Happy World Breastfeeding Week! I thought I would share my breastfeeding story.
I was so excited when I was pregnant to breastfeed. No one really prepares you for how bad it can hurt. I always thought it looked so easy and simple. It appears to be the most natural human action there is. Almost every mother has done it since the beginning of time, right? When my first daughter was born and they placed her on me she was already lifting her head and looking for food. I was so excited I placed her on my boob immediately. My sweet princess latched and nursed for 45 minutes. I loved it and was grateful that I was able to do it. I know there are plenty of reasons why some women can’t breastfeed. Some babies have lip ties or tongue ties. Some moms’ nipples are inverted or they don’t produce milk.
So after 45 minutes of bonding with my new baby and feeling proud of myself, she fell asleep. When I took her off my boob I realized there was blood on me and her me. My nipple was sliced in half and was bleeding!! The lactation nurse came in and explained that I did it wrong! I didn’t even know you could do it wrong. The nurse told me that my newborn baby was only sucking on the tip of my nipple and that I needed to get the whole nipple in her mouth. For months after that, it was so painful to put her back on. To be honest the other boob was sore and sensitive as well. I bought nipple shields to help my nipple heal. I bought nipple creams to help heal my boobs. I couldn’t even let the shower water hit my nipples in the shower because it was so painful.
At one point I couldn’t even wear nursing bras or even a shirt. I wore my husband’s shirts for a while to be extra loose on my chest. Obviously, in time I healed and I nursed my two girls for years. I am beyond grateful that I could and it was free lol. The pain was worth it and it didn’t last too long. I thought about my experience the other day because I had a newborn in my studio and Mom had to nurse the baby to sleep. She was wincing in pain and it took me back to that time. When you are a new Mom we worry about everything. We are googling everything and seeing if it’s normal. I think every Mom looks up if poop should be yellow or black etc.
I am here to tell you YES it’s normal if your nipples hurt towards the beginning of this journey. However, it is always worth the time to talk to a lactation consultant and I believe they are a free service. Making sure the baby’s latch is correct is important. You got this Mama!!!
I offer breastfeeding sessions in the Temecula area. Temecula, Murrieta, and Menifee. This sweet baby in these photos was a newborn client of mine.
