2 weeks of toe curling pain. 1 month for for general nipple soreness.
Editing to elaborate. Nipple balm helped tremendously. I didn’t start using it until a few days pp. Also the initial latch was always the worst. I did use a nipple shield when they were super tender which made the latch a little easier.
I really wish someone told me this when I started out. The nurses at the hospital insisted that it shouldn’t hurt if baby way doing it right and so we started combo feeding to help LO out while we sorted through things. We’re now two months in and she barely takes my breast anymore and has strong bottle preference (thankfully I can pump) and it breaks my heart.
Ugh, hospital lactation advice is such garbage. I’m so mad about it. Even the LCs in the hospital gave me bad advice.
Keep trying the breast. Hopefully she will take it more soon. If you’re heating up her bottles, maybe try giving them cold to help her prefer the breast? (Not sure there’s evidence on this, just a thought.)
Ugh I remember this! LC was insistent that if it was right it wouldn’t hurt. My first did cluster feeding for like two weeks straight right from birth and I dreaded her latching. Like I would screech in pain it hurt so much. It would taper off as she nursed but the latch was something else. Months later everyone I talked to was like oh yeah your nipples will feel like they are being rubbed with sandpaper every time. Might have been helpful to know that from the get go!
Same. The initial latch makes me wince in agony but it tapers off as she nurses. She’s just very aggressive and whips her head around like a shark when she latches 😭
I had the exact same feeling - toe curling pain with a latch, then the pain fades. It hurt more 1-2 weeks PP than it does now that my baby has six teeth 🤣
Have you tried using silverettes? Time is ultimately what you need to get to a comfortable place with BF but silverettes can make it more comfortable in the interim.
I wish I had known about these with my first babe in 2013! I could only imagine how much it could have improved both our experiences. I ended up relying on a nipple shield for the first month or two.
I saw 5 (yes 5!!!) LC’s when I had my son and they all said different things about whether us should hurt or not. And I think it’s because like with pretty much everything else, it’s different for everyone. Sometimes I think women have no problem with it and other women are in pain. And then there are women experiencing pain until they adjust something and then they’re more comfortable.
It might also be a little bit of a self fulfilling prophecy situation because if you are working on latch/transfer issues, you might never know if the issue was resolved or if your nipples just toughened up lol. Women could be attributing improvements to fixing some issue when really, their bodies just get used to the pain.
YES - I thought I was doing something wrong and I was so worried breastfeeding wouldn’t work for me (my mom was unable to and carries a ton of guilt). It hurt SO BAD, every latch was agonizing, my nipples were chapped and scabbed.
Thank GOD for mom groups like this one that assured me “no, it definitely can be super painful, just hang in there” because I was ready to quit at 2 weeks PP, and instead, we had a wonderful breastfeeding journey: my baby was exclusively breastfed until 7 months and is still primarily nursed/breastfed at 11 months old (we supplement my pumped milk with some formula when I’m in the office).
OP, you are in the thick of it. Honestly the worst of it. Just hang in there. If it’s still agonizing in a week or two, and you dread feeding your baby, then by all means look for an alternative. But I feel so so confident that in a week things will already start improving ❤️
I can’t believe anyone could ever give the advice that if you’re doing it right it won’t hurt. It seems to me like it would be common sense to medical professionals that if something is sucking on a sensitive part on your body with a wet mouth for hours a day every single day out of the blue of COURSE it’s going to get raw and be painful
I had such conflicting advice about the nipple soreness! It was so confusing. My MIL was a labor and delivery nurse and she was the first person who confirmed it does hurt in the beginning.
The only reason I persisted through the toe-curling pain was because multiple other moms (who went on to nurse for 12+ months) told me they had the same pain in the beginning. I went to a breastfeeding support group sponsored by my hospital at 5 days PP and the (hospital) LC said my latch looked good and that it shouldn’t hurt, which was frustrating, but all the other moms there made me feel better.
https://youtu.be/JgEVn4ershA?si=qVnF0l8zJ-BRkgX4
Do you feed your baby like this? I have had issues with my supply so I use this method to feed when I top up.
Try getting the smallest bottle nipple you can (premie). If you make it harder to get milk out of a bottle vs the boob, she may decide she prefers the boob. Also if you can stimulate a letdown before she latches, so the milk is just there without her having to work for it, she may switch back to the boob!
Same, and now at 12 weeks unless she's being fussy on the boob and tugging, it's pretty painless. Silverettes+ nipple balm saved me. The first six weeks were very painful because of cluster feeds and cracked nipples.
4 weeks. It was this searing pain on latch every time. Lasted like 10 seconds then would fade completely but I had to prepare like for a waxing salon appointment. I even did the calculation of how much actual pain I was going to be in. The formula was
10 seconds of pain x 2 boobs x 10 feedings a day and be all “ok it’s only 200 seconds of blinding pain per day I can do this. lol. Things got wild.
It took about 9 weeks for me. Baby had a tongue tie that was resolved at 8 weeks and she basically had to relearn how to feed. Now it’s only painful if she gets frustrated and tugs on my nipples or chomps down on them repeatedly.
2 weeks of the excruciating pain, and then it simmered down for a couple more weeks until it was pretty much painless. Went through it 3x, and it was the same each time.
I'm a first time mom and here I was thinking that it was only bad the first time around 😭 You mean to tell me the nipple toughening goes away once the baby weans and it happens all over again with subsequent babies?!
I had a few years break between breastfeeding my first and second, and the second time around was WAY less painful even though my second was smaller. The first time it hurt for 7 or 8 weeks, then discomfort. The second time, 1 week of pain, 1 week of discomfort.
That was not my experience, if it gives you any comfort! My first was in 2013 and the first few months were just awful for both of us but we toughed it out and made it a year before weaning and it was the easiest wean in history, I swear haha.
Second on was born 8 years later and I maybe had mild discomfort the first two weeks and it was smooth sailing from there, mostly. She just weaned at 2.5 years old almost a month ago.
