Breasts feel like being pricked by needles during lactation

During breastfeeding, women not only have to worry about breast milk secretion, but also need to pay attention to breast care. Because at this time, the secondary development of the breasts can easily lead to various problems or even diseases. If your breasts feel like they are being pricked by needles during breastfeeding, it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up, because this may be a normal physiological phenomenon, but it may also be a pathological cause of breast pain.

What causes needle-like pain in breasts during lactation?

1. Improper sucking

The most common cause of breast pain after feeding during lactation is improper sucking by the baby. When the baby sucks the nipple, he does not put enough of the areola into his mouth, but only holds the top of the nipple. Repeated sucking will cause nipple pain.

2. Nipple cracks

After breastfeeding, the mother feels a pricking pain in the nipple. This may be because the skin of the new mother's nipple is relatively delicate and cannot withstand the stimulation of the baby's sucking, especially when the milk is insufficient or the nipple is too small or inverted. Because the baby sucks and bites the nipple hard, the nipple epidermis is soaked in saliva and becomes soft, peeled, and eroded, forming cracks of varying sizes.

3. Lactation pain

If you feel breast pain after feeding, it may be lactation pain. After feeding your baby, your breasts are empty and the mammary glands will produce milk vigorously, especially at night when prolactin is high and milk secretion is high, the pain will be more obvious.

What to do if your breasts hurt during lactation

1. Correct breastfeeding posture

If the breasts are sore after feeding during lactation, the mother should adopt the correct breastfeeding posture, first breastfeed with the breast that hurts less, and pay attention to putting most of the nipple and areola into the baby's mouth. The baby's feeding position should also be changed regularly to reduce the stimulation of sucking on the mother's nipple. Do not pull the nipple out forcefully, as this may damage it.

2. Apply milk

If a breastfeeding mother experiences breast pain after feeding or if her nipples are chapped, she can squeeze out some milk and apply it to the nipples and areola after breastfeeding and wait for it to dry naturally. Never wash the nipples with soapy water, because there is a gland in the nipple or areola that secretes oil to protect the nipple and prevent cracking. Washing the nipples with soap will remove this natural protective film.