Real talk: it feelsâĤweird. Not like anything youâve experienced before, and you might be shocked at how much sucking power your tiny little human has. Joelleen Winduss Paye, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), midwife and naturopath says, âyou will be looking for a sucking/vacuum feeling and strong tugging/pulling sensations.â And yes, it may take a bit for you to get used to this new feeling in your body. And remember, not only can the sucking strength of a baby vary, each personâs experience or tolerance of pain is different too. âMothers who have had a spinal or epidural procedure during labour may experience some reduced sensitivity as the pain medication may temporarily block certain nerves around the nipple and breast area,â Joelleen notes, so if this is you, take extra care in ensuring the latch is correct. If the tugging feeling veers into âpinchingâ or a sharp pain, thatâs when you need to reassess. âThis may indicate that your nipple isnât deep enough into your babyâs mouth, aka: a shallow latch,â says Joelleen. âWhen the nipple is not deep enough into the babyâs mouth, it will be compressed with the hard structures in the babyâs mouth (gums and roof of mouth),â she says. And thatâs when those sharp sensations can happen. The aim is to achieve a deep latch by moving the nipple further back into the babyâs mouth, which will make everything a lot more comfortable.
