Breastfeeding Support Group

While breastfeeding is recommended by many doctors, it is not as simple as it seems. This is a community dedicated to parents who are choosing to breastfeed, providing a safe place to discuss everything from pumping, to questions of whether baby is getting enough, weaning, breast care, scheduling, supply, and more.

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Children's Health & Parenting
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pain med's?

deleted_user
deleted_user
hello,im new to the group and so vary thankful for finding you vary STRONG and supportive women!im not breastfeeding yet this is my 4th pregnancy my other children were formula fed,but i want to breastfeed our new baby,i didnt the others due to having a problem with anyone comming close to my breast including husband,dont know why just always been that way.my 2 youngest children are special needs children their disabilty has no know cause or "cure" as of now.so this last year has been vary hard on me trying to figure out how this happened to my children alot has to do with blaming my self,maybe i didnt do this or that blah,blah or maybe i should have done that and so on.like breastfeeding and not giving formula.i guess i will go through this for the rest of my life intill there is a cause as to what happened to my perfectly normal developing babys intil they turned about 18 months and even then we lost so much time due to doctors not listening to what we were telling them about our children making all their milestones and then one day just losing them.sorry for such a long post,but i want to breastfeed this baby to give her the best start in life!anyway my question is how do you do it?how can you come home after just giving childbirth and not take any pain med's and on top of it all go through the pain of nursing?from what i understand you cant take pain meds and breastfeed or am i wrong?and from the reading i have read in this group you ladys are in alot of pain during the first couple weeks due to nursing.any advice that you ladys can offer would be so helpful to me,and i would love all the encouragement that i can get my lil one is due in march any thing that i should be doing now to help so that i have enough milk when baby is here?or to help get the boobs ready for the truma that they are going to go through?sorry i wasnt sure if i should put this in advice or discussions.god bless all....and thank you again!!!
deleted_user
deleted_user
My lactation consultant told me not to worry, that vicodin was ok. She told me to advocate for myself and get pain meds from my doctor because if I couldnt be comfortable, I wouldnt care for my daughter as well. Also, if the pain isnt awful, have a glass of wine (that normally makes all my pains go away :D!!!). My doc said that a glass or even two was ok, that it would just make baby a little groggy. I had a glass at thanksgiving, christmas, and new years, and my little one is perfect!
deleted_user
deleted_user
First, don't blame yourself for your little ones, There are plenty of formula fed babies that are perfectly healthy! I'm sure the formula had nothing to do with any developmental problems. Congratulations on choosing to breastfed this baby - it truly is a wonderful bonding experience.

Yes, breastfeeding does hurt in the beginning, at least for most women. However, you can take pain medicine. Tylenol, Ibuprofen and even vicodin are approved while breastfeeding (women who have c-sections usually need these types of pain meds :)). I'd highly recommend using Lansinoh Lanolin cream while breastfeeding to prevent dry and cracked nipples, as that leads to much of the discomfort! You can get it at Target. Some people even use it beforehand to soften their nipples. Good luck and definitely feel free to ask questions as they arise!
deleted_user
deleted_user
You can definitely take pain meds while breastfeeding. I had a c-section and was prescribed vicodin and percoset and was able to breast feed while taking them. You can also take tylenol, advil, etc. if you need to. Breast feeding can be painful for the first few weeks, but after about 4-6 weeks, its really not bad at all. Definitely use some lanolin cream for the sore nipples. I also found that leaving the nipples exposed to the air after a feeding really helped too. Good luck!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I agree with Lisa as far as using lanolin. Go out and buy a tube and start applying it before your child's birth- it helps prepare your nipples. I had only found out about its existence AFTER my nipples were sore and bleeding.

I do disagree with the others, though, where medication is concerned. Having worked in a pharmacy, I understand the side effects of certain prescriptions. Percocet is highly addictive, while Vicodine eats away your stomach lining if you don't have a full meal beforehand. Is that something you want your baby to be exposed to? Its only my opinion- but as a mother, I would make any sacrifice for my baby girl. The pain is only temporary, while the damage done can be permanent.

I had a cesarean and I only took a few paracetamol tablets after getting out of the operation room. To be honest, the pain wasn't all that bad.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Most meds, including tylenol, ibuprophen and codeine, are safe for BF. If you are having pain BF, you should NOT be, so consult a lactation consultant, if possible. Cracked nipples = poor latch in many cases, and you need help. He has to take all of the pink areola inhis mouth, even more.If he does not, take him off (put a finger in the corner of his mouth and slide him off the breast) and make him re-latch, properly. Go to Dr. Jack Newman's web site (just google it). He gives lots of great advice.
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