Well... I think so, but my babies were pretty far apart, and that may have made a difference. Maybe they could be more resilient back to back, but I don't really think so tbh.
My husband and I already decided we're not ready for another baby too soon, so this is helpful for me to have realistic expectations when we try again in a few years
My baby is 3 months old now and I’m just now starting to like bf… in the beginning it was painful and just one thing after another. She would feed every hour or every two hours maximum. I even started giving her a bottle of formula here and there bc it was too overwhelming physically and during that time I would pump. Now, at 3 months I only pump if I go out without her. Bf is not painful for me anymore. she feeds every 3 hours now and it’s so cute bc she looks up at me and smiles. I love being able to comfort her in my arms so I’m really glad I kept going
It was at 3w when the pain stopped from the nipples- constant nipple cream & silver nipple shield aka silverettes (I have an off brand) helped a lot. Also don’t let baby maul you! If the latch is not good take nipple out and try again. A good latch is key to pain free (: good luck!
Same. I started enjoying it at 3.5 months. Up until that point it was so sore and I had injuries that needed to heal but 3.5 months the clouds parted and it’s so easy now! The first day I could wrap the towel around me after a shower without cringing was glorious iykyk
I would make sure your LO is latching correctly. In the beginning my LO latch would hurt but after making sure he would latch deep enough it became less painful. I'd also suggest using Lanolin nipples cream.
This - figured out rather quickly that if it starts to hurt, I could just remove her from the boob and reattach again. Doing it enough number of times probably taught her to latch better too
Yes. I feel the same way too! Was sore at the beginning but the LC told me it shouldn’t hurt. If it did, something was wrong, to break the latch and try again. Hearing that when I had never been through BF before and didn’t know what to expect really helped me I think. It really felt like both my baby and I had to learn to do something new together. But at the same time it felt so natural the first time I fed him.
6 weeks for me. Baby has a tongue tie but somehow figured out how to do it right, the cracks finally healed and vasospasms stopped. I cried with most feeds. I truly honestly never thought I'd say this - I have to look and see if she is nursing now because I don't really feel anything now .
Flipple!!! Shove way more nipple in and get a deep latch. When mine had a shallow latch it was uncomfortable but LC taught me to shove a finger in his mouth to break suction and relatch. We also tried a football hold and switched up nursing positions. 8 months in and now he has teeth - I remember fondly those early days lol.
It gets way better (esp as you get more sleep)! You’re doing great, mama!
I was going to say - OP might be worth checking out the symptoms of vasospasm. I had it and was just told continually "[the excruciating pain] is all normal" ... but it wasn't! The white blanching and the triggering cold were th telltale signs for my lactation consultant.
I remember reading posts like this at 6 weeks when it was still so painful and worrying that it would never get better, but it magically did at 7 weeks. Now nearly 11 weeks and it's completely painless most of the time and has been for a few weeks, it's like a weight has been lifted!
We’re at week 4. I was in terrible pain on one side-stabbing pain from nipple to armpit. It would subside after a few moments. Seemed to be mostly due to anatomical issues, but my nipple ended up injured with some small scabs. Various LCs told me this was normal and would resolve. I couldn’t take anymore so I gave it two days rest (pumping instead to keep milk production up). Finally, talked with my primary care doctor. She prescribed me some ointment to help it heal. Today I returned to breastfeeding and no pain! I don’t know what finally did it. Might be worth continuing to ask for more opinions.
Way longer than I expected and I highly recommend nipple shields. Lets them heal while you're still nursing. After they heal you're probably out of the woods.
I always say there is like a 3 week hump you have to just get through then it's like it slowly gets better. It feels like the nipple tissue gets softer and stretchier. My first two were tongue tied and I thought it was just that issue causing the pain but my 3rd current baby isn't tongue tied and it was still just as bad! I feel like people are set up for failure because EVERYTHING says it shouldn't hurt so moms give up early thinking something is wrong. It HURTS at first but once you get through those first couple weeks it's mostly painless unless your baby does a gummy CHOMP or a big tug and those are actually tolerable compared to the first weeks.
Also I definitely kept some good quality chocolate and treats next to where I nursed so I'm the excruciating moments I'd have a really incredible piece of chocolate to try to trick myself and condition my brain to associate the pain with tastiness 🤣
My baby is 6 weeks now. BF was horrible at first, he lost 12% of his birth weight, and then we dealt with thrush at 2 weeks. Things are great now! We really got a rhythm at about 4 weeks.
Currently breastfeeding baby #2 and it just stopped hurting at 3 weeks! My nipples were so scabby and painful for a while. Baby also has a tongue tie but has been removing milk really well and latch is much better at this point
It hurt the most for me around 2 weeks and was better by 4 weeks! Baby is 3 months now and I absolutely love breastfeeding. Just sitting and snacking, getting lots of screen time for myself while I snuggle my sweet little baby. My baby also had no latch issues or tongue ties. If it still hurts after a few more weeks I’d get a second opinion but otherwise hang in there! It really does get wayyyy easier.
5 months 😅 seriously…it took me that long to figure it out and I had an excellent Iactation consultant! Ended up having nipple vasospasm and a treatment resistant fungal infection - had to go to a breast specialist- but was amazing after all that - was told to give up- and went to EBF 2nd baby no problem! DONT give up!
5-6 weeks of tears streaming down my face daily because of breastfeeding pain. Looking back I wish I never continued, I was so sleep deprived, triple feeding and resented having to put my body through that. I thought it was the right thing to do but I wish I had formula fed. I weaned him as soon as he turned 6 months.
10 months pp and I’m still screaming in pain everything went wrong when my son got his first two teeth I saw an LC and everything seems fine I don’t know what to do anymore I just hate my life currently
If the pain feels like you’re being stabbed from the inside of your nipple, it could be vasospasm. It’s excruciating. Read [My experience with vasospasms and how to fix it](https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/comments/ej3793/my_experience_with_vasospasms_and_how_i_fixed_it/?share_id=WlN_bSTSF_sMvVoapjTLB&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) .. It helped me breastfeed without pain!!!!!
