- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Breastfeeding
Is it really that hard?
I have been reading tons of posts about breastfeeding and was wondering if most people have a hard time with it? I hear its painful and some women have a hard time doing it. I would like to BF for at least the first 6 months or so but am feeling a little discouraged.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Is it really that hard?
Honestly, for most its an adjustment thing. Your nipples will be sore and sometimes may get chapped or crack. Your letdown may feel a bit forceful at first also and that can kinda hurt.
Some never have any issues and you may be lucky enough to be one of them.
One last thing that most likely will occur.. You and your baby will have to work together to figure out the best latch and what position to feed in.
The best thing you can do is take it day by day and the longer you BF the easier it gets. If it truely is important to you, you will find the strength to keep trying even if it sucks at first. It is an awesome thing once it all works out and gets easier. I really wish it had worked for me but we all do what we can!
GL HTH
It is hard. I remember crying while DD was BFing because my nipples hurt so bad. I was determined to make BFing work and just bit my lip and worked through the pain. Most say it gets better after 6 weeks but for me it got better after 8. If BFing is really important to you then you will find it in you to stick with it.
GL
It's not easy in the beginning, but I think a lot of the adjustments that you have to make with bfing are just adjustments you would have to make with any newborn. It's tough when your baby is bfing almost continuously in the beginning. But I think it would be just as tough preparing bottles and feeding baby formula every couple hours. It's tough getting little to no sleep, but that would happen no matter what you feed baby.
Bfing was painful for me for the first couple weeks. I ended up getting cracked nipples in the hospital (ask for some soothie breast pads to help). Once they healed, it got much less painful. Then there was only pain during the initial 20-30 seconds, and that lasted until about 6-8 weeks. Then it was fine. I still felt/feel let down, but it's no longer painful at all.
I think bfing is just a hard learning curve. Baby is learning how to latch and suck. Mom is learning how to latch baby and is getting used to the extra strain on her nipples. Once you get past all that, it's easy.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
Don't be discouraged. but yes. it's hard. very hard.
Add being exhausted, and a crying baby, and hormones. yes its a huge adjustment.
Whatever you do, don't feel discouraged. I experienced most everything that the ladies mentioned in the posts above, but I became a true BF believer 2 weeks ago. I had to go to the office for a meeting with my boss to talk about me coming back to work, etc. My MIL was watching DS in the meantime. I rushed home from the meeting to BF my LO, but when I got home I found out that he started screaming bloody murder 15 minutes before I got home, and my MIL gave him the bottle.
That was the first time I did not get the chance to nurse him... and I felt like I missed one of the most important things ever! I know that I'll have to miss many more of these once I get back to work, but BFing is an incredible, gentle and emotional experience for me. We (mothers) are the only ones who can do this for our baby - it's like you and your LO are in a secret society or something, and there's nobody else but the two of you. It's really wonderful. So sore nipples, hormones... I'd do it a thousand times over!
It's a different experience for every woman, that's what I've found from reading this message board. I had a relatively easy experience with it. My DS was always a great eater, and my milk came in quickly. But I did have to deal with cracked nipples, pain during the first couple of weeks, and a very frequent eater. About 3 weeks into it, I would say that the whole BFing thing was pretty easy. But you have to set yourself to expect some struggle, and remember why it's so important to work through those struggles.
I can't wait to go through it all over again with my next baby
)
Every person will have a different story to tell, even those who have BF more than one child. For me, I had no issues physcially with BFing. DD latched from day 1 without any issues, my nipples never really got cracked or bleed, my supply was good throughout, and DD seemed satiated.
For me the hard part was the demand of BFing early on. It is tiring, because unlike a FF baby who can be fed by anyone, when you BF it's ALL you ALL the time! I remember the first couple of weeks being completely overwhelmed, exhausted, and hormonal. Lo and behold, DD is almost a year and we're still going strong! We're actually starting to wean now and we've made it!
GL! I suggest that you STOP reading all those books and the like and just enjoy your PG. Once DC is born, get involved with a lactation consulatant or support group like La Leche league. (real people vs a book!)
I'd say 2 things: first, is that just because it is "natural," does not mean it will be easy. Secondly, people that have an easy time of it probably aren't going to be posting a lot of questions. : )
It is harder than most people (myself included) thought it would be. However, once you and the baby learn how to do it (usually takes 4-8 weeks), it gets MUCH better. To help yourself succeed, I'd encourage reading books about it now, and signing up for a breastfeeding course. Also familiarize yourself with resources in your area (such as La Leche League, and BF support services at your delivering hospital) that you can use when the baby arrives. And DEFINITELY meet with a lactation consultant when you're in the hospital, even if everything *seems* to be going well. They can help make sure everything really is going great, as well as help you work through things that could lead to problems if not corrected.
Bottom line, educate yourself, and figure out your support network now, so that when the hard nights come around (because the "worst" things always seem to be at night!), you have people you can lean on for support and encouragement. Good luck!
Maybe you'll be surprised by how not hard it is for you!
I too was scared by all the horror stories and nearly everyone saying "It hurts so bad you'll just cry when you're nursing at first." Blah blah blah. Great way to support each other. Well it was and still is easy for me, not painful and no problems. Sure I had blistered nipples, but it didn't hurt. Sure I oversupply and soak everything within 10 feet in milk. But its not "hard." I think its the coolest thing ever and totally love nursing.
Personally, I think BFing is one of the best things you can do once you get the hang of it. Some women have children come out of the womb, latch on, and suck without any problems, and some need medical intervention before they're able to BF - it just depends on the unique situation of the mother-child pair. Obviously you've been doing some research, but there are tons of books and other resources out there that can share the pros, cons (few, but those are mostly medical & personal), and tips on how to make the most of the pros & prevent/deal with the cons. A few tips from me:
1. Attend La Leche League meetings as soon as you can - they can provide all sorts of advice and resources for you. Plus, just watching other nursing moms can be very educational.
2. Find a LC to be at the birth so you can start BFing as soon as possible.
3. I've heard that tea bags (dip in water & place on nipples) can help soothe nipples during the first few days or so.
4. Know that billions of women have done this natural thing for generations, and despite various problems (I had my share, belive me) we find ways to succeed and BF our babies.
5. If all else fails, you can always pump.
GL!!!