Has anyone NEVER had sore nipples?

[ahrimie]

DD2 arrived a day early!

But man, I forgot the pain that comes with childbirth! I nursed DD1 but after some serious work on both of our parts due to many many factors. I wanted to prevent the same obstacles this time but it hasn't been easy. I thought if you did everything right and nursed frequently, you didn't get sore nipples. Does anyone REALLY never get sore nipples from the get go??

I know that nursing comes easily to some and not as much to others... I must really be in the "others" category. DD2 was a tad tongue tied but luckily, her ped could just clip it and did it for today right after discharge. We've nursed since then but I can't tell that it's MUCH better. Part of my soreness, I think, may have been from being tongue tied and mostly from not holding her properly. She gets a good initial latch but then it starts to really hurt.

Am I just unlucky or does this happen to others too?? I feel like it takes so much work to nurse. I know from my experience it's SO much easier later on to exclusively bf but man, this is so discouraging and PAINFUL! (plus, my bottom is all swollen, recovering from stitches, and not having had an epi or any pain meds during labor/delivery, the pain is still very fresh and vivid in my mind!)

Sorry, much longer than I intended.

[towerner]

Congratulations!!! I was in the exact same boat 4.5 months ago right down to the lack of meds( incidentally not my choice, DS just decided he wanted out, STAT!). I completely understand what you're going through.

It (BF) did get easier much faster with DS2. I was shocked by how much faster my milk came in and how much faster his originally poor latch corrected itself. It still takes some time to heal, or course, but I think with #2 you just have to push through it, so you do KWIM? I thought the "flashbacks" about the pain & experience would always stay with me (and that I'd never be rid of them to ever be able to want a DC3), but I'm happy to report that those feelings go away too.

Re the breastfeeding, make sure you're covering the basics - getting a good latch every time, even if it means repositioning, letting your breasts dry before putting your nursing bra back on, using lanolin or even better breast milk on them after feedings to help heal, don't be afraid to call a LC. I was in pain for at least the first 6 wks with DS1 and BF him till 18 months (didn't think I'd make it past 3 at one point). I was only sore for about a week w/ DS2 - such a different and much better experience so far.

Also, not to hijack your thread but DS2 was also tongue-tied but they advised us not to clip (DS1 was too and we had him clipped - DS1's was LESS visible than DS2). With the recent posts about getting it clipped at a later age, now I'm really regretting listening to them!

[ahrimie]

Re the breastfeeding, make sure you're covering the basics - getting a good latch every time, even if it means repositioning, letting your breasts dry before putting your nursing bra back on, using lanolin or even better breast milk on them after feedings to help heal, don't be afraid to call a LC. I was in pain for at least the first 6 wks with DS1 and BF him till 18 months (didn't think I'd make it past 3 at one point). I was only sore for about a week w/ DS2 - such a different and much better experience so far.

Also, not to hijack your thread but DS2 was also tongue-tied but they advised us not to clip (DS1 was too and we had him clipped - DS1's was LESS visible than DS2). With the recent posts about getting it clipped at a later age, now I'm really regretting listening to them!

Oh, I'm glad to to hear the second time was better!

I just tried laying down to nurse and it felt much better. I'm barely 36 hrs post partum so I'll keep at it. I forgot about air drying first... Once dry, put on lanolin, right?

Re tongue tie. My ped only mentioned it to me the first day and said we can talk more about that the next day. Honestly, I've only heard about that through the bbb. Luckily, I had my iPad at the hosp so I researched and found that it CAN affect nursing--not always though. My nipples were really sore even though I kept using lanolin. Another nurse noticed DD was tongue tied and then I asked the lac consultant too. My ped didn't push clipping at all but i had asked about it and he said he doesn't bring it up unless there seem to be other issues too. I hear not all peds will do it though and sometimes you have to get referred to an ENT. The lac consultant was pleasantly surprised to hear he would do it for us so easily.

I just really hope my milk comes in faster than last time and that we don't have nipple confusion!! (we are supplementing a little per ped and lac consult)

[WatchingThemGrow]

Congratulations!!!!! DS1 was tongue tied, and after the frenulectomy on day 9, I felt like a new person. It took so much of the pain out for us. Enjoy your baby girl, despite the physical pain.

[waitingforgrace]

Congrats! DD was tongue tied but it didn't get clipped until day 10. Bfeeding got better but the pain didn't go away instantly I needed time for the soreness to heal. Hang in there hope you have a speedy recovery.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Congratulations!!

I don't see how nipples wouldn't get sore and always thought it was bs. I mean, if I sucked on my finger for 8 hours if the day it would get sore! But it doesn't have to be a horrible, afraid to bf pain. It never got terrible with ds2 but my Motherlive nipple cream came in handy!

[marymoo86]

DD wasn't tongue tied but I noticed a big change in soreness as my milk was coming in. Didn't have any prior but I guess the change in size affected DD's latch.

Make sure she has a good deep latch - even when my nips were sore and little cracked a good deep latch never bothered me nursing.