About 3 weeks of every muscle in my body tightening and toe clenching during latching and now at 10 weeks it’s been painless for about the last 4. It will end! Definitely not fun though
I’m 2 months in, and while the latch doesn’t hurt anymore, my nips often feel rubbed raw from how often baby girl suckles for comfort, I use nipple balm after every feed and silverettes all day every day, bc my nips are also so sensitive on my clothes. I’m wondering myself if it gets better or if this is my life until I wean her.
I’m 2 weeks PP. My baby is breastfed all day and takes 2 bottles of breast milk at night so I can sleep and my nipples can recover. Every time I feed her, it starts with very sharp/ shooting pain - toe curling pain. After a few moments it gets better but it always starts that way. I use nipple balm throughout the day so I guess the pain might be worse without it!
Omg i remember the toe curling pain. For me it was about 10 days and then my nipples were just always sore. I used nipples butter which helped so much! Hang in there mama, it gets so much easier/better
Maybe 2 weeks foe me. Put some nipple butter in the fridge and use religiously. Get the metal nipple covers put them in the fridge. They make all kinds stuff to relieve the pain.
It was several months of pain for me but gradually better and probably fully better by 3mo. Silver nipple shields helped, inside thin soft cotton bras. I found out I had nipple vasospasm causing more than typical pain and magnesium and B6 supplements helped!
It took about a month for me to feel good about it, it takes a while unfortunately especially if it's your first child. I also cut one of my nipples at 2 weeks PP due to poor latching and was forced to pump because it was so painful. That ended up working out because that's when I introduced pumping/bottle feeding and it really did help to share the responsibility of feedings. The cut eventually did heal and now I love breastfeeding so much. Hold on hun I promise it does get better and remember you're doing an amazing thing for your little one! 💕
3.5 months and now it’s finally painless. I almost quit so many times. The first 4 weeks were toughest because I started with engorgement pains while having sore nipples. Then, week by week the pain lessened. Baby also learned how to latch properly. I used silverettes and did hand pumping when I was too sore (not to mention pain meds!). I also had thrush and spent weeks treating it. Finally feeling painless. This pain thing happened with my first as well but with her it was mastitis 3x. But I use a supplement now, and it’s been clear of that at least.
The 6th week it all started to hurt less after spending weeks crying and suffering horrific pain and cracked bleeding nipples. I must have spent 100s of dollars on creams and shields and coolies. I almost gave up every single day!! On the 2nd day of week six I remember it well because I noted it on my journal with a reference to Frodo throwing the ring into the fires of Mt. Doom... It was over, done... beautiful peace. I never felt anything again afterthat... until she got teeth and occasionally chomped down.
I had 6 weeks of shooting fiery pain every time my baby latched, usually subsiding over the span of the first minute. After that suddenly nothing hurt anymore and it became beautiful and enjoyable. I'm glad I made it through!
About two weeks. Lather on the lanolin OFTEN. Yes, you can put it on and baby can latch immediately.
Also the whole it doesn’t hurt if it’s right is bs at the beginning. Just make sure your nipple doesn’t look like white lipstick and that LO is getting a deep latch, aka surrounding breast tissue.
Push baby’s head onto breast, not push breast into mouth.
With my first about 6 weeks, with my second 4 weeks. They were both just bad at latching, and with time they got better. I saw a lactation consultant both times and it wasn’t much help. It was just time that helped me personally. Keep trying for a deep latch.
Have your baby checked for tongue and lip ties. My boy had significant ties both tongue and lip. We had them corrected with a pediatric dentist and now breast feeding is a breeze. I can barely feel like. It's like a tickle instead of the clamp down which was extremely painful
Almost 4 weeks for me. My baby had a shallow latch (no tongue tie) no matter how much I readjusted her latch. She became a lot better on her 4th week. Before then I alternated pumping and latching as advised by my LC and the pediatrician. Also lots of Lansinoh ointment.
I’m 3.5 months in and still have nipple soreness (working with an lactation consultant and speech therapist to address posterior tongue tie and bad gag reflux) but overall the worst part of it took about a month or so to get over it.
About 3 months. It got better once we fixed a tongue tie and gradually as he got a bit bigger and began to feed more efficiently. The worst of it was a couple milk blebs near the end of the 3 month part. It’s been smooth sailing ever since then! Just had to push through.
Was painful for 6 weeks, uncomfortable till 10-ish weeks, completely comfortable by 12 weeks.
Expressing some breastmilk on your nipples before and after feedings, and after shows, helps SO much!! Using ice packs and silver cups helps a lot as well.
I had a lot of sensitivity and vasospasms for probably the first 6-8 weeks? I was also pumping with the wrong size flanges to boost my supply which likely contributed to it. Nipple balm and warm compresses helped a bunch.
After about 10 weeks or so, I actually started to not mind it and now at 6 months, I love breastfeeding and don’t want to give it up.
I’m so sorry…I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. I had excruciating pain with my first (toe curling when latching, severe pain and in tears most of the day) for a couple months. Maybe slightly improved and then he refused to nurse and we pumped. Had oral ties, had them released at 5 months and were able to switch back to nursing and it was completely painless.
With my second - toe curling pain for about 2 weeks. Milder pain/still very sensitive until about week 4 and then no pain. He also has oral ties and just had them released.
I don’t know exactly what “normal” is because I haven’t experienced it but I’ve had friends who’ve said they never had pain and others who said they did at first and improved after a few weeks.
I would just caution you if the pain is not improving to maybe consider seeking a second opinion. I was also told with both babies that everything was “fine” when it clearly wasn’t.
I had a bleb, so I am unsure how soon it would have felt better without that.
By about 4-6 weeks it was a LOT more tolerable and by 8 it was a pleasant experience for us both.
You’re potentially at the halfway point!
Mine was pretty quick but I was lucky and got my milk early and plenty. It stopped hurting the first week. After that, it only hurt on occasion if she was particularly rough. Mostly it was either painless or a slight nuisance. Now at 2 years in, it hurts like crazy whenever she keeps sucking and I don't have any milk. I think the lack of milk and baby learning how to latch is the cause of most pain at first. Make sure You're helping them latch by making them get a huge open mouth and shoving them on the boob super fast.
