Breastfeeding Troubleshooting: What to Do When It's Not Going to Plan

Here is something they probably did not mention in your antenatal class: breastfeeding can be really, properly hard. Not for everyone, and not forever, but for a lot of new parents, those first weeks of nursing feel less like the serene bonding moment from the pamphlet and more like a crash course in pain tolerance and sleep deprivation.

If you are reading this while your baby screams and your nipples throb and you are one bad latch away from throwing the nursing pillow out the window, take a breath. You are not failing. You are learning a completely new skill alongside a tiny human who is also learning it for the first time. That is hard. Full stop.

This is not a guilt trip or a pep talk. It is a practical, no-judgement guide to the most common breastfeeding problems, what actually causes them, and what you can do right now to make things better. And if at any point you decide that breastfeeding is not for you, that is a perfectly valid choice too. Fed is fed. 💜

Sore and Cracked Nipples

This is the big one. Almost every breastfeeding parent deals with some level of nipple soreness in the early days, and for many it tips from "uncomfortable" into "toe-curlingly painful." The good news? It is almost always fixable.

The most common cause is a shallow latch. When your baby is not taking enough of the breast into their mouth, they end up chomping on the nipple itself instead of drawing milk from the deeper breast tissue. It hurts, it damages the skin, and it makes the next feed something you dread rather than enjoy.

What to try

• Check the latch. Your baby's mouth should be wide open, with more areola visible above the top lip than below the bottom one. Their chin should press into the breast, and you should hear a rhythmic suck-swallow pattern. If it hurts, break the seal gently with your finger and try again.
• Try a different hold. The cross-cradle hold gives you more control over positioning in the early weeks. The rugby ball hold works brilliantly if you have had a caesarean or have larger breasts.
• Air dry after feeds. Let your nipples dry naturally after each feed rather than tucking them straight back into a bra. Express a drop of breast milk and smooth it over the nipple - it has genuinely healing properties.
• Use hydrogel pads between feeds. They cool the skin, protect cracked areas, and speed up healing without sticking to damaged tissue.

Silver nursing cups are another option worth knowing about. They sit over the nipple between feeds, using the natural antimicrobial properties of silver to promote healing while keeping fabric off sore skin. Parents who struggle with creams sticking to breast pads often find these a game-changer.

Latch Problems

A good latch is the foundation of comfortable breastfeeding, and a bad one is behind most other problems on this list. But "just get a better latch" is about as useful as telling someone who cannot sleep to "just relax." Here is what actually helps.

First, positioning matters more than you think. If you are hunching over your baby, bringing yourself down to them, your back will ache and the angle will work against you. Bring baby up to breast height using a firm nursing pillow so you can sit upright with your shoulders relaxed. The difference this makes is honestly ridiculous.

Wait for a wide gape before latching. Brush your nipple against your baby's top lip to trigger the rooting reflex, then when their mouth opens wide (think yawning, not polite conversation), bring them swiftly onto the breast, chin first. Aim the nipple towards the roof of their mouth.

If your baby keeps slipping into a shallow latch, it is worth getting checked for tongue tie. This is a small piece of tissue under the tongue that restricts movement, and it is surprisingly common. Your midwife or health visitor can assess it, or ask for a referral to an infant feeding specialist.

Low Milk Supply (or Thinking You Have Low Supply)

Here is a plot twist: most parents who worry about low supply actually have plenty of milk. The worry usually starts because the baby feeds constantly (normal), the breasts feel softer than they did in the first week (also normal), or the baby seems fussy after feeds (still normal).

Your breasts are not a storage tank with a visible gauge. They are making milk on demand, all the time. Feeling softer does not mean empty. It means your body has figured out how much milk to make and stopped overproducing. That is actually a good sign.

Signs your baby IS getting enough milk

• At least six wet nappies in 24 hours after day five
• Pale, straw-coloured wee (not dark or concentrated)
• Regular poos, at least the size of a two-pound coin
• Gaining weight along their growth curve
• Alert and active when awake

If supply genuinely is low

Feed more often. Milk production works on supply and demand, so the more you remove, the more your body makes. Offer both breasts at every feed. Add in extra pumping sessions after feeds to signal your body to ramp up production. Power pumping (20 minutes on, 10 off, 10 on, 10 off, 10 on) mimics cluster feeding and can give supply a solid boost.

