https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 19 May 2026 07:40:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314984 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:56:14 +0000 FarmWifeGina 1314984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think they're both true, just at different stages. As far as I know, Rosie and I had everything right from the beginning, but every latch-on and nursing session from about day 2 to almost 3 weeks involved toe-curling pain and a lot of tears and crying. It was awful. I'm not sure when it would have gotten better if I hadn't started supplementing a lot more due to my chronic low supply (she was nursing constantly because she truly wasn't getting enough), but at 4 weeks, it's only a tiny but painful compared to how it was before. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314880 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:42:03 +0000 Penny Lane 1314880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: @jedeve: maybe tmi, but i actually had a callus peel off one of my nips after weaning my first. o m g. I'm surprised they can feel anything now! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314871 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:41:02 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 1314871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The first week hurt quite a bit, as we figured out what to do (LO popped off ALL the time, which was painful). Then, for about 2 weeks after, it hurt a lot when she first latched, but got better after 10 seconds. Now (4 months), I can't even feel it. But there is definitely a difference between good pain and bad pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314863 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:39:18 +0000 Penny Lane 1314863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it will absolutely hurt at first. but there's "good" pain, as in your nipples are getting yanked on and stretched beyond belief by a teeny mouth (as it should be), and there's "bad" pain, as in shallow latch/ties etc. </p> <p>for me, the "good" pain goes away within a minute or two of latching. "bad" pain didn't. I mean, if you put your finger in your newborns mouth and feel how hard they can suck... I'm surprised it doesn't hurt more! ;)</p> <p>like @hilsy85: with my first I'd been told it was normal to be a bit uncomfortable at first, and so I tolerated way too much pain and too many bad latches and ripped myself to shreds within a couple of weeks :-/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314761 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:23:00 +0000 jedeve 1314761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: @hilsy85: I had to pop blisters a few times with a hot needle. Whenever I would talk about it, DH would about die. I was just like, "oh please, this hurts SO much less than anything else I've had to do!"</p> <p>Here's my ground breaking theory:</p> <p>A poor latch will always hurt. With a good latch, it will hurt for some women and not for others, for a few weeks.</p> <p>I had inverted nipples that became everted. You're really going to tell me that's not a process that will leave you a little sore? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314738 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:17:11 +0000 Beyond2 1314738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It doesn't hurt if you are doing it right. This I believe but you have to have time for the mom to learn, the baby to learn and the body to learn. I feel it take 4-6 weeks to get all the pieces in sync and during that time there is pain for sure. Once everyone has learned, if you start having discomfort again, there is likely a problem that needs to be worked out. For example I had pain again when DS started teething because he didn't want to latch correctly with teething pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314721 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:11:27 +0000 delight 1314721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I heard all the time that it shouldn't hurt if you're doing it correctly and had high hopes. However, it hurt like hell for the first 8 weeks. LO had a crappy latch. Even now at 4.5 months it will randomly hurt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314704 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:06:48 +0000 lawbee11 1314704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: Haha I should add that I don't just sit around squeezing my nipples! But I had a milk blister recently and did quite a bit of squeezing :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314448 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 17:43:10 +0000 immabeetoo 1314448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: I'm sorry but your last sentence made me LOL!</p> <p>I think it's normal to hurt at first, and the not hurting unless its wrong only applies after the first few weeks.</p> <p>It was uncomfortable at first but after three weeks or so it was painless and has been for 99% of the 12 months since. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314309 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:46:59 +0000 lawbee11 1314309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: Ha, seriously! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314228 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:11:21 +0000 hilsy85 1314228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: ha I read somewhere someone said she could drag her nips over concrete after breast feeding for a year. And it wouldn't hurt :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314223 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:10:25 +0000 lawbee11 1314223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My nipples were SO sore for the first week or two. It was pretty uncomfortable (but never shooting pains or anything like that). After the first couple of weeks it didn't hurt much at all and now it's like second nature. It's kind of like when you first start wearing tampons--at first it's uncomfortable and you totally notice it's there but eventually you forget you're even wearing one! </p> <p>I also had really sensitive nipples before I started nursing. Now I can squeeze them really hard and it doesn't even phase me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314207 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:05:10 +0000 hilsy85 1314207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on the level of pain, how long it lasts, and whether other damage is being done. I also heard its normal for it to hurt and that prevented me from seeking help sooner rather than later. My pain was NOT normal, it was caused by a to gue tied baby, and I had bleeding, cracks, And scabs. </p> <p>I heard that the pain should feel like a soreness--like a pulled muscle kind of. I think it's one of those things that unless you've been through it it's hard to know what is normal. I now know for baby 2 what normal pain feels like, and what not normal pain feels like! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314186 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:00:22 +0000 Zbug 1314186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It hurt for the first week or two but now it's completely pain free. I even went to a lactation consultant early on bc I assumed her latch was poor. The LC said her latch looked great and my nipples just needed to get used to it. Luckily she was right. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314164 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:53:13 +0000 septca 1314164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For the first couple of weeks it was uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say it *hurt.* Within a couple of weeks of religiously using lanolin, it was fine. The only time nursing really, truly HURT for me was when DD was getting her first teeth and changed her latch to accomodate for that. I got a blood blister and was in serious pain every time she latched - but that only lasted a few days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314122 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:40:08 +0000 kiddosc 1314122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's normal for it to hurt in the beginning. My nipples were SORE, for maybe about the first 10 days... and then it didn't hurt anymore. I BF for a year and never had any clogged ducts, or mastitis, or additional nipple pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314113 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:35:18 +0000 Greentea 1314113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsStormy: exactly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314111 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:33:13 +0000 Greentea 1314111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@googly-eyes: 100% breast feeding WILL hurt! It pisses me off when I hear or read that "it shouldn't hurt..." that is a total lie and I believe if women were expecting pain they might have more success. It hurt like hell in the beginning even doing it right. Even now that baby and I are experts there is pain associated with it. I have an excruciating clog in my left and that is normal for me. Doc said it is a good problem to have. But man I wish I knew that going into it. The pain really freaked me out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314086 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:21:58 +0000 yin 1314086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EP'ed with my first, and pumping hurt a lot. With my second I didn't know what to expect since I wasn't able to breastfeed DS1. The initial suck was painful but went away within seconds. After a month it was no longer painful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314052 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:12:15 +0000 DigAPony 1314052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Breastfeeding didn't/doesn't hurt for me, except for a few random days in the beginning when for some reason just my left side letdown was painful. It's definitely not easy though! My son is almost 8 weeks and we're still pretty messy while nursing, and I need my set up to be just right (pillow, burp cloth, legs up, etc.). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314051 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:11:01 +0000 Jenn23 1314051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The first few weeks were excruciating for me. Then I adjusted and it hardly hurt after that or perhaps I was just immune to the pain! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314046 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:09:17 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1314046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It hurt like hell in the beginning, and I always had some pain on my right nipple, even at 10 months. I think it's different for everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314044 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:08:52 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1314044@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had pain that is for sure, but the pain I had was more due to the damage she did to my nipples. </p> <p>Those first few weeks are TOUGH even if things are going well. I think there are lots of images and ideas that breastfeeding is a mom casually sitting on a bench nursing while chatting with a friend. Those first six weeks I couldn't do that. I had to be sitting perfectly up right, basically topless with one hand on her one hand on my breast. It was tough. But it got easier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314043 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:07:46 +0000 brownie 1314043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It hurts at the beginning because you aren't used to it. But it should hurt the whole session (barring unforeseen circumstances like cracks) or for months. But I think if there is pain you should pursue help immediately and not hope it will get better or assume that it is normal. Because if something is wrong you want it fixed right away and if nothing is wrong then you know that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314029 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:02:16 +0000 MoonMoon 1314029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sure it's different for every woman and every baby, but I felt very very little pain bf-ing. At the beginning, engorgement hurt worse than the actual feeding, but that passed, fortunately. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314024 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:00:36 +0000 Alivoo01 1314024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS didn't EBF until he was 6 weeks old, but even when I was EP the first 6 weeks, my nipples were super sensitive! I'm assuming it'd be the same with BF from the start. When we did start EBF, it didn't hurt at all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314023 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:00:17 +0000 avivoca 1314023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both, I think. Nursing didn't hurt the first few times, but did hurt after that. Then again, your nipples are being baptized by fire for a job they've never done before (if you're a first time mom). We also had issues with thrush (diagnosed at 10 days old and had it twice), which contributed to pain. At three months, it doesn't hurt at all unless she decides to look around and take my nipple with her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314021 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:00:02 +0000 LemonLong 1314021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO had a great latch, and I went to breastfeeding support group with a lactation consultant three times a week so I know we were doing everything right and it still took me six weeks to stop dreading breastfeeding. It hurt so much! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314013 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 14:56:26 +0000 danda 1314013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both! I suspect that many newborns have trouble 'doing it right' in the beginning and either gradually latch better as their mouth gets bigger or there is help from a lactation consultant to remedy the issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-bf-hurt#post-1314002 Thu, 02 Jan 2014 14:53:17 +0000 MrsStormy 1314002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>After talking to a lot of moms about this (because I thought it was the worst pain I had ever experienced- worse than labor with no pain meds) I have found very few women who say it did not hurt at first. I would say maybe 10% of the women I have talked to have said it was easy and they didn't have pain, maybe slight discomfort but not pain. I wish I had found that out prior to having the baby though, because it was quite the surprise how hard it truly was. </p>