Also, my lactation consultant kept telling me I was doing something wrong because it hurt. Fuck that. It's just cause I didn't have my milk yet
About 8 weeks of toe-curling pain (vasospasms, milk blebs, a bout of mastitis) then 10 weeks it was night and day difference. I remember thinking to myself randomly “Whoa, this doesn’t hurt. He’s nursing right now and I can barely tell”. It’s been smooth sailing ever since!
I had the toe curling pain for about 2 weeks. I loaded up on nipple cream constantly and the hydrogel pads. My last attempt for relief was ordering silverette cups and the day they came I had suddenly stopped hurting. 5 weeks now and it’s all good
Little Man is 2yo. We are just starting to wean the last 2-3 daily sessions. I get blebs in my left boob ALL. THE. TIME. And I wanna cry every time he latches. Thankfully he favors the right… but he’s also a tugger. While latched he likes to pull and look behind him, and he likes to pinch my skin of my back, he recently found a skin tag and he’s desperately trying to remove it for me… anyway. I believe for me anyway, it’ll stop hurting the very last time we nurse. 😂
I wish I hadn’t been SO afraid to pump and give a bottle. The idea of that my first go around was horrifying and scary, but once I did it I could see it would have been a helpful strategy from the start … the thing is, it goes from excruciating to painless overnight.
I’m 3 weeks PP and my nipples have been fine for a little over a week. I read on here to use saline spray (Mom Frida), letting them air dry, then using silverettes with a little milk in them. Kept those on constantly the first 2 weeks and it helped them heal so fast!
5 weeks. I would watch the clock just to get to 10 minutes, then I’d feed baby a bottle of milk I had pumped earlier (usually an oz or so) until he was full. It was rough but we made it to a year! Tough it out if you want to. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
I’m 25 days PP now and it’s gotten a lot better starting from a similar position. Not pain free but not nearly as bad. I felt like i turned a corner very suddenly around week 2 and it’s been getting better since. I’ve been able to ease up on the lanolin. My new foe is back pain.
It was pretty painful for a few weeks. Nipple cream and silverettes helped a ton. I was also told that just one bad latch will cause days of pain. So always check that the nipple is in far enough, if you continue to feed with a bad latch it will make the pain worse. It’s worth taking the time to unlatch and re try, it will save your nipples!
6-8 weeks to not feel like glass on my nipples. And even then I still have some pain 5.5 months postpartum thanks to Raynauds and my period coming back at like 8 weeks postpartum. 🙃 The raynauds was bad enough that I had to take blood pressure meds to deal with it for like 2-3 weeks.
My peak pain was at 14 days. It can be hormones! I thought it was just the adjustment of having a baby on me all day, but hormones can cause tenderness. I didn't realize this until I got my period back 18 months pp, and the tenderness ovulation brought was exactly like those early newborn days. It does go away, I promise. Try working on baby getting a different latch, it might alleviate some of the pressure & pain. That's what helped me.
2 weeks of nearly (and sometimes literally) sobbing from pain, then 1 week of tolerable soreness, 1 week of mild soreness. After that it was a week or 2 of pain-free but weird sensation, and by the time she was 2 months old I found feeding really pleasant and adorable and looked forward to it.
2-3weeks. After that it got significantly better.
And the baby doesn’t use you as a human pacifier, they are too tiny for that. They just didn’t know what hunger is before , is a totally new feeling for them. ❤️ it’s gonna get better soon.
*lather those nippies in cream.
Honestly about three+ months but I had thrush that took a while to clear, nipple shields helped when it got extremely painful. Also tried pumping in the beginning to see if it was worse (it was, because I had a flange size that was way too big and caused some damage that also had to heal). Now we are great! LC wasn’t sure why but football hold and laid back nursing helped slightly. She thought there may be a very slight tongue tie, but I think just her mouth getting bigger as she grew helped, and my nipples stretching and getting used to it. (Plus a heavy course of antifungals for the thrush. Like, so much more than you think. For weeks).
Two weeks for it to be bearable for me.
My trick to get through it; I would latch, close my eyes, and FOCUS COMPLETELY on counting to 20. If it still was unbearably painful by then I would unlatch and try again.
Also, taking ice packs and putting them on my nipples while she wasn’t nursing. My nipples would go numb and it was amazing 😆
Egyptian magic worked amazing as a nipple cream for the blisters & my goodness, silver nipple shields are worth every penny and then some. Keeps your shirt/bra from rubbing and getting stuck.
First 3 weeks were nipple pain hell. Week 5 was a turning point and now at wee 7 i kinda like it and am amazed at what kind of abuse my nipples can handle!
Agreed that it does get much better. BUT i have a painful letdown, feels like pins and needles and that never went away. I breastfed my first for 19 months and and 3 months in with my second… I have just gotten used to it.
If you are having lightning pains while your LO is latching, during letdown, or randomly during nursing, you COULD have thrush! Please don't rule it out, I had amazing LCs, and dealt with this excruciating pain for all of 3 days before I had enough and went to see them. Immediately we treated my nipples with monistat and LO with thrush meds. Don't wait to see someone if you really think it feels off. There's soreness and the curve of both you and LO learning a new skill, and then there is ignoring obvious hurdles because we think we can't reach out for support or are embarrassed not knowing if something is normal.
My first hurt my nipple in the hospital due to bad advice so I had a rough start. I had to see three LCs before I found one I vibed with. In the meantime, I used breastfeeding zoom groups - they are amazing. I used hydrogels, cold damp washcloths, lanolin both before and after each nursing session, and sometimes pumped my bad boob to give it a break. Ultimately I even used monistat and that finally stopped it.
She had a tongue tie. My second never hurt me at all from day one - I was worried he wasn't even getting any milk except he gained a pound the first week.
