BrillKids Forum

I'm having my first baby in April and at the beginning of my pregnancy I was so sure I wanted to just breast feed but as I get more and more closer to the due date I'm second guessing my self because a lot of people tell me that breast feeding hurts. Should I breast feed one day and feed him formula the next or just breast feed or just formula? I'm honestly not up for the pain!

I'll be honest:  Breastfeeding CAN hurt.  It doesn't always, and many people don't have any pain whatsoever when they breastfeed.  I'm a member of the LLL, and I recently brought up that breastfeeding did hurt for me at the beginning with each of my children, and it wasn't because of a bad latch or anything like that.  It really bothered me that their response was things like, "well it shouldn't", or "some women have a higher pain tolerance than others".  Hello, I just gave birth naturally for each of my kids, obviously I'm willing to tolerate pain for the greater good.  I did tolerate the pain for a bit.  But I will give you this good news:  IF it hurts at all, it doesn't last long.  If you can make it through the first couple of weeks, it almost never goes beyond that.  Your breasts just need a chance to adapt to the process, they'll toughen up/adapt, and then it doesn't hurt anymore.  Oh what a beautiful gift to give your baby!  It's worth it.  Yes, it did hurt me at first, but after that initial adaption period, I really enjoy breastfeeding my children.  There are so many nutritional benefits.  There are bonding benefits.  In "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" they pose the question:  Would you rather have your baby get the nutritional benefits of breastmilk from a bottle every 3 hours, or give your baby formula from your breasts and have the bonding experience of being able to respond to your baby's cues.  There is no right answer to that question, but I would choose the formula with the bonding experience, even if it came with the initial pain during the first couple of weeks- one week of pain adapting and one week recovering from soreness.  Seriously, I really do enjoy breastfeeding.
My advice is to try to make it two weeks.  I've never heard of it hurting past that unless there was some kind of complication.

I may have been lucky, but it was never that painful, annoying and somewhat uncomfortable at times, yes. They will hopefully catch on pretty quick, and everything will go smoothly.

I nursed for almost 18 months and I can't remember pain but I know that i had it at times. Going back and forth between breast and formula will hurt more because your breasts will become engorged then not have enough then enforced again.
It will take a little bit of time for your nipples to toughen up but after a week or so they should adjust. I did have a few days of pain when my son cut each new tooth because his latch changed.
We did battle thrush (yeast infection) and that was quite painful but not a standard issue for most women.
If you do have pain you would be best consulting with a lactation consultant. There could be a latch issue or thrush or something else.

All in all I never once thought of quitting. I let my son self wean. And I will not hesitate to nurse again.

For me mostly the first 3 days hurt. Now it is much better, sometimes I have even very pleasant feelings during breastfeeding :)

My wife and I breastfed, and I didn't feel any pain.  Sorry...  Just had to throw that in there from a man's perspective.  At the doctors office, we are asked if she is still breastfeeding, and I always respond...  "Yes, we are".

In all seriousness though.  The lactation nurses will tell you something like what Tamsyn just criticized other people about.  or at least they did for us. (Yes, still talking like I'm part of the team).

One thing that I do know though....  Buying one of those clear plastic shields really did help.  it lessened the pain significantly.  I'll let one of the mothers here debunk that idea if it's not always true.

Something my wife also did was buy a Medela breast pump  (the one that attached to the bra so you can walk around doing other things at the same time (multitasking))!  The pump we have has lasted thru twins and a baby girl, and it's still going strong.

At night, my wife pumps, and I feed the baby breastmilk from a bottle.  Of course, there were plenty of times when the baby did physically breastfeed.

