill form. I've gotten it (pill form) from GNC and VitaminShoppe. I suggest calling if you are going to head to a store because not all of them carry it. I've found a couple brands that have 250mg but usually they are 125mg so you just have to take 2 each time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-527612 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:06:38 +0000 heartsnsunshine 527612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@purrpletulips: Where do you get grapefruit seed extract? I am willing to try anything. I just want to be able to sit and relax while feeding!</p> <p>@LemonLong: I just went on Amazon and bought soothies gel pads, that sounds amazing to have! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-527598 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:00:14 +0000 LemonLong 527598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My baby wasn't tongue tied, but it took at least six weeks before I could feed without toe-curling pain. It does get better! I also had raw bleeding nipples. Airing out my nipples by going topless, breast shells to wear when I was at home to keep my clothes from rubbing them, and softer breast pads helped. The hospital also gave me some soothies gel pads that could be refrigerated and then stuck on to relieve the nipple pain/keep clothes from rubbing on them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-527575 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:47:58 +0000 purrpletulips 527575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was in your exact shoes with DS. DS had a posterior tongue-tie and upper lip tie which was clipped at 5w. When I finally met with an LC around 7w, she prescribed me some antibiotic ointment in case there was an infection in my nipples, although it didn't appear so. When that didn't work, I started looking online and started taking 250mg of grapefruit seed extract 3x a day (my pediatrician approved this). This can be used to treat thrush and although neither DS or I had any outward signs of thrush the pain went away within the first day of my starting GSE. We are now almost 5m into BF and I can say we are 99% pain-free (he likes to look around without actually letting go which causes some pain). </p> <p>Good luck and know that you are not alone in this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tongue-tied-babies-and-breastfeeding-struggle#post-527554 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:40:44 +0000 heartsnsunshine 527554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am in need of some support or advice. I had baby two weeks ago and started breastfeeding right away. The first couple of days were really bad, During delivery I tore severely and wasn't able to sit comfortable or get into any position to be comfortable to feed. It hurt pretty good as baby bruised my nipples in the hospital. To make a long story short, when I got home feedings got really bad, I would have anxiety when he would wake up to feed. It got to the point of my nipples being so tore up they bleed when he fed.<br /> It took me 4 days to get to see a lacation consultant, where she found that it wasn't me, poor baby was tongue tied( the skin underneath his tongue was tight and he wasn't fully able to suck properly). When she saw the after math of the poor feedings the consultant gasped thats how bad they were. She gave me medicine to help them heal. Once they clipped his tongue the feedings got significantly better, but there are still times were the latch is awful and hurts terribly and I have to pull him off (which isn't easy either). I feel like my nipples will never get back to normal and not hurt.</p> <p>When will nipples not hurt? Mine hurt even when Im not feeding, they burn? Is this normal of "normal breastfeeding moms". </p> <p>I just don't know what is normal.</p> <p>anyone have experience with trauma to nipples and how to keep a positive mind to continue to breastfeed? </p>