STM - nursing question

mrsf123 · May 2013

When I had DD1, I had a miserable time with nursing and gave up on it way too soon. I'm determined not to do that this time, so I want to be as prepared as possible.

One thing I remember is that my nipples killed right afterwards and they'd be so wet that I wouldn't want to put a bra or any clothes on, because my nipples would stick to the bra and it would kill to pull it off again when it was time to nurse.

I guess my question is - what were the tools you used to help you through the rough part of early nursing?

TIA!

WheeLinTheSky3 · May 2013

I also struggled with BF and eventually went to FF but when I was nursing/pumping I used this:

https://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/natural-nipple-butter.html

It helped a lot, didnt sting and smells pretty good. I highly suggest it.

edenrivers · May 2013

The good news is, once you tough it out, your nipples become less sensitive. My top five list:

1. Lanolin. Doesn't matter what brand, apply after each feeding.

2. Disposable breast pads. I liked the cheaper, Johnson & Johnson ones, because they only had a small amount of sticky, which means they don't stick to you when you're pulling down the nursing bra! They helped keep everything in place so the bra didn't rub.

3. Don't wash your boobs. Seriously. Soap can dry them out further; so try and skip it.

4. Wear a bra at night. I had a non-underwire nursing bra, with the disposable breast pads inserted.

5. Breast shields. I never used them but some moms I know swore by them when nursing.

Hope that helps!

mrsf123 · May 2013

edenrivers:
The good news is, once you tough it out, your nipples become less sensitive. My top five list:
1. Lanolin. Doesn't matter what brand, apply after each feeding.
2. Disposable breast pads. I liked the cheaper, Johnson & Johnson ones, because they only had a small amount of sticky, which means they don't stick to you when you're pulling down the nursing bra! They helped keep everything in place so the bra didn't rub.
3. Don't wash your boobs. Seriously. Soap can dry them out further; so try and skip it.
4. Wear a bra at night. I had a non-underwire nursing bra, with the disposable breast pads inserted.
5. Breast shields. I never used them but some moms I know swore by them when nursing.
Hope that helps!

Well, that makes sense. And I did wash my boobs before I nursed her each time, thinking I wanted them to be as clean as possible. Is this just something I shouldn't worry about?

missmay55 · May 2013

Lanolin is a life saver and nursing pads. I also found nipple shields to be helpful with getting the latch right. I had a lot of issues during the year I breastfed but I'm glad I did it and pushed myself through it.

Soleil3 · May 2013

For most women, your nipples shouldn't hurt. You gotta stick that whole thing in there, so the suction is on the much less sensitive outer edge of the areola, the tip of the nipple will actually seem like it's down babes throat but it's what makes a good latch!

Lansinoh is mandatory

BelhurstBride · May 2013

Soleil3:
For most women, your nipples shouldn't hurt. You gotta stick that whole thing in there, so the suction is on the much less sensitive outer edge of the areola, the tip of the nipple will actually seem like it's down babes throat but it's what makes a good latch!
Lansinoh is mandatory

Ditto. Especially the Lansinoh.

After the first week or two it gets SO much better.

magdalina.h · May 2013

The first few weeks/months are notoriously awful. breast pads, nipple cream and letting them air dry will help.

LJR 84 · May 2013

edenrivers:
The good news is, once you tough it out, your nipples become less sensitive. My top five list:
1. Lanolin. Doesn't matter what brand, apply after each feeding.
2. Disposable breast pads. I liked the cheaper, Johnson & Johnson ones, because they only had a small amount of sticky, which means they don't stick to you when you're pulling down the nursing bra! They helped keep everything in place so the bra didn't rub.
3. Don't wash your boobs. Seriously. Soap can dry them out further; so try and skip it.
4. Wear a bra at night. I had a non-underwire nursing bra, with the disposable breast pads inserted.
5. Breast shields. I never used them but some moms I know swore by them when nursing.
Hope that helps!

All of this, EXACTLY! I wouldn't have survived without breast pads, especially early on. I know some people say they can stop wearing them eventually, but I had to wear them for the entire year!

Nursing in the beginning can be very difficult. However, if you're determined to make it work, chances are it will. Good luck!

melosch · May 2013

Thanks for these tips! I'm sure they will come in handy once baby is here!

tokenhoser · May 2013

No other mammal on earth is washing up before every nursing session. You're fine to just not worry about that, and all nipple creams are "edible" if the baby gets some.

If you've got a good latch, any pain should only last for a few seconds and then fade away as the feed continues. Pain that sticks around is a sign of a latch problem.