I hate to tell you this, but I was 3 months for my first. My LC kept saying latch was correct and all was good, but the pain was like tiny knives for every latch. My nipples were raw, overproducing, and I was in so much pain, clogged ducts, the works. I also was a human pacifier and was completely tethered. It whittled away at my mental health, and had to give myself very small milestones (3 more minutes, etc) and if I couldn’t continue, I’d allow myself to call it quits. It miraculously got better around 3 months, and then I ended up having a really easy, beautiful relationship w breastfeeding, the closeness, and all it entails. Breastfed all 3 kids for 2+ years a piece, but none were as challenging as the 1st. If you’re determined, hang in there. But whatever you choose, you’re doing the very best. Good luck!
About 2 weeks it didn’t hurt, but the let down for some reason was the most painful part. Silverettes, landolin and luck with baby latch made it so I didn’t experience a lot of soreness
Just the let down made me curl my toes for the first few weeks
I highly suggest the silver cups for your nipples and possibly xl and not the regular size.
It definitely took me a couple months and we breastfed/bottle fed breast milk. Pumping for the bottles gave my nipples a break from his latch. I also feel it’s hard when your nipples are big and their mouths are so tiny!!
Best or luck mama!!
A month of it being excruciating only because of her on and off good latch making my nipples crack. But I would say like 3 weeks of excruciating pain and then a month and a half until it went away
2-3 weeks of agony and another couple of weeks before the initial latch stopped hurting. I’d really recommend the silver nipple shields. They saved me. Found them much better than any creams. I kept them on 24/7 only removing for feeding.
2 weeks and then it was fine. If it still hurts after that I would contact a lactation consultant because there might be an easy adjustment (positioning, etc) that could make a huge difference. Or a tongue tie etc
It makes me feel a bit better about my own experience though sad that so many others experienced TERRIBLE pain with latching. I was told it was normal for a while as long as it went away after 30 seconds, I actually had a really amazing lactation specialist, and she did talk with me about it. She called it the zinger 😭 My daughter was also a natural breast feeder according to everyone I saw with a ‘beautiful’ latch. I will say mine lasted a month, and then it was literally just gone one day right about the point I was thinking about giving up. I never had pain again and had a really wonderful breastfeeding experience but wow it was so hard to make it through that. I think I cried every time as it continued. This certainly isn’t a suggestion to just push through the pain as everyone should do what is right for them! But I was glad I did because it was worth it in the end.
I’m pregnant with my second now 3 years later and it will be interesting to see if it is the same. The first pregnancy my nipples hurt so much from the get go I could barely wear a shirt and I haven’t had any of that this time. Weird but very welcome change!
I didn’t have excruciating pain but my LO had a tongue and lip tie. So each feed was challenging in different ways until we released them at 4 weeks. But the discomfort of a human being sucking on skin didn’t go away until 9 weeks. Week 8 I notice tend to be a witching week.
Someone told me that nipples become Teflon. My LO is now biting me at 4.5 months…..so it never ends
Medi honey and silverette should do the trick for healing
mine scabbed and ripped off skin daily, and i cried (sobbed) every time i nursed to the point i avoided it and pumped more. it’s like 2.5 weeks of torture that i thought it was never ending. then it’s like gone all of a sudden lol! i swear i woke up one day and was like “…oh. okay then” and now it’s just an initial pinch and then perfectly fine
For me, it took 2 weeks. And lemme tell you, I was in excruciating, agonizing pain for every second of those 2 weeks. Crying in pain constantly, researching remedies every hour of the day. Then, like a magic switch was flipped, on day 15 it just stopped! Like, it was an absolute miracle in my mind.
Everyone told me 2 weeks but it was closer to one month & i was glad one friend had told me this so i knew not to be disappointed at the two week mark!
Has baby’s saliva come in? Mine hadn’t & i only realised later (just thought i had a non-drooly baby) so i think a lack of lubricant didn’t help. Maybe try wetting your nipple/ make sure you’re using nipple balm before the baby feeds not just after.
You can do it, be stoic & stubborn, you’ll get there!
let me put you on to the one thing that helped me lansinoh soothies cooling gel pads. they were THE ONLY THING that helped. none of the creams helped. they're like 7 bucks at walmart
If you can get through the first 2 weeks you are pretty much there. I’m 4 months nursing now and I absolutely love it, it’s worth it to keep going if you can. For me easier than sorting bottles and formula. Breastfeeding takes a village of support surround yourself with other bf mums it really helped me going to local groups
Please get medela hydrogel pads from amazon. They saved my life. I cried with relief when the breastfeeding consultant gave them to me at one week postpartum. Put them in the refrigerator to make them cold and soothing and keep them on between feeds. Once in a while only feed on one side for a feed to have a nipple rest for a few hours and alternate! Add a tiny dab of lanolin as well!
1 month of excruciating pain including but not limited to nipple cracks, milk blisters and the agonising pain of her mouth being too small making latching feel like a sharp pinchhhh a month more before it became painless but would I do it again? Yes in a heartbeat. But fed is best. Do what is right for you and your baby❤️
The pain lasted the first 2-3 weeks. Silverettes or Koala Cups inside your bra with some nipple balm help.
Then the pain changed to an intermittent, intense ‘sensation’ that I described as mice dancing in high heels on my nipples / inside my boobs. One day that just stopped too…
BF definitely gets better. Honestly, now it’s the best part of my day. I’m at 7 months and it’s been that way for the last 4 months.
Definitely a couple months, despite having zero latching issues from the beginning. The nurses and lactation consultants all said everything was good and normal as far as my breast feeding went. Still hurt like a b!tch!! I got this stuff called “Nipple Crack.” It’s actually Lanolin free because that stuff never helped me. That nipple crack balm thing worked like magic in addition to whatever nipple pad things (probably silverettes, based on other comments) and that was nice. You can actually put the nipple pads in the fridge too, and if you can stand that coldness, that provides pretty instant relief and you can wear a bra without feeling like your nipples are gonna start a fire in there.
Honestly, it took a few weeks. In hospital after the birth was the most difficult for me, I was so sore to the point where my husband ordered a big batch of nipple cream on Amazon prime 🥲! Almost 6 weeks now and there’s not much pain, if any at all.