The benefits of breastfeeding are enormous.  Every mother is different and ultimately it is up to you.  My wife and I would like to encourage you to breastfeed!   :nowink:

HAHAHAHA  :laugh:

To answer your question? YES!  BUT, I am a super weenie when it comes to pain apparently. I took natural childbirth classes for weeks, got special permission to bring a birthing tub to the (very conventional) hospital, was geeked up for natural childbirth and planned to breastfeed. In the end, those preparations were for nothing because I had an epidural as soon as humanly possible after arriving at the hospital. I was certain I was ready to deliver any moment when I got there....I was like 3 CM.  lol Labored for 24 hours and it ended in a c-section. BUT enough about that!  :tongue:

Since I my birth plan didn't turn out the way I intended, I was DETERMINED to nurse. Nothing was going to stop me! I met with the lactation consultants in the hospital and then hired one a few weeks later. I read "if it hurts, you're doing something wrong" so I was certain I wasn't doing it right....B.S! I remember crying during every single feeding session (being hormonal didn't help either I'm sure) due to pain, a baby that couldn't get her stuff together either, and the frustration of it all. The thing that finally saved me was a nursing shield by Medela. I actually bought 1 or 2 extra b/c I couldn't nurse without it for a few months and they are clear, which makes it so easy to misplace them in plain sight. After a while, we just didn't need it anymore. It helped with the pain immensely in the beginning but using them has a learning curve of it's own, be forewarned. It was so worth it!

I did a combination of pumping and nursing, especially in the beginning, but I was and still am so PROUD that through the adversity, my kid didn't have any formula. It's not the end of the world if babies have it, but it was important to me that I was triumphant after such a lousy birth experience.  It wasn't until I got pg again and my milk dried up some (which is normal) that I had to supplement. But I ended up nursing #1 for nearly 2 years and #2 for about 8-9 months. He wasn't as into it and tandem nursing wore me out.

The short version. It hurt, it sucked big time, but we found our groove and it was totally worth it in the end!

I am a long term breastfeeder, my son is 2 years and 2 months old and I don't really have any plans to stop until he's ready to himself. I exclusively breastfed for the first 5-6 months of his life and yeah it did hurt at first because I didn't know how to get him to latch on. Like TmT and Tamsyn, I had planned a natural homebirth, but ended up with an epidural and forceps in hospital, which apparently leaves baby too groggy to latch on as soon as born. That first instinct to latch is important if you can achieve it. Anyway I found getting help from a breastfeeding expert (provided free the NHS if you're in the UK) really helped me learn how to position him for a good latch. Soon I was breastfeeding discreetly while walking to around town with DS in a sling :)

Don't worry, relax, its a lot more of a natural instinct and process than bottle feeding. But be prepared to do what it takes to get through any tough bits, pretty soon you'll find out its the most beautiful bond (and behaviour management tool!) you've got with your LO :)

Oh boy, rereading my post sounds super discouraging. Surely the other Moms here are not nearly as dramatic about it as I am!  lol  Really, don't be discouraged, I am so, so glad I did it with both kids. I wanted to come back and post this thing, the BEST nursing pillow! The boppy was nice to put the baby in (supervised) or just cuddle them with, but when trying to coordinate nursing and having the pillow slipping was so frustrating. The baby would slip in the "gap" as the pillow shifted. And when you finally get the baby latched and in position, you're like "Quick! Nobody move, we're dooooooooing this!!!"   :biggrin:

So, like anything, for me isolating the tricky skills helped (focusing on working on latch) and NOT worrying about the stupid pillow! Here's the pillow I used, the "My Brest Friend Pillow (dumb name, great product). It clicks around your waist for a secure fit and it provides a semi firm surface to work on You can remove the cover for washing although it is a minor pain to get it zipped back in. The Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory sells them if you are in the states, it's been a few years, they may carry them at other retailers now, too.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41fmZgG0p1L._AA300_.jpg)

Dang, they make LOTS of cool stuff now!
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=524778&cm_ven=RKG_Pricegrabber&cm_cat=NA&cm_pla=NA&cm_ite=NA&orderType=6&utm_source=RKG_Pricegrabber&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_campaign=product&utm_term=Pricegrabber&zmam=15782718&zmas=1&zmac=4&zmap=13200%20%20%20%20%20MD

http://blogs.babycenter.com/products_and_prizes/a-diaper-bag-that-doubles-as-a-nursing-pillow-genius/

And I found some other ones with a belt, which I found to be one of the most important parts, in case you can't find that first one in your area.

http://mybabywarehouse.com.au/index.php/milkbar-nursing-pillow-twin-chocolate-sand.html
http://www.wayfair.com/Fertile-Mind-Cooeee-Nursing-Pillow-Double-422-423-424-FYK1007.html
http://www.sweetoasispillow.com/
http://leachco.stores.yahoo.net/easeback.html

Well TmT looks like you're going to have to go back & have another one just to get to try out all the new equipement, ha ha.

