Breast feeding question

momma2nubs · August 2014

Ok second+ time moms. I have a question in regard to breast feeding. More of a poll actually. With my son it really only hurt to nurse for maybe 2 weeks (nipples & excess milk)... my sister in law is also pregnant and planning to breastfeed. I'm wondering, is that time frame is accurate to give her? Thanks!

jennjilljo · August 2014

I honestly don't really remember but I know it was less than a month and that the creams we're a life saver.

ordinary1 · August 2014

It's different for everyone. I think I had it for two or three weeks. However I know some moms who had pain for longer. The soothie gels were my savior!

maltwin1 · August 2014

Honestly I don't really remember breast feeding being particularly painful on its own. DS had a tongue tie that prevented him from using his tongue to get milk, forcing him to use his gums instead...which was agony. His tongue was corrected about a week or two after he was born and after that everything felt fine.

krispy83 · August 2014

I had pain until about 4 weeks, but that was exacerbated by a cracked nipple. It would have subsided before then if I didn't have that complication. Ditto the creams - Lanolin after every feeding was a lifesaver!

tammynixx · August 2014

For me nursing never was painful, but the pump was torture for roughly a month.

AnotherSun · August 2014

That sounds like its in the right ball park. Just make sure she knows that it's more discomfort, straight up pain means something might be wrong. Bad latch, cracked nipple etc

ConstanceGoodspeed · August 2014

Mine only lasted a few days and it wasn't "pain," more like a mild annoyance or discomfort.

natsgirl12 · August 2014

It varies by person but the key thing to communicate is that the pain will end. Her nipples will get used to it. I actually recommend nipple creams from Motherlove and Earth Mama Angel Baby. They are nicer going on, the ingredients are good, and they're baby-friendly, meaning you don't have to remove them before nursing (because when your nipples are hurting, the last thing you want to do us wipe something off of them).

brroseb · August 2014

I don't remember much "pain"... I think there was a bit of sensitivity the first couple weeks... The times that I felt actual pain was when the latch was not good. After a couple weeks, my nipples were like armor and the sensitivity went away.

bhjones1980 · August 2014

I had some discomfort (a few small scabs and raw nipples) for maybe a week? but it wasn't that bad.

FlowerPower16 · August 2014

I never had any pain or discomfort with breastfeeding, however we had to use nipple shields for the first few weeks until we got in a groove. I'm sure that helped.

I do remember my uterus contracting while breastfeeding during the first week. Now that was uncomfortable.

tooteroid · August 2014

I know this sounds weird, but did any of you do anything while pregnant to "prepare your breasts" for breast feeding? In college I overheard a girl say that she scrubs her nipples everyday with a coarse wash cloth to prepare for the pain??!!!

natsgirl12 · August 2014

tooteroid said:
I know this sounds weird, but did any of you do anything while pregnant to "prepare your breasts" for breast feeding? In college I overheard a girl say that she scrubs her nipples everyday with a coarse wash cloth to prepare for the pain??!!!

No. That doesn't sound like a good idea. And it's not really likely to help. One thing that I'm hoping makes it easier this time around is that I'm still nursing my 2.5yo. So my breasts and nipples are still used to breastfeeding. So we will see if that makes a difference. To be clear I am still nursing her because she wants to, not to alleviate pain the second time around.

michelle142 · August 2014

Everyone is so different, I don't think there is an accurate timeframe to give out.

michelle142 · August 2014

tooteroid said:

I know this sounds weird, but did any of you do anything while pregnant to "prepare your breasts" for breast feeding? In college I overheard a girl say that she scrubs her nipples everyday with a coarse wash cloth to prepare for the pain??!!!

Oh hell no. That's completely unnecessary. Ouch.

brroseb · August 2014

@natsgirl

Please excuse me if this is a stupid question... I really don't know the answer to this....

