A few questions from a newbie to nursing.

Stellasmom

I FF'd my 2.5 year old DS, just because I wanted to, but decided to give nursing a shot with my new DD.  Things are going well but I'm curious about a few things.

How long does engorgement typically last? DD is one week old and my breasts are still pretty scary looking, although not as hard. lol

How long does pain associated with nursing last? I know there is probably a range timewise. Right now my pain is bearable, but I'm looking forward to more relaxing feedings down the road.

Kind of in the vein of my second question, is lanolin something I'm going to have to use indefinitely, or is it more of a beginners thing?

Thanks for your patience. I'm betting these questions get asked a lot.

yeladim

I know this is probably not the answer you want to hear, but I would say to all 3 questions: it depends!

For engorgement, the more you nurse, the better it gets. Personally, I was only engorged for 2 days, and even then it wasn't really painful, but some people get it more.

As long as you have a good latch, the pain should decrease over time as your nipples "toughen up". By next week you will probably see a clear difference from this week. When will the pain disappear? It really differs for everyone. Hope for your sake, it is sooner rather than later, but you sound ok so far.

Good Luck!

MrsCAA

-i didnt have typ engorgment so i cant help

- the pain: if you have a good latch, around a month maybe- dont remember for sure, but i remember around the 6 wk mark it got better and DS would have a good latch fairly easily

-Lanolin- no. It gets better. Most dont even go through 1 tube. You can also us 100% olive oil

 

SnoopyLuv

Stellasmom:

How long does engorgement typically last? As long as you aren't pumping or skipping feeds it should subside in a few weeks. Everything will get really normal at 12 weeks. But you have the 3, 6 and 12 weeks growth spurts coming so those can make you a little wonky.

How long does pain associated with nursing last? As you both get better at it, it will go away. I think week 5 is when I stopped noticing the feeling.

Kind of in the vein of my second question, is lanolin something I'm going to have to use indefinitely, or is it more of a beginners thing? I didn't use it after 12 weeks. You don't HAVE to use it. A squirt of milk left to air dry on the nipples does a great job too.

Thanks for your patience. I'm betting these questions get asked a lot.

CurlGurl1

How long does engorgement typically last?   I started pumping after about 1 week because I was so engorged I could barely breath.  It helped a lot, although there seems to be a wide range of opinions on when to start pumping.  I'm glad that I started them to ease engorgement and also start building a stash.   

How long does pain associated with nursing last?   After about 3-4 weeks it wasn't so painful.  After about 6 weeks, everything really clicked and it got much easier. 

Kind of in the vein of my second question, is lanolin something I'm going to have to use indefinitely, or is it more of a beginners thing?   I went through 3-4 tubes of lanolin.  I think around 6 weeks I realized that my nipples didn't hurt as much and then I just stopped using.  

Good luck! 

Stellasmom

Thanks for the info!