I had a similar disappointing/ not according to my plan birth experience & I was also very determined to breast feed. Now I'll share my story but everyone is different - some people experience pain, others infection. But IMHO if you can give birth you can do anything.

It took my litle guy 11 days to figure out how to latch on, I'm in central America & it was just me & the internet trying to figure out what I was doing wrong (a plastic shield helped us too). I don't think we were doing anything wrong per se, just it took a while for my little boy to figure it out. Once he did learn it really really hurt, a few seconds of toe curling pain each time he latched on for the first maybe 2 days, I would want to tear him off but couldn't since I had just spent an hr of him (us) crying trying to get him latched on.  :wacko: I didn't supplement which for me would have been the beginning of the end. Once he did latch on, he was there for an hr & then very content for 2-3hrs, then an hr of frustration again.

(Embarrasingly....) Despite my medical background I didn't know how to dislatch him... you put your pinkie in btwn your breast & his mouth to break the suction. I just pulled him off till my Mum explained to me that there was a better way... Yes, that REALLY hurt.  lol

From day 12 it was so easy & from day 14 no pain at all. So 11 hard days for 14 months of sweet time together, we sang, read, rocked... & I could closet myself away from the busyness of the world & it just be us.

Ultimately so so worth it, so very special. You need a good support system even if they are on the other side of the world, who understand that to mention formula to you is on pain of death.  :)  My husband was great, he understood how important it was to me & it was to him too. We were worried about things like dehydration living in the tropics but he was such a contented little thing, it probably helped that we didn't have a bunch of experts to hand! Most people I know (friends/ patients) who begin to supplement usually end up dropping breasfeeding all together & I always feel a little sad for them.

It is a little daunting at first then it just seems like the most natural thing in the world & what on earth were you worrying about in the first place? Take a day at a time & you'll do fine.

All the best,
Lois

P.S Lasinoh nipple cream, a breastfeeder's best friend :)

I completely agree with Tamsyn, Humbler, and TMT. It does hurt at the start but I reckon that's because our nipples aren't used to the friction from our baby's tongue. It takes a while for the skin to toughen up and then it doesn't hurt any more. Like TMT, I also thought I was doing something wrong because it hurt. Luckily, I had a friend who went through it all before me and her encouragement was what kept me going. She said, and I quote, "Just tell yourself everyday: 'Just one more day'." Before you know it, you'll be breastfeeding like a pro.

If you find you can't tolerate the pain, I also recommend what Humbler said - use the nipple shield. It really helped me as well. The other thing I used was Bepanthen ointment. It can be used as a diaper cream or for applying to sore/cracked nipples. I would apply a little on after every feed. It's formulated for this purpose so you don't have to wipe it off before your baby nurses again.

I nursed my elder boy all the way through my second pregnancy so when I started nursing my second child, I didn't have any pain the second time around. My cousin who stopped, said she felt the pain again at the start but it goes away pretty quick after.

The thing is to make sure you have a proper latch (you can get the lactation consultant to check) so you know it isn't hurting because of incorrect attachment. After that, it's just a matter of time before the pain goes away. Hang in there. It's really really worth it. I find it easier to bf because I don't have to get up at night to fiddle with milk bottles and making sure the temperature is right. I even fall asleep while I'm nursing (we co-sleep). Sometimes it's so automatic, I'll wake up to find my son suckling and I don't remember waking up to nurse him.

I also do NOT recommend alternating - as in one day bf and one day formula. The way breastfeeding works is that the milk is produced on demand. If your baby doesn't suckle, your body makes less milk. This is the biggest mistake of a lot of mothers here - they think they do not have enough milk and then they supplement with formula thinking that it just takes time for their breastmilk to come in but they don't realise that they are sabotaging their milk supply in the process.

