Intense pain and anticipation of intense pain can cause shaking and
sweating.  Years ago I had a painful procedure done without pain meds.
I had to have it done a second time.  Prior to the procedure a second
time, I broke into a full-body sweat and got the shakes.

My suggestion is that mothers in severe pain need a temporary break from
nursing.  This can mean actually stopping for 12-24 hours and pumping
with a high-quality pump only.  Or alternating nursing with pumping for
12-24 hours.  Baby can be fed by some alternative method(not bottles).
Going over positioning with the mother is still important(experienced
breastfeeding mothers may position their newborns poorly because their
memory is of an older nursing baby/child who positions themselves).

When an experienced breastfeeding mother is in that amount of pain with
sore nipples, I would suspect that the infant is the source of the
problem...retracted tongue, bunched tongue, or tongue tie,etc. The
mother's mood swings may be intensified by pain.  Hopelessness can be a
result of feeling that the situation is unresolvable. Sounds like you
helped the mother resolve the situation.  Once the pain eases, a
mother's mental state will usually improve unless she is experiencing
postpartum depression.  Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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