Knowing that colostrum is so important to baby (so we are told) and it is the first to come in, if you are still nursing your 2.5 yo is there a way to know who is getting colostrum? Do you produce it during this pregnancy if you are still nursing your previous child? Maybe ignorance, but I am just wondering.... also, I think it's great that you are still nursing your toddler...this is not meant as an insult.

natsgirl12 · August 2014

brroseb said:
@natsgirl
Please excuse me if this is a stupid question... I really don't know the answer to this....
Knowing that colostrum is so important to baby (so we are told) and it is the first to come in, if you are still nursing your 2.5 yo is there a way to know who is getting colostrum? Do you produce it during this pregnancy if you are still nursing your previous child? Maybe ignorance, but I am just wondering.... also, I think it's great that you are still nursing your toddler...this is not meant as an insult.

Oh, no offense taken. Thanks for asking. My body will focus on the baby. My milk will start changing back to colostrum as my pregnancy progresses. It's possible my DD decides to stop nursing because of the change. And then she may want to try again later (or not). She may drink some colostrum. But my body will definitely focus on the new baby and s/he (we find out next week!) will get all the milk s/he needs. Our bodies are truly amazing. Throughout my breastfeeding journey I've been constantly amazed by what my body can do and how it adapts to changes.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I'm no expert but I have a ton if experience and have read a lot on the topic as a whole.

tooteroid · August 2014

Thanks guys! I thought it sounded rough and awful!

cannolioh · August 2014

I didn't have any pain, but I used a shield for the first 4 months due to a baby who wouldn't latch and was losing weight.

natsgirl12 · August 2014

Since nipple shields have been brought up several times in this thread, I wanted to share more info about when to use them and the disadvantages to using them. Great info here:

https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/wean-shield/

momma2nubs · August 2014

Thanks ladies! My son will be 2 in December and it's amazing the things you "forget" haha! I want to encourage my sis in law especially because I know the discomfort ends quickly (in the grand scheme of things). I'd imagine the people who talk about the pain a lot either quit before it got better or had other issues like @AnotherSun‌ mentioned (cracked nipples, bad latches, etc.). Maybe I'm wrong on that... But if that is all she hears she won't know it does eventually get better for most people!

natsgirl12 · August 2014

Babies nurse ALL THE TIME. This can be overwhelming to moms. I know I was frustrated at first but one day I said to myself, "This is what we do" and that was that. A positive attitude made it much easier to make it through those first few months. Definitely something to pass along.

HerHighness · August 2014

I think my nips hurt for about 2 weeks while we were trying to get the latch down. After that it was smooth sailing. The lanolin cream and occasional ice helped.

CatLadyTX · August 2014

I think my nipples hurt for a week or two, mostly as he was learning to latch. For me, the worst was when he was cluster feeding at 4 weeks.

RedGiant · August 2014

I don't remember much pain after the first day when DS didn't have a good latch. But a nurse and lactation consultant in the hospital helped so it wasn't bad after that. Maybe soreness, but I did get more sore/rubbed from the pump being misaligned the first time I used that.

I remember being uncomfortable with engorgement when I had my in-laws watch him while DH and I went to the movies. DS slept through his normal feeding before the movie and had just eaten the bottle I had pumped when we got back, and I had forgotten to bring my pump on our day trip...so I was uncomfortable and ended up leaking through my sweater by the time we got back home. A good pump, never leave home without it

Angeldcf · August 2014

I don't remember it being painful. It would feel like pinpricks at first during the letdown.

What was painful when DS was 8months old. He'd be suckling for awhile then stop. He'd look at me, smile then CHOMP with those freaking teeth. I made a rookie mom mistake & instinctively ripped him off my boob. Nothing like clamped down teeth ripping off your nipple.

foxslaw · August 2014

Also, how many of you did breastfeeding come naturally to? The idea of having a "lactation consultant" sounds really silly to me....but I'm a FTM so maybe I'm am just being naive.

Angeldcf · August 2014

DEFINITELY ask for a lactation consultant!!

Breastfeeding may be "natural," but it can be difficult and frustrating. Positioning, getting the right latch, worried s/he is getting enough. We took the classes, read all the books, but still needed some help/reassurance.

jennjilljo · August 2014

foxslaw said:
Also, how many of you did breastfeeding come naturally to? The idea of having a "lactation consultant" sounds really silly to me....but I'm a FTM so maybe I'm am just being naive.