What I also recommend is having a strong support - people who fully support your decision to breastfeed. It's a tough time, especially the first time around. You don't need people criticising you or telling you why you should formula feed. Tell your hubby to deal with these people (get rid of them) and surround yourself only with those who support you. The hardest part I experienced was having an overbearing relative breathing down my neck and making unhelpful comments like, "Oh, he's so angry because he can't get any milk." And this is all while I'm struggling to get my baby to latch on properly. Also make sure your hubby is fully on board. With all the naysayers around us, even my hubby was a bit uncertain at times.

So hang in there. It really, really is worth it.

Something else I wanted to add- They gave us formula in the hospital as a sample in the standard giveaway diaper bag full of coupons, etc. I got rid of it immediately, either sent it back or threw it away, I can't remember. I got an unsolicited sample in the mail at home as well, I also got rid of it immediately. If you don't keep it in the house, it takes a LOT more effort to get up and go to the store in a moment of desperation versus just reaching in the pantry and pull it out. If it had been in the house, things might have ended poorly for us.

Once we got the hang of it, I did keep a single use already prepped bottle or two in the trunk for the times DH took DD out by himself (rarely). I always sent him with expressed BM but my motherly instinct had me worried he would spill it or something and leave my sweet baby starving, or maybe he would  stay out longer than intended or run into another emergency situation. Yes, he could have bought some, but well, I know my hubby and know that I have to make it as easy as possible on him and God forbid he get stranded on the side of the road or something with a hungry baby.

If you find yourself giving pumped bottles from the fridge, never microwave them! Breast milk is "alive" and the microwave kills a lot of the properties that make it so amazing, including being antibacterial. Just heat it enough to take the edge off in a pan of water or under the hot running tap while it sits in a cup or bowl. Lastly, Shen Li is so right! When it comes to nursing, "the more you take, the more you make." In the beginning, I suffered from oversupply, particularly at night and would get so uncomfortable. So after nursing DD, I would pump one or both sides. Sure, I had a fridge full of milk on hand if I needed it but I didn't realize at the time that I was training my body to keep making that much milk at night! Once I educated myself, I slowly discontinued the nighttime pumping and dealt with the discomfort. My supply was able to regulate within a week or so if I remember correctly and I didn't have to deal with that anymore! If you let yourself get too engorged, it can be difficult for baby to latch on and sometimes it helps to take a little off the top so to speak and hand express into a bottle or towel. Same goes for if you have a super strong initial flow.

Also wanted to add- check with your dr/lactation consultant, but one of the most common herbs to help boost your milk supply is Fenugreek. Be forwarned, you'll smell like maple syrup  :laugh:  but I found it to be effective.

One of my favorite articles on this subject- yet another reason why BF'ing rocks!

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-05-22/world/china.breastfeed_1_feed-babies-breast-feeds-breast-milk?_s=PM:WORLD

My son is 22 months and I am still breastfeeding. It never really hurt for me apart from a bit sore from the growth spurts (my son feed non stop during growth spurts). I exclusively breasfeed for the first 6-7 months and he still feeding a lot. I don't have any plans to stop until my son wants to. I am definitely seeing the benefit of breastfeeding as he's hardly ever ill and is growing tall and strong ( 97th percentile on all measures) and we are very close.

Highly recommended.

 :yes:

Oh yes, I had the same problem initially as TMT, too - oversupply. I also made the same mistake of pumping to relieve the pressure. Felt like I had rocks in there. I was told you can place a cabbage leaf over your breast (http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/engorgement/).

We were lucky over here with formula samples. The hospital I was at had a breastfeeding policy so they weren't allowed to give out samples or even feed our babies formula unless we'd signed a form to show that we OK'd it. The Ministry of Health here promotes breastfeeding so even the formula promoters at the supermarkets have to leave me alone if I tell them I breastfeed. They're not allowed to push their products to breastfeeding mothers.

I did have overbearing relatives who said I should keep a tin of formula on hand "just in case". I was so scared that they would sabotage me and feed my baby formula while I was sleeping that I forbade the hubby from buying a tin. I got rid of all the bottles we were given, too, just to make it that much harder. Yes, I was very determined to breastfeed and very paranoid about sabotage (because it happened to a number of other mothers I knew).

