I'm a FTM, had my baby boy 5 days ago by planned c-section. I'm committed to breastfeeding and it seems to be going ok. I've already seen a few lactation consultants and gotten some support. My nipples are already sore and cracked but hopefully on the mend (improper latching the first couple days messed me up) and baby gets sleepy during feeding but eventually latches ok. So, objectively I know I'm in decent shape but I am already losing my patience with it. I hate the pain and I hate the stress of forcing him to latch, getting and keeping him in the right position, womdering if he's doing it right, is he getting enough, having to keep waking him and guiding him, etc etc. And the ped wants me to wake to feed him every 2.5 hours during day and every 3 hours at night. I dread every feeding. I'm NOT going to quit and I know this is all normal stuff, but just need reassurance that it will get easier and more importantly that it's worth it.
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I'm 6 days pp with baby #2 and right there with you with the bruised and battered nipples and latch issues. I bf my first baby, and things get so much easier as their mouths get bigger and they learn to latch themselves.
If you need a break, can you try pumping and feeding with a bottle? Breastfeeding is hard but shouldn't make you totally miserable!
It sounds like you're doing great so far, and it's good you're seeing LCs and working on your latch. -
Hang in there!!! It's so tough.
It was easier with my second because I had done it before, but i just kept telling myself if she was peeing and pooping enough, she was getting enough. I tried to stick to 2-3 hours in the day. And honestly once she hit birth weight (at one week old) I just let her sleep as long as she wanted at night.
Let your nipples air dry to help with cracks. Like squeeze a bit of milk out and cover your nipple with it, then air dry.
You're doing great, I'm sure!!
ETA: yes it will get easier! And faster. And less often.
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It can be so tough at the beginning but Inpromise it gets better!
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It does get easier! Keep in mind that your hormones are probably messing with you too. I was so annoyed when they kept waking me up in the hospital to feed DD.
Do you have a nice nursing spot? Plenty of shows/movies queued up to watch? I liked comedies to distract from the discomfort. I remember bracing myself before she latched but then one day it was effortless and I wasn't wincing.
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I'm five weeks PP with my first and it gets so much better! You'll hit a groove and it'll become more natural. Also yes to PP hormones. I cried every day the first 7-10 days. I also had a third degree tear so everything was painful. You can do it! Also when the baby starts gaining weight, you'll feel like a rock star. Seriously I've never been so proud. And if you need to pump or supplement, do it. Take care of yourself so you can take care of the baby.
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Don't forget that you and baby are both learning how to breastfeed and you've only been doing it for such a short amount of time! Just take it one feed at a time and know that you're doing a great job!!
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I am echoing everyone that it really does get easier! You are at one of the very toughest times I think- at 5 days pp with my second I showed up at a breastfeeding group in tears- and that was after successfully and happily nursing my first for 19 months! It will get easier. You are doing great.
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It gets so much better. Better, easier, less painful, simpler, faster, less stressful, less messy. I went into it very commited to breastfeeding, but expecting it to hurt and be a lot of work. I was still surprised by the sheer amount of pain I was in for the first week and a half or so. After that first couple of weeks, every day it hurt a little less, and every week got better. By 6 weeks, I felt good about it. My daughter is still nursing at 13 months and it's been a wonderful experience.
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Oh I remember those days. I had a great BF relationship with my DD till 1. It gets easier. The first month is especially tough.
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It's SOOOO hard at first but it gets way easier pretty quickly! Also, unless there's a medical reason to wake your child up to eat, I'd just feed him when he wakes on his own! No way would I wake my kids up to eat. But just treat yourself in other ways to make it all bearable- good shows, good food, relax, etc. I am confident in another week things will be much better than they are now!
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When this rough spot passes, you will be SO glad you stuck with it. You are doing a great job! I loved that I could quickly settle my LO with breastfeeding; she didn't have to wait for a bottle to be prepared.
Later on, it is really helpful that all you need to bring to go out is baby, diapers, wipes, and boobs.
If you aren't already, try breastfeeding in a laid back (semi-reclined) position, with baby resting on your belly. It seems to help get a deeper latch and occupies baby's hands better so they aren't in the way. It's also a relaxing position for you.
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You're doing great, and it does get easier! I do agree with your ped on waking the baby to eat (more for establishing your supply) but I would stretch to 3 hours during the day and 4 at night.
