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Will Breastfeeding Hurt?

November 1, 2016 by Bethanie Ryan

breastfeeding

OUCH!! We’ve all heard it… breastfeeding is painful, right? All those terrific friends, family, neighbors, and even total strangers who tell you they had pain or cracked or bleeding nipples for six days, six weeks, or six months. Yikes! What, exactly, is normal then?

The research and extensive experience of mothers, lactation consultants, and health care professionals show that pain is not normal for the breastfeeding mother. In the first week following the delivery of a full term, healthy baby, you may experience mild nipple tenderness. Think of pain on a scale with 0 being no pain or tenderness at all and 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever experienced in your entire life. Mild tenderness would be a 1 or possibly a 2 on your pain scale. Anything higher than a 2 usually means that something is not quite right and can usually be fixed with the experience of an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

What could be wrong? The list is long; for example, tight lingual or labial frenulae (tongue and lip-tie), facial asymmetry (unequal facial abilities or movements), short tongue, long tongue, misaligned cervical vertebrae (needing a good chiropractor), low milk supply, oversupply of milk, bacterial or fungal infection of the nipple, prematurity, neurological challenges, or dozens of other possibilities. That’s why a well-experienced, knowledgeable IBCLC can make all the difference for you in meeting or not meeting your breastfeeding goals. To find an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant near you, go to http://www.ilca.org/why-ibclc/falc

By Kathy Parkes

Filed Under: Feeding Your Family, Live Tagged With: breastfeeding, breastfeeding pain, breastfeeding tips, will breastfeeding hurt

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🤣🤣🤣a helpful parenting tip. love from your friend Chris (Simpsons artist) xox ... See MoreSee Less

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When you are struggling, sometimes it helps to see the issue from your child's point of view.A parenting mantra to tuck in your pocket, friends:“My child isn’t giving me a hard time. My child is having a hard time.”*Keep in mind that it’s their crisis, not yours. Be their calm place, their safe space, their home base. When little people are overwhelmed with big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not join their chaos. Remember, you’re the only adult in the relationship. They’re learning how to be a grown up by watching you act like a grown up.-L.R.Knost__________________________________📚Peaceful Parenting Resources: t.co/T8goym3P6Z 📚__________________________________Please respect the work of authors, photographers, and artists. You are welcome to share provided you include appropriate credit and do not crop out author’s names from quote memes. Thank you. 🙂#thegentleparent #parenting #children #life #kindness #faith #feminism #socialjustice #equality #globalresponsibility #humanity #peace #sexualassaultsurvivor #cancer #NETcancer #cancerwarrior #books #coffee #quote #LRKnostwww.LRKnost.comFighting a rare, incurable cancer, but I'm still here!💞 L.R.*Note: There are conflicting sources for this quote. If you know the source please let me know!🙂 ... See MoreSee Less

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