Also, KellyMom was my main "goto" site for information on breastfeeding. Anything I wasn't sure about (e.g. what meds are okay to take, problems with mastitis, etc.) It's awesome! Check it out here:

http://kellymom.com/

I've enjoyed reading everybody's comments!  I'll just add one little thing.  It's not a deciding factor, but you can add it to your BF pros list.  Ahem.  Formula-fed babies have really, really stinky diapers.  BF babies, not so much.
True story.   :clown:

I remember it hurt for about a month and mostly during the initial latch and then it would be quite okay during the rest of the feeding.  I do remember it being uncomfortable but that passes so quickly it is so worth it.  It is such a beautiful thing.  And as others have said it is soooo convenient in the middle of the night.  I don't think my baby would have tolerated waiting for me to mix and heat up a bottle in the middle of the night.  I don't think I could have handled it either.

It's good advice to read up or get advice from somebody who knows on proper technique.  I think part of why it hurt for so long for me was because I was letting him feed with an improper latch and that gave me sores.   So even after we figured it out it still hurt for a few more weeks.

The most important time in determining your milk supply is the first few days.  So if you are considering breastfeeding try to at least make it through the first little bit without supplementing. 

Here is a book that I think may help you deal with the stress/anxiety/physical discomfort a lot.  It is called Mindful Birthing. 

http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Birthing-Training-Childbirth-Beyond/dp/006196395X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356757876&sr=1-1&keywords=mindful+birthing

It's based on a class Mindfulness for Child Birth and Parenting where they teach mindfulness meditation to help you deal with stress and discomforts of pregnancy, giving birth, and everything else that comes next. I am newly pregnant too and I am using it this time around. 

Ahh yes... That oversupply issue. I was pumping because that is what I thought you did!!
Then I was pumping for relief. When I stopped pumping and dealt with the initial engorgment all was good.  I went from sleeping with a bath towel foldied across my bosom and waking sopping wet to being able to wear a nursing bra with pads at night. Eventually everything regulated and there was no more leaking at all.

Honestly for me the worst thing I ever did was pump. I hated that with a passion. And it hurt.
Oh and I am completely anti shield. I could just not get those to work for me.

My girl is 26 month now, and we are still breastfeeding. It doesn't hurt, but gets annoying sometimes. She is very strong and healthy, very rarely gets sick, in the past year she's been sick only once and a few times she had runny nose, when her teeth were coming. I never used pump, and I strongly believe in milk production regulation by demand (bachelor in economics  lol ) The more you pump, the more milk you'll have. I got a pump as a gift, but that thing looked repulsive to me.

I had to pump initially, because my naughty boy came early and spent 6 weeks in special care. I think that helped to start - I was in control for the initial painful bit and could stop and take a break if it was too much. Unfortunately, I was so worried about losing my supply that I over-pumped and had about 2 months' supply in the freezer (which I donated to the milk bank for poorly babies) when I took him home  :rolleyes:

The fact that I could have fed twins and still had milk to spare made the changeover to exclusive feeding and no pumping somewhat painful and very leaky. After that initial week or so, my supply regulated and my only problem was trying to convince my reflux baby that despite his constant spit-ups, I was not willing to have him permanently attached at the boob. Mostly, he won. :laugh:

We breastfed until 3, then I got fed up of him groping my boobs and trying to remove my top every time I sat down  :rolleyes:  Apart from a couple of new-tooth issues, he never really hurt me and I really enjoyed it. :laugh:

You GO girl! This is awesome, awesome, awesome!

Excellent advice, everyone!! I had fun reading it, I would have normally jumped right in to share all the tips and tricks that worked for me, but... I was nursing  lol  My new little one is just 7 weeks old, and apparently on the growth spurt now, so he is nursing a lot, and typing with one hand, while trying to protect your computer from curious toddlers is HARD  :yes:

I would second all of the advice!

Yes, it is a commitment, and it can be hard in the beginning. Yes, you get used to it and learn tricks that work for you and your baby. Yes, it may hurt at times, but it gets better. And yes, it is definitely worth it!

With baby number 3 nursing now ( and my other two nursed till 11 and 22 months respectively) I faced all kind of nursing problems, and collected a "bag of tricks" as well  ;)

ShenLi, thank you for mentioning http://kellymom.com I recommend it left and right. It has advice for new mommies and seasoned BF veterans alike. I think it is the BEST and most complete collection of breastfeeding resources and information.

Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is also a must have.

You can also get all kind of good advise and support on http://www.mothering.com/community/f/27/breastfeeding

One important thing I meant to mention, because I learned the hard way.

When your baby is born, ask your midwife to check his tongue. It is not uncommon for babies to be tongue-tight -- It results when the frenulum (the band of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is too short and tight, causing the movement of the tongue to be restricted. That can cause your  baby to struggle with nursing and you ending up with VERY SORE nipples.

Both of my boys were born tongue tight. With the first one it took us 4 months to find someone who was qualified to snip the frenulum ( tissue under the tongue), with the second one -- our pediatrician had another doctor in the office who does the procedure, and we did it about 20 hours after birth ( since it was detected right away) -- the difference was amazing!!

Some of the following symptoms may be a sign of tongue-tight:

- Heart-shaped tongue tip -- probably the most obvious sign. The tip of the tongue may be heart shaped or have a “v” shape indentation in the center when the baby sticks out the tongue or cries.

-- Square tongue tip. The tongue looks square on the tip instead of pointed when extended.

-- If your baby is tongue tied Your baby has difficulty extending the tongue past the gum line. Tapping the tip of the tongue should cause the tongue to come forward, where it should cross the gums.

-- Tongue does not cup well. When your little one sucks on your finger the tongue should wrap around it

--  If you rub your baby’s lower gum, the tongue should follow your finger, side to side. If the baby has difficulty moving it side to side, his frenulum may be too short.

-- Failure to gain weight. Baby breastfeeds very frequently and yet may fail to gain weight appropriately.

-- Sound of sucking air. If your baby loses her seal or suction at the breast causing her to come off the breast frequently and creates the sound of sucking air.

-- Clicking sounds. Your baby may have a restrictive frenulum if the click while breastfeeding is associated with an increase in nipple pain at the time of the click. (The click can be the sound of the tongue snapping back in the mouth or the sound of the loss of suction.)

-- Extremely sore nipples. If your nipples hurt through the entire feeding despite the use of good latch and position technique your baby may be tongue tied. The soreness is created by the tongue rubbing against the tip of the nipple when the tongue is in the retracted position.

-- An increase in pain near the end of the feed as the baby tires and the milk flow slows. Some babies can extend the tongue properly for the early part of the feeding when the milk is flowing faster and they have more energy, but are unable to maintain the correct suck through the whole feeding.

Some of these may be also markers for some other problems, but if a few of them fit, -- do consult lactation consultant or midwife.


Like others mentioned already -- demand equals supply. The more you nurse/pump, the more milk would be produced. Sometimes newborn babies have a hard time latching to an engorged breast, that is when you can use pump to simply prime it a bit and make your breast a bit less full to make it easier for your little one. You do not need to pump it a lot, just enough to make it comfortable. And you probably would not need to continue it, as your body would regulate milk supply to meet the exact needs of your baby!

I hardly ever pumped (hated it too...). But I always kept a small supply of breast milk in my freezer for the times I would leave my  baby with husband, in case I would be delayed on the way home. And even then we never used bottle, he would feed baby from a dropper or tea spoon. It is slower, but we did not want to cause any nipple confusion.

Pumping for me was more painful then nursing. And nursing... well it did hurt a few times during the first 3 weeks, mainly because of engorgement. They say, if will will make it through the first 6 weeks, you will be able to do it for as long as your baby would need it  lol  And it is true.

A few other tips that helped me:

Painful engorged breasts -- nurse, nurse, nurse and use Rosemarie warm compresses in between nurses

Sore nipples - lansinoh breast cream ( it is purest lanolin, so you do not need to wash it off before nursing the baby!!)

First few weeks - spend a lot of time in bed, resting and cuddling with your  baby skin to skin -- you will be able to form an amazing bond with your little one and your milk supply will get established; frequent nurses would also help your uterus to get back to normal faster!

Sorry for random thoughts, hope some of these would help!

The short answer is yet, BUT you need the right equipment... For me it hurt for the first three weeks, which sounds as eternity, but after that is was a breeze. I've been currently breastfeeding for 2 months and planning to do this for at least a year. 