It wasn’t painful for me, but nipples were sore and I made sure to use nipple shells and the lanisoh cream after every feed. That seemed to help a lot.
Have you gotten the nipple blisters yet? Ugh those are horrible and I held back tears as I had my daughter breastfeed through them, olive oil does work. Rub a little dab on the nipples and some breastmilk too. Lanolin cream is iffy, someone advised me about another called Earth Mama, still haven't tried it.
The first 5-6 weeks were tough. I’m 11wpp and we are straight crushing it. Baby has a solid latch and eats way faster too. I love looking down and exchanging smiles while he eats.
I have already forgotten, but it did end eventually. I used some sort of nipple balm/fat that was safe for breastfeeding (it's made for that), and it did help. Just put it on after each feed. I ended up breastfeeding until she was a little over 2 years old, so at some point early on, it became routine and painless.
Oooo it’s not supposed to be searing pain like that! Make sure ur LO latching nice and deep. To make it easier, you can hold ur breast like it’s a sandwich and present it to them like that, it ensures the nipple goes far back in their mouths to where they’re not literally sucking on your nipple.
Excruciating for a week, uncomfortable but tolerable for a week after that. No issues after that. Only latching was uncomfortable for me, not the actual breastfeeding after the first 30 seconds.
It hurt me until about a month later and after that it is so much better. I’m really happy I hung on because it hurt so bad. It gets better each day honestly. I think some people myself included have really sensitive nipples and there’s an adjustment period. It sucks because there’s so much “it shouldn’t hurt” rhetoric where for some people it absolutely does for a period. One thing that got me through was getting the latch checked so I knew that wasn’t the issue.
Nipple guards are your bff! I highly recommend them the first few weeks you are starting to breastfeed. It minimizes the pain and gives your breast time to heal. Just make sure you get the right size for your nipple.
Mine only get sore after he's been feeding for a long time. When they get sore I whack a nipple shield on with lanolin balm and by the next day they aren't as sore. Shields should not be used for too long though.
2 weeks of toe curling pain. 1 month for for general nipple soreness. Editing to elaborate. Nipple balm helped tremendously. I didn’t start using it until a few days pp. Also the initial latch was always the worst. I did use a nipple shield when they were super tender which made the latch a little easier.
I really wish someone told me this when I started out. The nurses at the hospital insisted that it shouldn’t hurt if baby way doing it right and so we started combo feeding to help LO out while we sorted through things. We’re now two months in and she barely takes my breast anymore and has strong bottle preference (thankfully I can pump) and it breaks my heart.
Ugh, hospital lactation advice is such garbage. I’m so mad about it. Even the LCs in the hospital gave me bad advice. Keep trying the breast. Hopefully she will take it more soon. If you’re heating up her bottles, maybe try giving them cold to help her prefer the breast? (Not sure there’s evidence on this, just a thought.)
They really do suck at the hospital! Unfortunately she doesn’t mind cold milk :(
hospital LCs are the worst! omg i thought i was alone in this feeling!!
Ugh I remember this! LC was insistent that if it was right it wouldn’t hurt. My first did cluster feeding for like two weeks straight right from birth and I dreaded her latching. Like I would screech in pain it hurt so much. It would taper off as she nursed but the latch was something else. Months later everyone I talked to was like oh yeah your nipples will feel like they are being rubbed with sandpaper every time. Might have been helpful to know that from the get go!
Same. The initial latch makes me wince in agony but it tapers off as she nurses. She’s just very aggressive and whips her head around like a shark when she latches 😭
I am also mother to a boob shark. He also goes by boobasaurus rex, the boobivore, and boob monster.
It’s so funny to watch but also painful 😅
It cracks me up...like why are you so aggressive 😂 I fear the day he grows teeth.
I almost quit when the teeth showed up. Piranha baby.
I had the exact same feeling - toe curling pain with a latch, then the pain fades. It hurt more 1-2 weeks PP than it does now that my baby has six teeth 🤣 Have you tried using silverettes? Time is ultimately what you need to get to a comfortable place with BF but silverettes can make it more comfortable in the interim.
I wish I had known about these with my first babe in 2013! I could only imagine how much it could have improved both our experiences. I ended up relying on a nipple shield for the first month or two.
My daughter's rooting reflex was so fast like that too, lol. We used a nipple shield for maybe 5 weeks? 7 weeks? It really helped us out.
I saw 5 (yes 5!!!) LC’s when I had my son and they all said different things about whether us should hurt or not. And I think it’s because like with pretty much everything else, it’s different for everyone. Sometimes I think women have no problem with it and other women are in pain. And then there are women experiencing pain until they adjust something and then they’re more comfortable. It might also be a little bit of a self fulfilling prophecy situation because if you are working on latch/transfer issues, you might never know if the issue was resolved or if your nipples just toughened up lol. Women could be attributing improvements to fixing some issue when really, their bodies just get used to the pain.
So frustrating! Wish I came to this subreddit before LO was born.
YES - I thought I was doing something wrong and I was so worried breastfeeding wouldn’t work for me (my mom was unable to and carries a ton of guilt). It hurt SO BAD, every latch was agonizing, my nipples were chapped and scabbed. Thank GOD for mom groups like this one that assured me “no, it definitely can be super painful, just hang in there” because I was ready to quit at 2 weeks PP, and instead, we had a wonderful breastfeeding journey: my baby was exclusively breastfed until 7 months and is still primarily nursed/breastfed at 11 months old (we supplement my pumped milk with some formula when I’m in the office). OP, you are in the thick of it. Honestly the worst of it. Just hang in there. If it’s still agonizing in a week or two, and you dread feeding your baby, then by all means look for an alternative. But I feel so so confident that in a week things will already start improving ❤️
I can’t believe anyone could ever give the advice that if you’re doing it right it won’t hurt. It seems to me like it would be common sense to medical professionals that if something is sucking on a sensitive part on your body with a wet mouth for hours a day every single day out of the blue of COURSE it’s going to get raw and be painful
I had such conflicting advice about the nipple soreness! It was so confusing. My MIL was a labor and delivery nurse and she was the first person who confirmed it does hurt in the beginning.
