I knew it could be hard...but honestly I expected to deal with issues like supply, not pain. I so firmly believed the "it doesn't hurt if you are doing it right" that I thought since I knew what w good latch was supposed to be, it would be fine.

Now my LO is 2 weeks old and we are still struggling. He wouldn't latch on right after birth, so we used a nipple shield, but immediately started trying to wean him. He mostly doesn't need it on the left, but pretty much won't latch on without it on the right, although he will nurse with out it after the initial latch.

The latch on pain is killing me. It's like labor in your nipples. They are so sore, and the cold just makes them ache. I can't seem to get enough breast in his mouth. He opens wide, then justs closes off the last second. My nipple is always completely smashed when he is done.

Plus he is just a strong sucker. It hurts all the way deep inside my breast.

He doesn't have tongue tie, no thrush, he's not latching on to just the nipple. I use lanolin and earth mama angel baby nipple cream or rub breast milk on afterwards. And we've seen several LCs while in the hospital. But it still hurts.

Can someone just encourage me? I feel like I am failing and I was so looking forward to this!