Things that I couldn't do without:

My breast friend (pillow) is awesome. In the beginning I was using regular pillows and it worked when LO was tiny, but when I tried to nurse this way recently, I couldn't. It just was very uncomfortable when the kiddo is bigger. This pillow gives you at least one hand free, sometimes both, so I can read and browse while LO is nursing (he loves to comfort nurse so sometimes it takes more than 30 min for him...) some sources say to just give the baby a pacifier to satisfy the need to suck but I prefer only to use it when it is really needed.

Nipple cream is very important. The milk is also great - squeeze and let it dry, but that is when nursing is already established... For me angel baby earth mama was great... especially for cracked and sore nipples...

Massages in the hot shower also help with the nods and such... These were needed in the beginning during engorgment, later it became better.

I also took encapsulated placenta pills... They boost milk supply and speed recovery after delivery. They worked great for me. The pills also suppose to help with postpartum blues... I didn't have any (possibly because of these pills). I don't know how crucial was this for me since this is my first baby, so I have nothing to compare it to...

Overall breastfeeding definitely worth a try and not one... After all the pain it is worth it and I really enjoy it :)

YES....breastfeeding does hurt....it will usually takes 1 week and normally wont't go beyond 2 weeks as your nipple is adjusted to breastfeeding...however you can always try nipple cream. For me I usually use ice or milk to relieve the soreness..... :)

To increase the milk production,  i drank lots of warm water and malt drink like horlicks or milo.....

All the best......

It shouldn't hurt usually unless the baby doesn't latch on properly.

For me, the first few weeks did hurt and my nipple was cracked at one side as my baby was better at one side comparing to the other side.  Once my daughter improved and I was better with different breastfeeding position, it did settle down. 

She is now six months plus and is still breastfeeding. 

Like what the other said, it is convenient in the sense that  - no need bottle sterilizing, washing etc.

If you are going out with the baby, try to get a nursing cover.  It is so convenient and you are not exposing you boobs too!

Not hurt than giving birth :biggrin:

Breastfeeding is the biological norm, it is what your body is designed to do, it is the food your baby expects.

Artificial feeding is just that, artificial, fake. Artificial feeding makes your baby sicker, fatter, and stupider. http://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/10/why-way-you-feed-your-baby-is-my.html

Have you compared the ingredients in breast milk to formula? http://www.bcbabyfriendly.ca/whatsinbreastmilkposter.pdf

I second then www.kellymom.com website for information, great resources there.

In the end, Breastfeeding doesn't hurt, formula does, I hope you get the information and support you need for Breastfeeding to be enjoyable.

It can hurt a bit to start with, especially until you get the hang of getting the latch right, but after the first few weeks you cant even feel it. It is worth sticking with it cos its better for baby but also cos its so much more convenient than bottle feeding... no sterilising, no getting up to make bottles at night etc. Im breastfeeding my one year old and currently pregnant with my second and will definitely be breastfeeding baby two as well, wouldn't have it any other way. Its such a comfort for the child too so great when teething or unwell etc.

Forgot to say, a lot of the early pain or discomfort I had was to do with the fact I was holding baby too low down and they were pulling on nipple so might not have hurt if I had got that bit right! Lansinoh cream is great for easing the tenderness and I've heard natural coconut oil is supposed to be fantastic too.

Breastfeeding does hurt. I wish people had told me that it hurts for the first 30 seconds to 1 minute after the baby latches on. After that it should be tolerable. It is a wonderful thing but people are lying if they say it doesn't hurt at all.

Nope if you are doing it correct, breastfeeding doesn't hurt at all. I have breastfed my son for a year and my daughter for 20 months.
Just the first couple of times, since your breast and nipples need to adjust. But after that it doesn't hurt.

Breastfeeding hurts at first, I mean two to four days after giving birth then after it doesn't hurt.  Proper positioning, the way mom holds her baby if it is correct then breastfeeding will be pain free and pleasant.

It only hurts if baby is not latched on properly. It is important have lots of support by family and a knowledgable and experienced people.

Breastfeeding can hurt especially at the beginning when you have cracked sore nipples that do bleed.