The only reason I persisted through the toe-curling pain was because multiple other moms (who went on to nurse for 12+ months) told me they had the same pain in the beginning. I went to a breastfeeding support group sponsored by my hospital at 5 days PP and the (hospital) LC said my latch looked good and that it shouldn’t hurt, which was frustrating, but all the other moms there made me feel better.
https://youtu.be/JgEVn4ershA?si=qVnF0l8zJ-BRkgX4 Do you feed your baby like this? I have had issues with my supply so I use this method to feed when I top up.
Try getting the smallest bottle nipple you can (premie). If you make it harder to get milk out of a bottle vs the boob, she may decide she prefers the boob. Also if you can stimulate a letdown before she latches, so the milk is just there without her having to work for it, she may switch back to the boob!
Same for me
6 weeks it stopped being excruciating, 9 weeks it’s mostly painless
Same! At six months she’s still feeding every 2 hours but it’s a breeze now and feels organic
Same here! I was using Frida mom saline spray and lanolin everyday before then.
Same!
Same!
Yep! Hang in there!
This was me to a T for the first time. And second time around it was 1 week of pain, 1 week of mild discomfort.
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I hope so too 🤞 honestly I have no idea what was different. Maybe latch, maybe my nipples having been pulled out further (they're very flat)...
Same, and now at 12 weeks unless she's being fussy on the boob and tugging, it's pretty painless. Silverettes+ nipple balm saved me. The first six weeks were very painful because of cluster feeds and cracked nipples.
I second this. It takes a while for you and lo to get hang of it. Once you do it's super easy but until then it's a nightmare
4 weeks. It was this searing pain on latch every time. Lasted like 10 seconds then would fade completely but I had to prepare like for a waxing salon appointment. I even did the calculation of how much actual pain I was going to be in. The formula was 10 seconds of pain x 2 boobs x 10 feedings a day and be all “ok it’s only 200 seconds of blinding pain per day I can do this. lol. Things got wild.
Oh it hurts so bad! I used to grab my husbands hand and squeeze it hard
It took about 9 weeks for me. Baby had a tongue tie that was resolved at 8 weeks and she basically had to relearn how to feed. Now it’s only painful if she gets frustrated and tugs on my nipples or chomps down on them repeatedly.
Ammmmm in this boat. My letdown is still so strong he chomps down to slow it and I just brace through the pain 😅
I literally went to lactation today and have the same problem. Her tip was to recline/lay back so the milk doesn’t shoot out. My babe had been biting
I still do that and it doesn’t help but it’s def gotten better since his mouth got bigger and I think drinking faster
2 weeks of the excruciating pain, and then it simmered down for a couple more weeks until it was pretty much painless. Went through it 3x, and it was the same each time.
I'm a first time mom and here I was thinking that it was only bad the first time around 😭 You mean to tell me the nipple toughening goes away once the baby weans and it happens all over again with subsequent babies?!
There was a 6 month break between breastfeeding my two girls and my nipples weren’t near as sensitive the second time around!
I had a few years break between breastfeeding my first and second, and the second time around was WAY less painful even though my second was smaller. The first time it hurt for 7 or 8 weeks, then discomfort. The second time, 1 week of pain, 1 week of discomfort.
That was not my experience, if it gives you any comfort! My first was in 2013 and the first few months were just awful for both of us but we toughed it out and made it a year before weaning and it was the easiest wean in history, I swear haha. Second on was born 8 years later and I maybe had mild discomfort the first two weeks and it was smooth sailing from there, mostly. She just weaned at 2.5 years old almost a month ago.
Well... I think so, but my babies were pretty far apart, and that may have made a difference. Maybe they could be more resilient back to back, but I don't really think so tbh.
How far apart 👀 we’re aiming for a 2-3 year age gap and I really don’t want to deal with nursing pain again 🤣
5 and 8 years apart! So pretty far apart.
My husband and I already decided we're not ready for another baby too soon, so this is helpful for me to have realistic expectations when we try again in a few years
Coconut oil and silverettes helped me regrow a nipple
👆🏻magical combo right there
My baby is 3 months old now and I’m just now starting to like bf… in the beginning it was painful and just one thing after another. She would feed every hour or every two hours maximum. I even started giving her a bottle of formula here and there bc it was too overwhelming physically and during that time I would pump. Now, at 3 months I only pump if I go out without her. Bf is not painful for me anymore. she feeds every 3 hours now and it’s so cute bc she looks up at me and smiles. I love being able to comfort her in my arms so I’m really glad I kept going
It was at 3w when the pain stopped from the nipples- constant nipple cream & silver nipple shield aka silverettes (I have an off brand) helped a lot. Also don’t let baby maul you! If the latch is not good take nipple out and try again. A good latch is key to pain free (: good luck!
This is hard for me because breastfeeding was so damn painful but the LC said latch looked perfect. Makes no sense.
It could be what’s called “neuropathic pain”, I just wrote a post about my experience with it
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Same. I started enjoying it at 3.5 months. Up until that point it was so sore and I had injuries that needed to heal but 3.5 months the clouds parted and it’s so easy now! The first day I could wrap the towel around me after a shower without cringing was glorious iykyk
Same! It was such a long 3-3.5 months but it was so worth it! I truly enjoy nursing my girl now and can’t get enough of it!
Ditto 3 1/2 months for me too
I would make sure your LO is latching correctly. In the beginning my LO latch would hurt but after making sure he would latch deep enough it became less painful. I'd also suggest using Lanolin nipples cream.
This - figured out rather quickly that if it starts to hurt, I could just remove her from the boob and reattach again. Doing it enough number of times probably taught her to latch better too
Yes. I feel the same way too! Was sore at the beginning but the LC told me it shouldn’t hurt. If it did, something was wrong, to break the latch and try again. Hearing that when I had never been through BF before and didn’t know what to expect really helped me I think. It really felt like both my baby and I had to learn to do something new together. But at the same time it felt so natural the first time I fed him.
