what causes this

My daughter is almost 3 weeks old and I have been exclusively breastfeeding.  For the most part things have been relatively easy for us.  
My issues are that I have been having extreme pain/breast sensitivity to cold (ex. when I open the refrigerator or if the air conditioning is on to high) and sometimes after feeding her I get a stinging sensation in the top or on the sides of my breasts.  it's not nipple pain or anything like that so I was wondering if these things are normal and/or what causes it.
I know it's not engorgement because it happens after feeding her...
so am I not emptying them fully or is the stinging caused when I'm filling back up?
Will this go away when my supply is more established?

[chantal21]

my lil guy is just about 7 weeks and i still experience from time to time what you are describing. I wish i had an answer....it seems i get that pain when he empties me after his feeding. I sometimes have a strange sensation when I get cold as well.
Hopefully someone can shed some light on this issue.
Do you experience the "let down" feeling? I get this stinging sensation in both breasts at every feeding..then a rush of milk will come out...I wonder when that will let up?

Also, I never got to say congrats to you!! So Congrats on your baby girl! She is beautiful!

[AndiJ78]

The letdown will continue to happen, but it does become less intense. Some women luck out and rarely notice it. Mine was always quite painful: the build up of intense pressure followed by a huge release.

I was going to say I hadn't noticed an issue with cold, but as I sat here, I realized I did. It was usually a dull ache, sometimes more.  Some women may have it, others may not. As far as the stinging, it could be filling back up.

There are not usually any concrete answers with sensations with the exception of letdown or engorgement. Those are fairly predictable. Perhaps clogged ducts or mastitis. But general sensitivities are too individualized to really pinpoint.

Make sure you keep an eye out for signs or symptoms of mastitis just to be safe.

Right now your breasts are adjusting constantly to the demands of nursing. her eating patterns change often now so she may not drain it one feeding, but will the next. It really does ease up as time passes.

Good luck and congratulations.

[sewpretty]

thanks you guys, i'm glad that i'm not the only one... and that it won't be like this forever.

[mlb1234]

the sensations you feel after the feeding are probably the ducts filling back up with milk.  i get that too sometimes.  it hurts but it is very short lived.
When I first started feeding my daughter I could feel the let down every time when she started to feed.  But now after 4 months I don't feel it at all anymore.
I haven't noticed any difference with cold temps. myself.
best of luck.

[ma2isiah]

It might be Raynaud's of the nipple. I experienced this with dd. Now that she is older it is not as intense, but it was pretty bad at first. For more info go to kelly mom . com or you can message me.