Breastfeeding can feel uncertain, uncomfortable and unfamiliar for many moms.

Perhaps it comes naturally at first, but pain or supply issues develop later. It may just feel totally unnatural and uncomfortable, but you really want to do it. Sometimes breastfeeding seems easy with a first baby, but then everything is different with their sibling.

If any of this feels familiar, you are not alone. Competent support and care can make a world of difference.

When breastfeeding is difficult, most mothers assume something is wrong with them — that they are not making enough milk. But upon assessment, usually the real reason is due to issues with the baby’s latch, which are often correctable.

Did you know that tongue-tie is fairly frequently the issue when nursing is difficult? The good news is it can be treated, and breastfeeding can get back on track once it is properly diagnosed. 

Table of Contents

Pain Related to Latch & Breastfeeding   •  Sore Nipples  |  Clogged Duct  |  Mastitis  •  Diagnosing Tongue Tie  •  Other Pain Related to Breastfeeding  •  Expect Change: Every Week May Be Different

When breastfeeding works, it is wonderful for both mother and child. Many women say it is the hardest but most rewarding thing they have ever done – although it doesn’t always start out this way.

In partnership with your primary providers, good lactation support and chiropractic care can address the root causes of sore nipples, engorgement, mastitis, heavy let-downs, milk supply issues, as well as back and neck pain, and create a pathway to stress-free breastfeeding.

In many world cultures, mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends who all breastfed guide and support new moms. Here and now, we have a renewed awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, but availability of actual support systems and practices hasn’t quite caught up yet. Many patients we see are looking for positive support and solutions. We provide that, one nursing mother at a time.

Experiencing Pain Related to Latch & Breastfeeding

Our practice is built to care for nursing mothers and their families from the Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts areas. Our chiropractic doctors work alongside certified lactation counselors to address physical pain, good positioning, infant latch, nutrition and organ function, and overall well-being. In partnership with your physician, OB-GYN, doula and pediatrician, our team is here to help you succeed and thrive. Call to talk to one of our intake specialists about scheduling time for you.

Diagnosing Tongue-Tie

Tongue-tie limits a baby’s ability to latch correctly during breastfeeding and frequently goes undiagnosed. The condition is easily corrected, and yet we’ve seen women come to us 8-12 weeks into their breastfeeding journey –  and beyond – with babies and children that have undetected tongue-tie.

What is most important for proper evaluation of tongue-tie: A medical or lactation professional needs to observe you breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby.

Our chiropractors and lactation counselors follow a 12-point assessment that includes:

• Visual: Is the tongue flat or bunched?
• Mobility: How much can the tongue move? Can the tongue move side to side, reach the mid-mouth, and extend out over the lip? How much can the tongue stretch? What happens when the baby opens their mouth and cries?
• Feel: When you put your finger in the baby’s mouth, does their tongue suck from front to back — or from back to front?
• Function: Can the baby make a seal around the nipple?
• Sound: Is there a clicking sound when the baby feeds?

What is a Tongue-Tie?

Tongue-Tie is a simple condition in which a band of tissue prevents the tongue’s full range of motion. An improper sucking motion can create friction and abrasion during breastfeeding, leading to sore, cracked and even bleeding nipples, as well as an undernourished and colicky baby.

Typically, this band of tissue separates before birth, but sometimes it doesn’t. We suspect that babies born early or prematurely have increased likelihood of tongue-tie.

Back! Neck! Other Pain Related to Breastfeeding

While you are nursing, remember that your body has just been through a major physical feat. Giving birth is the physiological equivalent of running two marathons back-to-back. Added to your own recovery, you’re now starting a new physically demanding practice in breastfeeding.

Use pillows as support, and position the baby correctly. A lactation counselor will help to guide you through a range of well-supported positions that work for your body and your baby’s latch.

Neck and back pain related to contorting your body to breastfeed is common, but you don’t have to live with it!

After childbirth, it takes at least three months for your ligaments and muscles to move back into place. Regular chiropractic care — sometimes alongside massage or other bodywork — goes a long way to support your own recovery and well-being, as well as your ability to care for your baby.

Expect Change: Every Week May Be Different

It may take 8-12 weeks or more before you really feel you’ve found your groove with breastfeeding. At any point, if you hit a bump in the road, seek some extra help.

Just when you get the hang of it, your baby will change things up. 

Certified lactation counselors can help you through the changes you may encounter: 

• How to position your baby for supported, comfortable feeding with adjustments as your baby grows
• How to deal with supply issues — increasing supply, delayed let-down, overproduction or asymmetrical production
• How to deal with engorgement as the baby starts sleeping longer or you go back to work
• How to employ hand-expression techniques if flow is heavy to start or if let-down is delayed
• General support and referrals for new parents who may be experiencing unhealthy levels of stress or feelings of being overwhelmed
• Clarity and encouragement for any breastfeeding issue or concern

We work to give families the kind of support they need. We offer the option of having a chiropractic treatment and receiving coaching with one of our lactation counselors, all in one place.

If you are based in Rhode Island or Southeastern Massachusetts, call our office to make an appointment and expect to feel better!

We will take care of you, so you can take care of your baby.