There’s no need to suffer breastfeeding pain in silence, says Unii’s Baby Feeding expert and lactation consultant Wendy Lever.

Worried about sore and bleeding nipples while breastfeeding? You’re not alone. Speaking on our Unii Babies podcast, lactation consultant Wendy Lever said: “The thing I really want to do [when I hear about bleeding nipples in breastfeeding] is reassure mums that their baby's fine. So interestingly, breast milk and blood are very, very similar. The main difference between them is in red blood cells. The red blood cells are simply too big to pass through those junctions. And so if the baby is swallowing a little bit of blood, they really won't come to any harm.”

There is no need to suffer in silence, she told Unii Babies host Dr. Saranya Ravindran. “If you've got cracked nipples, if you've got sore nipples, we need to fix the positioning. We need to work out why this is happening because that has tipped into the It's not normal; it's very common, but it's not normal. And I think that difference between common and normal is really important because lots of mums are sort of told, "Yes, I had terribly sore nipples for six weeks,” and they sort of suck it up. And my big message out there is don't suck it up just because somebody else has also experienced this pain doesn't make it normal. We can do something about it.”

You can learn all about the rights and wrongs of positioning your baby for breastfeeding on Unii’s Baby Feeding Journey with Wendy Lever, available exclusively at unii.com.

Watch Episode 15: How can I get started with latching a newborn baby?

Whether breast or bottle-feeding works for you personally, we know you and your baby will benefit from completing Wendy’s Baby Feeding Journey with Unii.com. Sign up for a trial to learn about weaning, how to know when breastfeeding is going well, and choosing the right bottle. And join Wendy and Unii Babies host Dr. Saranya Ravindran for more exclusive baby feeding advice in this fascinating Unii Babies podcast episode.

Unii Babies is created and owned by London-based family wellbeing educational platform Unii.com, which offers hundreds of episodes of expert-led video courses and a library of medically reviewed articles devoted to improving both baby and child health and your parenting journey. We can also have your parenting questions expertly answered. Contact us with what you want to know, and you may see one of our experts discuss it on our podcast or Unii.com: Because Family Matters.

This podcast is for reference and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific medical advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking or deciding not to take any action.

Unii's Baby Feeding Expert: "Just Because Somebody Else Has Experienced This Pain Doesn't Make It Normal."

Unii's Baby Feeding Expert: "Just Because Somebody Else Has Experienced This Pain Doesn't Make It Normal."