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@mrsjd: Agreed! Everytime my baby was weighed, I was on cloud 9 knowing all that nutrition came from me. First I made a baby, then I nurtured my baby all by myself, and that felt amazing.
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You can do it! The beginning is the hardest. Soon, you will both get used to it and it will become so much easier. Your nipples will heal and start to feel better. You and your baby will figure out positions that work best for you (ours was side lying). Hopefully once you have a few pedi appts and see that your LO is growing well, you will feel better about knowing he is getting enough. Hang in there, this is really the toughest part. I went through everything you describe, plus my baby barely slept (we definitely did not need to ever wake her up) and she fed every 1-2 hrs for weeks. But it really did not take too long before everything felt so much easier and I'm so glad I stuck with it (I ended up nursing her until she was 2).
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First, congratulations!
The first days/weeks of BFing can be so hard. Get a script for APNO. It'll help your nipples heal much quicker. It does get easier. Your babies mouth will get bigger, feedings will get shorter and will space out.
Hang in there, it's so worth it. -
Ugh, nursing with sore/cracked nipples is the absolute worst! It definitely gets easier, though! One thing you could try until your nipples have healed is to use a nipple-shield. That can help the pain of nursing as well as reduce the stress on irritated nipples so that they heal more quickly.
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The beginning is so so tough! I basically cried every time he latched for about 2 weeks but then realized his latch wasn't good after seeing a lactation consultant and it got better really quickly! So you're already ahead of where I was! I used earth mama angel baby nipple butter and basically was topless all the time and both things helped tremendously. You're doing a great job! It gets easier!
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Only 5 days pp! I swear it gets so much easier!! The first 2 weeks are the hardest I think. Your nipples should toughen up soon. I recommend lanolin after every single feeding. Do what schedule works for you and your baby. See how he does gaining. You're doing great!!
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I remember being so surprised at how much it hurt, and I didn't even have any major latch issues. I also remember the day I quit worrying about perfect positioning with all 5 pillows propped just so, and was able to relax a bit and try new nursing positions, like the football hold and side lying. That made the soreness ease up a bit (well plus the gobs of lanolin and those shields that protect your nips from rubbing against your bra!) You're doing great, mama.
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I originally commented here to give support and commiserate but I also feel a lot better reading all these responses.
Less than two days after fixing our latch feeding sessions have gotten a lot less painful. Still stressful but at least I'm not crying from pain. Progress! -
Congratulations!
It is so hard in the beginning but it gets so much easier! Hang in there!
Try to let your nipples heal and air out in between feedings. That's what helped me. Also now that you know how to latch, never let the baby latch incorrectly! Just take them off and try again.
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@thepicklemonster: APNO!!!!! All purpose nipple ointment! You need a script it is a compound that you can pput on and baby can latch right away, it's natural and safe! Was my life saver!!!!!!!
Football hold with boppy for support or laying down was our favorite positions!
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Stick it out! The first days are frustrating, but BF gets easier and is so rewarding! Be kind to your breasts- give them ointment, let them breathe, and use warm compresses to soothe.
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Coming back to mention that my favorite nursing position in the early days was the cross cradle hold with his body on my nursing pillow. That way, I could hold my breast in a good position and it made it so much easier.
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Just want to echo everyone that it gets so much easier and you'll be so glad! Around day 5, I was in tears: couldn't figure out positions, couldn't figure out how to deal with engorgement, etc. I thought it would never end! But after a few weeks both baby and I figured things out, my supply evened out, and we ended up nursing for 3+ years.
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As everyone else said - it gets so much easier. The first 4-6 weeks is rough but after that you'll be so glad you stuck with it. It's great just to feed DD and not worry about making a bottle/washing bottles all the time!
Also - I'm sure you're already doing this but I used lanolin after every feeding and it helped SO much.
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It gets so much easier. The first two weeks was hard, the rest was so much easier. There's no pain, weight gain is a breeze, and it's a great way to bond. We do a lot of dream feeds (where he nurses in his sleep). I'm currently traveling with my 8 month old and it is nice not having to travel with bottles.
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You're doing a great job. It will get easier! It's hard when baby is so little and has such a tiny mouth, but it does get easier! For me the absolute best was when DD learned to nurse lying down next to me.