The products others mentioned - lanolin, breast pads, sleep bras at night - are what got me through. Plus advil. God, I can't wait for advil.

mrsf123 · May 2013

tokenhoser:
No other mammal on earth is washing up before every nursing session. You're fine to just not worry about that, and all nipple creams are "edible" if the baby gets some.
If you've got a good latch, any pain should only last for a few seconds and then fade away as the feed continues. Pain that sticks around is a sign of a latch problem.
The products others mentioned - lanolin, breast pads, sleep bras at night - are what got me through. Plus advil. God, I can't wait for advil.

Thanks! OK I will cut that out with DD2.

My recollection is that it wasn't that the actual feeding hurt as much as that my boobs hurt a lot afterwards. Between feedings. Like, constantly. The nipples felt raw and my breasts felt achy.

tokenhoser · May 2013

It sounds like lanolin + advil + ice (after feeds) + heat (before feeds) would probably help.

The first month of breastfeeding kind of sucks. Then at about 6 weeks, most people find it gets way easier. So maybe set a goal of 6 weeks?

MommyKristin88 · May 2013

My daughter was allergic to lanolin, so I only used it once then couldn't. I hear that works for some people.

Good news is, I breastfed for 19 months (no bottle feeding), so I can promise you that it does get better. Probably around the 3 week mark I was feeling fine.

Regarding the wetness, dab gently with tissue or let them airdry before pulling your bra back up. Also, I never dealt with my nipples sticking to the nursing pads. Did you ever use those?

So, the only tools I used through my 19 month journey were patience and nipple pads.

MommyKristin88 · May 2013

mrsf123:
edenrivers:

The good news is, once you tough it out, your nipples become less sensitive. My top five list:

1. Lanolin. Doesn't matter what brand, apply after each feeding.

2. Disposable breast pads. I liked the cheaper, Johnson & Johnson ones, because they only had a small amount of sticky, which means they don't stick to you when you're pulling down the nursing bra! They helped keep everything in place so the bra didn't rub.

3. Don't wash your boobs. Seriously. Soap can dry them out further; so try and skip it.

4. Wear a bra at night. I had a non-underwire nursing bra, with the disposable breast pads inserted.

5. Breast shields. I never used them but some moms I know swore by them when nursing.

Hope that helps!

Well, that makes sense. And I did wash my boobs before I nursed her each time, thinking I wanted them to be as clean as possible. Is this just something I shouldn't worry about?

Great advice, Eden!! Soap is not needed on your nipples. It will actually irritate them during the breastfeeding process. So, yes, avoid soap. Just shower/bath normally, but don't scrub, rub, or add soap to your nipples. Ever!

MrsZ&Ella · May 2013

I loved the gel pads and would put them right in my bra so my nipples didn't stick..and if you put them in the freezer for a bit they don't freeze and the chilled gel feels amazing when they are sore!! I got a set in the hospital and will be asking for them again and stocking up on extra this time around!

stephmarie · May 2013

magdalina.h:
The first few weeks/months are notoriously awful. breast pads, nipple cream and letting them air dry will help.

this. In the beginning I just let them hang out long enough to air dry too and that really helped.

elynds · May 2013

I had a really rough start last time, too. I ended up BFing for 15 months, but those first 6 weeks were pure hell. My biggest issue is that I didn't know how to properly "unlatch" her for like 5 days (you stick your finger in to break the suction), so by the time I saw a LC my nips looked like raw meat and had cracked. Then it took forever to heal. I liked disposable nursing pads to keep from feeling "wet" all the time.

Creedon778 · May 2013

I think basically what the others have said is similar to my thoughts. However I would say I greatly preferred washable/reusable pads over disposable pads because I found them to be softer (bamboobies).

I agree with the not washing part - even when you take a shower you should avoid the water having any direct contact with your boobs because it can be painful.

I tried both mother's love nipple cream and medela's nipple cream and thought they were both great and couldn't differentiate the effectiveness between the two.

I definitely went through a lot of pain the first few weeks.....many tears were shed and swears said, but it did get much easier over time.

mrsf123 · May 2013

Thanks everyone. This is all very helpful. I have so much more knowledge this time that I'm hoping it works out better!

WashingtonQueen · May 2013

I will also add that the best nipple cream is actually breast milk itself. So much easier and not sticky and gooey. Squeeze a bit of milk out after every feeding and rub it into your nipple. Very soothing, healing and moisturizing.

Luv2Run1st · May 2013

I really think a lot of the pain early on is hormonal and it does adjust by 3 weeks post partum. Football hold seems to work to get the best latch and minimize pain early on but really it is time. I got the same pain every time I would ovulate and during late 1st trimester/early 2nd trimester while breastfeeding during this pregnancy and just had to tough it out. It does come to an end when hormones balance out.

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