After welcoming your little one, there's nothing in the world you want more than to give your baby exactly what she needs to be nurtured and nourished. One way to do that, of course, is through breastfeeding.
Whether you're pregnant and planning on nursing or a new mom just starting out, there are a few things you can do to help prepare yourself, from learning about the various positions to eating right while nursing. And while breastfeeding can be rewarding for both you and your baby, it can also present a bevy of challenges, from sore nipples to low supply to engorgement.
Knowing that, it’s understandable if you're wondering how it will actually feel when milk comes in and the baby latches onto your nipple. Will it feel painful? Totally natural?
Here, 15 moms reveal the sometimes joyful, other times painful, and ultimately very real details of what breastfeeding felt like for them.
Keep in mind that every new mom's experience is different. If you're having trouble breastfeeding or it feels painful, reach out to a lactation consultant, your child's pediatrician or your OB/GYN for guidance.
It can hurt at times
"I think I was surprised how much it hurt to breastfeed. My nipples were so sore I sent my husband out for two different kinds of nipple cream. My milk didn’t come in right away, and so I needed to use a tube that I taped to my boob with my son. With my daughter, I supplemented since we were both frustrated." — Kathy P., Illinois
"Oh man, no one EVER is truly real about this one. It’s like the cutest, tiniest, most innocent razor blades coming in hot multiple times a day. It's not as easy and natural as people make it out to be. It takes a lot emotionally to want to continue breastfeeding." — Danielle J., Arizona
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"I'm a first-time mom and had planned to breastfeed for at least eight months due to all of the great health benefits and bonding, but with experiencing so much pain and two back-to-back infections, I had to stop after four weeks. [I'm] still sad about it, because it was an amazing experience minus all the pain." — jconena, What to Expect Community
It does get easier
"Breastfeeding is like going for a bike ride. There are days where you just sail along, you watch the beauty around you as you feel yourself relaxing, cycling at a nice, steady pace. There are days when everything is going wrong. You miss your turn and get stuck in traffic. You got knocked by a car mirror. You're frustrated. You're fed up. You're in pain. Why did you come this way?! There are times when it's just practical — you can get fit, go to work, whatever, job accomplished. Starting out is hard; you fall, you crash, you wonder why you're doing this. But the magic of the serene, peaceful bike ride further down the line is always worth it." — Shona
"Breastfeeding does not have to hurt. I had a few days of soreness with my first, but using lanolin helped a lot. No pain at all with either my second or third. I have big age gaps between my kids, but I have nursed for almost six years and counting." — Jenna D., Pennsylvania
"Your nipples will be sore at first, but that goes away very quickly. For me, the worst was at the beginning, when your uterus contracts back to size every time you nurse. Feels almost like period cramps and can be uncomfortable. That doesn't last long at all though." — Kerri C., Louisiana
"Breastfeeding is like putting a strong vacuum on your nipple at first, but after some time, and lots of coconut oil, it's like a really sh***y massage on your boob. But knowing your body is so magical that it can literally feed another human is amazing. And to look at that little ball of perfection so close and needing you is as mushy as it sounds." — Lizz A., Maryland
It's common to encounter obstacles along the way
"I got double mastitis when [my daughter] was 1.5 months old and had to take antibiotics. It honestly was the most painful thing ever. From the moment her lips touched my nipples, it would literally take my breath away. After that got cleared up — it took a few weeks for the residual pain to subside — I had about another month and a half where it didn't really hurt, and she and I were both happy. Then, when she started teething, she started yanking on my nipples. So now my boobs are sore, but it's nothing like it was before. I figure we'll keep trying to give her some bottles every now and then, and I'll just pump when things are really sore. I love breastfeeding, even though sometimes it can be a pain.” — Stefani B., Arizona
"Breastfeeding felt like getting my nipple caught in barbed wire. He had a lip- and tongue-tie, which I was unaware of, and by the time it was corrected, my milk had dried up." — Judith R., New Mexico
"For some women, breastfeeding feels like a pump constantly pulling on your nipples, every three hours round the clock, at least for the first three months. My son had latching issues, so now he is almost 13 months old, and I'm down to four pumps a day, but he is still breastfed. It may not have been the way I had thought or hoped I'd breastfeed, but I still gave him the best I could." — Jeny M., Illinois
"Breastfeeding is the worst, best thing. Something so natural should not be so hard. If the latch is wrong, it feels like your nipple is being pinched by pliers. The emotional struggle of it is almost as worse as the physical pain of your nipples becoming cracked and bloody. With my second, I was able to see the beauty in breastfeeding. It wasn't painful, it was truly a bonding experience." — Sydney K., Arizona
It can be beautiful
"It’s painful to have the milk come in, and it’s painful to have a human piranha treat you like an all-you-can-eat all-night buffet. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. To grow my children, then to nurture them with my body? That’s an amazing thing." — Angela H., Texas
"Breastfeeding, to me, feels like soft, gentle butterfly wings, airy and sweet little suckles, with the occasional bee sting!" — Colleen
"[It feels] like the most beautiful sight ever. Tiny nibbles and alert stares. The most worthwhile, tiny suctions ever." — Sabasecond, What to Expect Community
"[It feels] empowering. I love to be able to feed my baby girl, to know that I’m her person, her safe place." — vmom, What to Expect Community
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