Lactation consultants are rewired fir nursing mom's to leave our hospital. She just gave me a run down of what is and is not ok during BFing and then checked to make sure I had a good latch. It came pretty naturally but I didn't mind the expert ensuring that DS was getting enough in a non painful way for both of us.

natsgirl12 · August 2014

I'm pretty sure that breastfeeding was going fine for me without LC help. The LCs at my hospital sucked. But I wanted to be sure I was doing everything right so I had an at home visit with an amazing LC. She confirmed that things were good. Gave me pointers on different positions. She taught me so much about breastfeeding and made me feel very confident. For $150 it was the most valuable visit ever. And I'm still breastfeeding 2.5 years later. I definitely recommend seeing someone at least once. Some insurance companies will even pay for the visit.

foxslaw · August 2014

Thanks for the response ladies. I'm sure I'll bite the bullet because I want the best for my blueberry.
It might sound silly, and I know it's their job, but having yet ANOTHER PERSON see my goods during this process makes my skin crawl. Is that weird? Maybe I'm too much of a prude.

natsgirl12 · August 2014

foxslaw said:

Thanks for the response ladies. I'm sure I'll bite the bullet because I want the best for my blueberry.
It might sound silly, and I know it's their job, but having yet ANOTHER PERSON see my goods during this process makes my skin crawl. Is that weird? Maybe I'm too much of a prude.

Once you give birth you won't care who sees what.

jennjilljo · August 2014

@foxslaw‌ I'm not big on other people seeing my goods either but at the hospital I didn't care one bit. I also find that I have a different attitude when it comes to health care professionals. Maybe it will help if you remind yourself that this is a health and welfare appointment just like an invasive OB visit.

CatLadyTX · August 2014

@foxslaw‌ I thought I was going to be uncomfortable with a LC being all up in my business, but by the time I saw her, I think that the entire L&D unit had seen all of my everything. TBH, I found the LC at the hospital to be not very helpful to me. I was having some blood in my milk and called my OB's office a week or so after he was born. The triage nurse happened to be a LC and scheduled me an appointment with her for the next morning. I found her to be much more helpful and seeing her really boosted my BFing confidence.

topolina1215 · August 2014

I echo PP that it is different for everyone. I got myself so upset b/c I kept reading in various places that it should only hurt for a few days and after that if it still hurt it meant you were doing it wrong. I felt terrible about myself and my inability to get it right. When I went for my 6 week post partum check up, I mentioned that I was still pretty tender and uncomfortable, and my doc said, "Well of course you feel that way - you're only 6 weeks post partum!!" That made me feel a lot better.

I realized that it's like that for everything post-baby. All the books made me crazy b/c my kid wasn't conforming to the babies in the books (eg. napping schedule, sleeping for longer stretches, smiling, etc.) I finally realized that she just marches to the beat of her own drum and will achieve the milestones when she feels like it

Just remember - each mother/baby is different!

michelle142 · August 2014

foxslaw said:

Also, how many of you did breastfeeding come naturally to? The idea of having a "lactation consultant" sounds really silly to me....but I'm a FTM so maybe I'm am just being naive.

I would have quit after the first week without the help of my awesome LC.

Sahara6971 · August 2014

Uggh, I had a horrible time in the beginning w/ both of my boys. I think my nipples are deformed, lol. Anyway, nipple shields were my best friend for the first month or so. If I didn't have them. I would not have been able to nurse.

abcd2002 · August 2014

In the book pregnancy sucks, she talks about roughing them up. I think more along the lines of massaging them or something but it took me by surprise as well!

SNail312` · August 2014

Ha! I'm such a FTM. I've got NO knowledge of breast feeding. Thank god for all of these classes I'll be taking! And all of you ladies!

abcd2002 · August 2014

Oh I have no intention of doing this! Lol, I just thought I would provide an example where I did see it in a book for the lady who asked.

I am actually leaning more towards formula feeding, but still go back and forth. Either way, my nipples will remain the way they are today!

Want a personalized experience?

Breast feeding question

Re: Breast feeding question

Choose Another Board

Search Boards