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I'm just echoing what everyone else already said but it's so true that it gets easier. I wasn't committed/ comfortable with my first so I stopped by at 4 months. This time, I made sure for the first two weeks to stick it out for every feeding. Suddenly one day I realized I didn't even think of helping her latch- she did it on her own. Also, I had a C-section so I found laying down on my side was easiest for me. Plus it helped when I had a forceful letdown because the extra milk could dribble out of her mouth and she didn't choke. We are 16 months in!
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hang in there! I was just like you, but worse actually. I couldn't get it to work at all until about 2 weeks in, so I had to pump, and sometimes use a nipple shield, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing.. I also didn't know I could pump both breasts at the same time for the first month.. so I would pump 30mins each side every 3 hours - it was AWFUL! I cried nonstop and wanted to give up. I remember at my son's two week appointment our Pediatrician telling us he likes his mothers to try to nurse until 6 months, and I started shaking right there in the office! I was just trying to get though one feeding at a time.
But somehow I continued on, and by about 6 weeks I started to get the hang of it. I nursed him until he was 2 years 3 months.
This isn't to scare you, it sounds like you are starting off much better than I did.. Just wanted to share how seemingly hopeless my story was (there was more - tongue tie, thrush, bad latch for months that flattened out my nipples, pain for about 5 months - I hit ALL the roadblocks!)
and I managed to get through the hurdles. Hang in there and take it one day at a time! -
Great job!
Try to get some rest and accept as much help as you can. Also remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Regardless of how you feed the baby (breast or bottle) it's around the clock. And if it's not the work of breastfeeding, it's the work of pumping and prepping bottles and washing parts.
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It sounds like you're being honest but keeping the eyes on the ball, which is great
it's gets so much easier and better! Their mouth gets bigger, the sessions get quicker and more spaced out, they start saying more awake during feedings and therefore finishing, they start gaining lots of weight all things to you , they say healthy through your immunities (breast milk has white blood cells in it!), and ohhhhh the bonding. It is so, so worth it. Do you have a supportive spouse or friends who BF?
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@thepicklemonster: Congratulations on your baby! To your question of is it worth it, you can see from everyone above that it totally is for many many people, but I wanted to provide a different perspective. For me, it wasn't worth it - I still pretty much hated it after a few weeks and both kids were exclusively formula-fed by two months.
Take it one day at a time (or one feed at a time) but please also take your feelings into account and be sure to look at the bigger picture - are you able to enjoy your baby, to play with him, talk to him, read to him, sing to him, take him outside? Are you able to savor the first months/year of his life? For me, it felt like I was giving up too much of being a loving, engaged parent because I was too exhausted/stressed from working so hard at breastfeeding. My kids are now 4 and 10 months, and both are smart and healthy.
Anyway, all that to say that you can totally do this, but if you're still miserable a few weeks in, remember that being a great mom is so much more than just breastfeeding.
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Thank you all so much for the words of encouragement and advice! I've been using nipple shields, trying to watch tv while i nurse so i am more relaxed, letting nipples air dry and using tons of lanolin and nipple butter, and pumping so DH or night nurse can help with feeding at night. Two days later and i already feel so much better and LO is learning quickly. It's still hard, painful and frustrating but you guys helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel!
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Hang in there! I 10000% understand! I was prepared for difficulties, but didn't mean it wasn't hard! DD had a slight tongue tie, and I apparently have flat nipples so we ended up using a shield for quite a few months. The pain was horrible; I remember wincing and crying every time she latched. I just slathered on stuff and air dried as much as possible and just soldiered on knowing that it won't be forever. You can do it!!!
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First of all, congratulations! Secondly, it does get better! I remember crying many times over the first 3 weeks, especially when LO was cluster feeding, and just would not allow my nipples a chance to heal between feedings; every half hour on and off for hours! But it got better, and now we are 18 months going on and still nursing at least once a day. The majority of that time I've loved our nursing relationship (starting to get "over" it now that I'm pregnant again), and I'm sure you'll eventually reach that point, too.
What worked was time, and All-Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO). I tried several other commercial ointments, but none worked better than this, and it didn't need to be removed from the breast before nursing - a definite bonus in those early days. I won't be leaving the hospital without a prescription for it for this next baby.
it's gets so much easier and better! Their mouth gets bigger, the sessions get quicker and more spaced out, they start saying more awake during feedings and therefore finishing, they start gaining lots of weight all things to you 
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