Stay hydrated, eat enough, and rest when you can. Your body cannot produce milk efficiently if it is running on empty. Keep a large water bottle next to wherever you usually feed, and do not feel guilty about asking someone else to handle everything that is not feeding.

Cluster Feeding

Picture this: your three-week-old has been on the breast for what feels like four hours straight. They feed, doze for ten minutes, wake up screaming, latch back on, repeat. You have not eaten, your partner keeps asking "are they hungry again?", and you are starting to wonder if something is wrong.

Nothing is wrong. This is cluster feeding, and it is one of the most exhausting but completely normal parts of breastfeeding. Babies cluster feed to boost your milk supply ahead of growth spurts, and they tend to do it in the evenings when they are tired and want comfort.

You cannot spoil a newborn by feeding them too often. You are not a dummy. You are responding to a biological signal that is literally designed to increase your milk production. It usually lasts a few days at a time and passes.

Survival tips

• Set up a feeding station with snacks, water, your phone charger, and the remote control before the evening begins
• Accept that you will not be doing anything else for a few hours. This is the job right now
• Let someone else handle dinner, laundry, and everything that is not this baby
• Remember: this phase passes. It always passes

Engorgement

When your milk first comes in, usually around day three to five, your breasts can feel like they have been inflated with a bicycle pump. They are rock hard, hot, swollen, and painful. Your baby may struggle to latch because there is not enough give in the breast for them to get a good mouthful.

This is engorgement, and while it is uncomfortable, it settles down within a day or two as your supply regulates. In the meantime, hand express just enough milk to soften the areola before latching your baby. A warm flannel on the breasts before a feed can help milk flow, and a cold compress afterwards reduces swelling.

Do not be tempted to pump loads of milk to relieve the pressure. That signals your body to make even more, which makes the cycle worse. Express just enough for comfort, and let your baby do the rest.

Blocked Ducts and Mastitis

A blocked duct feels like a hard, tender lump in your breast that does not go away after feeding. It happens when milk gets stuck, usually because of a tight bra, a skipped feed, or pressure on the breast from sleeping positions.

To clear it, feed frequently from that breast, positioning your baby so their chin points towards the lump (the suction is strongest there). Gentle massage towards the nipple while feeding can help move things along. A warm compress before feeds and a cold one after can ease the discomfort.

If a blocked duct is not cleared within a day or two, it can develop into mastitis, an infection that brings flu-like symptoms, a red patch on the breast, and sometimes a fever. If you feel generally unwell alongside breast pain, contact your GP. You may need antibiotics, and you should keep feeding through it. The milk is safe for your baby, and stopping feeds will make things worse.

When to Get Help (and Where to Find It)

If you have tried the tips above and things are still difficult, you do not have to figure this out alone. Breastfeeding support exists, it is free, and the people who provide it have seen every problem you can imagine.

• Your midwife or health visitor can check your baby's latch and refer you for specialist support
• Breastfeeding support groups run in most areas, often at children's centres. Sitting in a room with other parents who are also struggling is surprisingly reassuring
• Lactation consultants (IBCLCs) are the specialists. If you can access one, either through your hospital or privately, they can diagnose and fix issues that generalist support cannot
• Helplines: The National Breastfeeding Helpline (0300 100 0212) offers free, confidential support from trained volunteers

Add the items that will help you to your BubsNest registry so family and friends know exactly what to buy. Nobody ever regrets having too many breast pads. 💙

The Most Important Thing

Breastfeeding is a skill, not an instinct. It takes practice. Some babies pick it up quickly and some take weeks to get comfortable. Some parents breastfeed for years and some stop after a fortnight. None of these outcomes says anything about you as a parent.

If it is working, brilliant. If it needs tweaking, help exists. And if it is making you miserable, stopping is not giving up. It is making a decision that is right for your family. Whatever you choose, your baby is lucky to have you.