Last couple days thinking about this decision to take a break has got me done. I really don't want to stop for any length of time.

A couple weeks ago, my husband did accidentally squish that same breast while repositioning during a nursing session. He landed on the top part of the areola & nipple. There was no damage that could be seen but it was senstive. That sensitivity disappeared about a week later. We still suckled and I pumped on low setting with the Annabella pump.

Around the time that was starting to feel better, I started to feel irritation where the tongue motion part of the pump was on my skin. Feels like a rug burn. Have been putting nip balm on it and letting my breasts go free whenever I can - hard when sharing a place.

Suckling seemed to be the only thing that worked without any pain. Over last weekend my husband took over all my sessions (every 4 hours from 6am to 10pm). On Monday (few days ago) started using my wearable,l but that cause pain after 10 mins. I tried my Freemie liberty (with a Philips Avent flange & bottle set up), same thing happened. I used both on the lowest settings with lube on both the flange & breast.

I tried hand expression only for a day, but that has started to irritate the bottom part of areola area. No way to get around it. Unfortunately, hand expression has been harder for me to do from the onset, due to a sweating condition - within minutes of me starting my breast skin & fingers start to feel sweaty and doesn't stop until I stop & get a fan on my breast.

We talked more about it this morning, after another unsuccessful pump session with the freemie, and decided to take a break for the next couple weeks. Hopefully that will help heal my skin & give it the break it needs.

I now understand fully what others mean by missing connectedness that suckling brings so much, that it really affects your mood. I have been feeling that these past few days. Really throwing me for a loop. Feel like am grieving what has been taken from me. Though I know that's not the case. We'll be starting back up slowly, and my husband has been great at reminding me that he really wants to suckle & misses our times together. He reminds me that we need to do this so that we can keep doing it - have to give my body the time it needs to heal ... I know the reasons why we're taking a break, but it doesn't help this grief am feeling.

... any tips on how to refocus my thoughts when my breasts ache so much? My husband suggested massaging them (no expression) whenever we would normally suckle or I would pump. I am going to stop taking my supplements other than goats rue and sunflower lecithin, until we start up again.