Breastfeeding can be an exciting yet daunting, especially for new mothers. When you start nursing, it’s completely normal for your breast and nipples to feel tender and sore. Mild discomforts are often due to your milk “let down”, poor latching, and some other underlying reasons. However, over time, this becomes an excuse for many mothers to stop breastfeeding and wean early. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months is essential to maximize the countless benefits of breast milk. Find out what the experts have to say about why breastfeed for 6 months, even when it hurts!
Story Time
During the time that I had Samuel, I had so many friends and family start on their breastfeeding journey. It is so amazing to see how many actually stuck with breastfeeding. Most of them were able to persevere through the initial challenges. I know first hand how hard, painful and frustrating it can be. But, I also know that it can be done!
I guess as a western society we just have the luxury that we can try it out and if it “doesn’t work out” then we can just buy a can of formula. There are many cases where there is no other choice but I think most of the time we just use those initial challenges as excuses to justify our choice for formula feeding instead.
In A Nutshell…
- Breast and nipple pains are common when you just started breastfeeding. Once you get the hang of latching and nursing, this should get better over time.
- However, there are exceptional cases where breast and nipple pains may indicate other underlying conditions that need medical attention. Consult a lactation expert or your doctor for help.
- Although breastfeeding can hurt, moms are encouraged to practice prolonged exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months. It ultimately maximizes the positive effects you and your baby can reap from feeding breast milk.
Breastfeeding Can Hurt In The First 6 Months
Many women, despite trial after trial, continue to have breastfeeding pains. Unfortunately, this has become an all too common problem for many breastfeeding mothers. Persisting breast and nipple pains would then lead many women to have low milk supply and early weaning.
In order to have a successful breastfeeding journey, it’s best to determine first what’s causing your breast and nipple pains. Here are a few reasons:
Breast and Nipple Pain In The Early Weeks
Several studies have shown that many American women have some form of breast and nipple pains when they begin nursing. Breastfeeding pains are very common and can easily be relieved with simple techniques. However, some breast and nipple problems can be quite complicated and may need the assistance of an experienced lactation expert.
Nipple Pains
These type of nipple pains do not commonly indicate underlying problems:
- Pain at the start of the latch that lasts 30 seconds into nursing.
- Discomforts that peak around the 3rd day after birth and lasting for about two weeks
- Pain in the nipple with no skin damage (no blisters, cracks, or bleeding)
- Nipple looks the same before and after nursing (not pinched, flat, or creased)
But if you have these types of nipple pain, consider consulting a breastfeeding counselor:
- Nipple skin becomes crack, blistered, and bleeds
- Pain is intense and unbearable
- Nipple discomforts that last throughout the feeding
- Pain felt in between nursing sessions
- Nipple pain persists a few more weeks after birth
Breast Pains
Your milk supply will kick in at 2 to 5 days after giving birth. This is the reason behind the heavy, warm, and uncomfortable feeling around your breasts. Engorged breasts can appear from the 3rd to 5th day after delivery. This should subside within 1 to 2 days. The best way to treat breast pains is simply through continuous and regular breastfeeding.
Other than an increased milk supply, It’s also important to consider other causes of breast pains:
- Thrush or yeast infection
- Muscle strains or breast injury while giving birth.
- Blocked milk ducts. Not being able to pump out your breast milk regularly can result in a plugged milk duct. This can also lead to a breast infection.
- Vasospasms or Raynaud’s Syndrome
- Incorrect pumping
- Wearing bras that don’t fit well
So Why Should You Still Continue Breastfeeding In The First 6 Months?
The benefits of breastfeeding have long been established. But, many moms feel discouraged to breastfeed because of the pain and discomforts they feel. Although providing breast milk in the early days is extremely crucial, prolonged exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months will ultimately maximize the positive effects you and your baby can reap from feeding breast milk.
What Is Exclusive Breastfeeding?
Exclusively breastfeeding means that you are providing your child with ONLY breast milk and no other additional foods or liquids (not even water). This practice can reduce child mortality and gives benefits that can extend into adulthood.
With the right nutrition, babies grow and develop well. Breast milk is tailored-made by each mom to serve the nutrients and antibodies needed by the baby in just the right quantities. Exclusively breastfed babies have the most optimal growth and greater immune systems that can fight life-threatening infections like pneumonia or diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization, more than 200,000 babies are saved yearly through exclusive breastfeeding.
