When Breastfeeding Hurts More Than Anything: How We Turned It Around in 90 minutes
CLIENT PROFILE
First-time mum in her mid-20s from Singapore | Baby 5 weeks old | Combination feeding | Previous mastitis
SERVICE RENDERED
Postnatal breastfeeding support
(This involved a home visit and one week of ongoing text support, all offered in Singapore.)
BREASTFEEDING HAD BECOME SOMETHING TO DREAD FOR THIS NEW MUM
This mum was five weeks in and had already tried everything she could think of.
She'd seen a polyclinic lactation nurse. She'd attended a group breastfeeding class. But she was still stuck.
Her baby seemed endlessly unsettled at the breast. She'd feed him round the clock, and still he'd cry for more. Eventually, she and her partner would offer formula just to help him settle.
But it wasn't just the uncertainty around whether he was getting enough.
It was the pain.
She described her nipple pain as 7 out of 10 — worse on some feeds than others, but always there. Her body felt traumatised every time she tried to latch him. Sometimes it hurt so much she'd tense up before he even came near.
After developing mastitis at three weeks postpartum, she'd become afraid of her own milk supply.
She wanted more milk to keep up with her baby's demands, but she was terrified of engorgement. She didn't know how to use her pump effectively, so when her breasts felt full, she'd just suffer through it — stuck in a loop she couldn't get out of.
She wanted to exclusively breastfeed. She wanted to feel confident going out with her baby, knowing she could feed him comfortably in public without facing a crying, hungry baby. But right now, that felt impossible.
WHAT DID OUR WORK LOOK LIKE
Clarifying what she and her baby needed.
During our 90-minute home visit, we started by clarifying what she actually wanted breastfeeding to look like.
In her words, she wanted to fully breastfeed her baby and feel confident as a mum:
"I want to be able to go out with him knowing that I can breastfeed him comfortably — like, my milk is enough for him and I don't have to face a crying hungry baby in public. And also to have good milk transfer so that feeding times are efficient and not round the clock."
With that clarity, we got to work.
2. At home-visit: Gestalt Breastfeeding approach for nipple pain.
Because her nipples were so sensitive, I didn't rush her. We used the Gestalt breastfeeding approach — a gentle, step-by-step method that lets mum tune into her body and baby before bringing him on.
I explained how nipple pain is often caused by breast tissue drag: when the breast tissue is pulled in a different direction to baby's suck, he can't draw it up properly. He might latch shallow or slip off entirely. And that creates friction, pain, and damage.
Once she understood what was happening, we worked together to position her baby in a way that got rid of the drag. We made small adjustments — tiny shifts in angle, support, and fit — until baby could come on deeply and comfortably.
3. Updates and support after/post-session via Whatsapp.
After the session, we stayed connected through WhatsApp. She sent updates and questions throughout the week as she practised the techniques and learned to tune into her baby's cues.
One of the things we explored together was the idea that babies don't just have a hunger for milk — they also have a hunger for sensory nourishment. Sometimes fussiness isn't about needing more food; it's about needing more connection, more comfort, more closeness. She started experimenting with that, and it changed how she read her baby's signals.
THE OUTCOME: SIX MONTHS LATER, SHE NOW ENJOYS BREASTFEEDING.
Now, six months later, here's what she told me:
"Now that we are at the six months' mark, and after the consultation with you, it has made breastfeeding so much more enjoyable. Like, I can't believe I actually enjoy it. And I want to take it to the two-year mark."
She went from dreading every feed to genuinely enjoying the experience. She went from fearing her own body to trusting it. And she went from feeling like she wasn't enough to knowing that she is.
THERE’S A REASON YOU WANT TO TAKE NIPPLE PAIN SO SERIOUSLY
I hear this so often from the mums I work with: nipple pain is worse than labour. Worse than a caesarean section. And unlike those experiences, it doesn't end after a few hours or days — it keeps going, feed after feed.
More than three-quarters of breastfeeding women experience nipple pain sometime in the first two months. Even at eight weeks, one in five mothers are still dealing with it.
Nipple pain often starts in the first week, sometimes on top of perineal bruising, an abdominal wound, or sheer exhaustion. Add a crying baby into the mix, and you're facing a level of physical and emotional overwhelm that's hard to put into words.
That's why I take nipple pain so seriously in every consultation. I aim for the lowest possible pain score — not just to make feeding more comfortable, but to increase the chances of continuing breastfeeding and reduce the risk of further damage.
I'm so relieved and genuinely happy that this mum not only made it through those early weeks, but is now six months in and aiming for two years. That's what's possible when pain is addressed properly, early on.
This case study was built on a conversation with this specific client, going through our work together.
Anything in quotes is a word-for-word statement said by the client on a recorded call or in feedback.
Breastfeeding With Nipple Pain? Get Support in Singapore
You don't have to push through it. Pain is your body telling you something needs to change — and with the right support, it can.
Book a postnatal breastfeeding consult and let's work through it together. I'll come to your home where you and baby are most comfortable, and you'll have me in your corner for a full week afterward via WhatsApp.