Recommendations on Exclusive Breastfeeding
Breast milk is a sufficient nutrition source of an infant for their first six months of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, with continued breastfeeding for a least a year or beyond for as long as mutually desired by both mother and child.
In addition, recommended are the following:
- Giving solid foods before 6 months of age generally does not increase total caloric intake or rate of growth and only substitutes foods that lack the protective components of human milk.
- Unique needs or feeding behaviors of an infant may require the early introduction of complementary foods at 4 months of age, whereas other infants may not be ready to accept other foods until approximately 8 months of age.
- During the first 6 months of age, even in hot climates, water and juice are unnecessary for breastfed infants and may introduce contaminants or allergens.
- The longer you breastfeed can result in significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother, especially in delaying the return of fertility (thereby promoting optimal intervals between births).
- There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.
- Infants weaned before 12 months of age should not receive cow’s milk but should receive iron-fortified infant formula
What The Health Organizations and Experts Have To Say About Exclusive Breastfeeding
WHO
“Breastfeeding is an unequaled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants. It is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production.”
American Dietetics Association
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that broad-based efforts are needed to break the barriers to breastfeeding initiation and duration. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and breastfeeding with complementary foods for at least 12 months is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Increases in initiation and duration are needed to realize the health, nutritional, immunological, psychological, economic, and environmental benefits of breastfeeding.”
Unicef
“The aim is to create an environment globally that empowers women to begin skin-to-skin with her baby and breastfeed after birth, to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and to continue to breastfeed for two years or more with age-appropriate, responsive complementary feeding.”
United States Breastfeeding Policy: US Department of Health & Human Services
The Blueprint for Action introduces an action plan for breastfeeding based on education, training, awareness, support and research that supports the Healthy People 2010 breastfeeding goals: to increase to 75% the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies in the early postpartum period, to increase to 50% the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies through 5 to 6 months of age, and for 25% of mothers to breastfeed their babies through the end of 1 year.
Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding
Child Health Benefits
Breast milk is still considered the best for babies. No other substitutes or alternatives can match the properties and nutrients found in it. Here’s a list of the diseases and infections exclusive breastfeeding reduces:
- Respiratory tract infections: Exclusive breastfeeding for more than 4 months reduces the risk of hospitalization for these infections by up to 72%
- Colds and infections: Babies exclusively breastfed for 6 months may have up to a 63% lower risk of getting serious colds and ear or throat infections.
- Ear infections: 3 or more months of exclusive breastfeeding may reduce the risk by 50%, while any breastfeeding may reduce it by 23%
- Intestinal tissue damage: Feeding preterm babies breast milk is linked with around a 60% reduction in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis.
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Breastfeeding is linked to a 50% reduced risk after 1 month, and a 36% reduced risk in the first year.
- Gut infections: Breastfeeding is linked with a 64% reduction in gut infections, seen for up to 2 months after breastfeeding stops.
- Celiac disease: Babies who are breastfed at the time of first gluten exposure have a 52% lower risk of developing the celiac disease.
- Allergic diseases: Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 3–4 months is linked with a 27–42% reduced risk of asthma, atopic dermatitis, and eczema.
- Inflammatory bowel disease: Babies who are breastfed may be roughly 30% less likely to develop childhood inflammatory bowel disease.
- Childhood leukemia: Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer is linked with a 15–20% reduction in the risk of childhood leukemia.
- Diabetes: Breastfeeding for at least 3 months is linked to a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes (up to 30%) and type 2 diabetes (up to 40%).
Mother’s Benefits from Exclusive Breastfeeding
Even moms can get something good out of breastfeeding. When a mother continues to breastfeed for as long as possible, it can:
- Decrease postpartum bleeding
- Better child spacing
- Lose pregnancy weight faster
- Lower risk for breast and ovarian cancer
- Help prevent postpartum depression
- Decrease risk for hip fractures and osteoporosis
In Summary…
Breast and nipple pains can be common at the beginning of every breastfeeding journey. Although it can be uncomfortable, mothers are still encouraged to do exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months. This is so they can achieve the full benefits including a child’s optimal growth, development, and protection against diseases.
If you are interested to find easy techniques to relieve your breastfeeding pains, check out our previous article on Easy Quick Relieving Techniques For When Breastfeeding Hurts.