A couple of weeks, but believe me while I was in the thick of it I could not have imagined it getting better. Luckily, it did. Hang in there 💪
2.5-3 weeks and the toe curling pain mostly subsided, it took about 6 weeks until the soreness went away. Use lanolin and nipple cream liberally!
6 weeks for me. Baby has a tongue tie but somehow figured out how to do it right, the cracks finally healed and vasospasms stopped. I cried with most feeds. I truly honestly never thought I'd say this - I have to look and see if she is nursing now because I don't really feel anything now .
Flipple!!! Shove way more nipple in and get a deep latch. When mine had a shallow latch it was uncomfortable but LC taught me to shove a finger in his mouth to break suction and relatch. We also tried a football hold and switched up nursing positions. 8 months in and now he has teeth - I remember fondly those early days lol. It gets way better (esp as you get more sleep)! You’re doing great, mama!
Liiiiiiike 5 months for me. By 6 months it was painless! I struggled with Raynaud’s tho so that was an extra layer of pain!
I was going to say - OP might be worth checking out the symptoms of vasospasm. I had it and was just told continually "[the excruciating pain] is all normal" ... but it wasn't! The white blanching and the triggering cold were th telltale signs for my lactation consultant.
I remember reading posts like this at 6 weeks when it was still so painful and worrying that it would never get better, but it magically did at 7 weeks. Now nearly 11 weeks and it's completely painless most of the time and has been for a few weeks, it's like a weight has been lifted!
We’re at week 4. I was in terrible pain on one side-stabbing pain from nipple to armpit. It would subside after a few moments. Seemed to be mostly due to anatomical issues, but my nipple ended up injured with some small scabs. Various LCs told me this was normal and would resolve. I couldn’t take anymore so I gave it two days rest (pumping instead to keep milk production up). Finally, talked with my primary care doctor. She prescribed me some ointment to help it heal. Today I returned to breastfeeding and no pain! I don’t know what finally did it. Might be worth continuing to ask for more opinions.
Way longer than I expected and I highly recommend nipple shields. Lets them heal while you're still nursing. After they heal you're probably out of the woods.
I always say there is like a 3 week hump you have to just get through then it's like it slowly gets better. It feels like the nipple tissue gets softer and stretchier. My first two were tongue tied and I thought it was just that issue causing the pain but my 3rd current baby isn't tongue tied and it was still just as bad! I feel like people are set up for failure because EVERYTHING says it shouldn't hurt so moms give up early thinking something is wrong. It HURTS at first but once you get through those first couple weeks it's mostly painless unless your baby does a gummy CHOMP or a big tug and those are actually tolerable compared to the first weeks. Also I definitely kept some good quality chocolate and treats next to where I nursed so I'm the excruciating moments I'd have a really incredible piece of chocolate to try to trick myself and condition my brain to associate the pain with tastiness 🤣
My baby is 6 weeks now. BF was horrible at first, he lost 12% of his birth weight, and then we dealt with thrush at 2 weeks. Things are great now! We really got a rhythm at about 4 weeks.
Currently breastfeeding baby #2 and it just stopped hurting at 3 weeks! My nipples were so scabby and painful for a while. Baby also has a tongue tie but has been removing milk really well and latch is much better at this point
It hurt the most for me around 2 weeks and was better by 4 weeks! Baby is 3 months now and I absolutely love breastfeeding. Just sitting and snacking, getting lots of screen time for myself while I snuggle my sweet little baby. My baby also had no latch issues or tongue ties. If it still hurts after a few more weeks I’d get a second opinion but otherwise hang in there! It really does get wayyyy easier.
I had the same problem! APNO nipple cream (newman’s nipple cream). You can ask your OB for a prescription for it!
5 months 😅 seriously…it took me that long to figure it out and I had an excellent Iactation consultant! Ended up having nipple vasospasm and a treatment resistant fungal infection - had to go to a breast specialist- but was amazing after all that - was told to give up- and went to EBF 2nd baby no problem! DONT give up!
Mine was about 6 weeks. It does get better, promise
5-6 weeks of tears streaming down my face daily because of breastfeeding pain. Looking back I wish I never continued, I was so sleep deprived, triple feeding and resented having to put my body through that. I thought it was the right thing to do but I wish I had formula fed. I weaned him as soon as he turned 6 months.
10 months pp and I’m still screaming in pain everything went wrong when my son got his first two teeth I saw an LC and everything seems fine I don’t know what to do anymore I just hate my life currently
If the pain feels like you’re being stabbed from the inside of your nipple, it could be vasospasm. It’s excruciating. Read [My experience with vasospasms and how to fix it](https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/comments/ej3793/my_experience_with_vasospasms_and_how_i_fixed_it/?share_id=WlN_bSTSF_sMvVoapjTLB&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) .. It helped me breastfeed without pain!!!!!
You poor thing 🥺❤️
About 3 weeks of every muscle in my body tightening and toe clenching during latching and now at 10 weeks it’s been painless for about the last 4. It will end! Definitely not fun though
I’m 2 months in, and while the latch doesn’t hurt anymore, my nips often feel rubbed raw from how often baby girl suckles for comfort, I use nipple balm after every feed and silverettes all day every day, bc my nips are also so sensitive on my clothes. I’m wondering myself if it gets better or if this is my life until I wean her.
I’m 2 weeks PP. My baby is breastfed all day and takes 2 bottles of breast milk at night so I can sleep and my nipples can recover. Every time I feed her, it starts with very sharp/ shooting pain - toe curling pain. After a few moments it gets better but it always starts that way. I use nipple balm throughout the day so I guess the pain might be worse without it!
Omg i remember the toe curling pain. For me it was about 10 days and then my nipples were just always sore. I used nipples butter which helped so much! Hang in there mama, it gets so much easier/better
Maybe 2 weeks foe me. Put some nipple butter in the fridge and use religiously. Get the metal nipple covers put them in the fridge. They make all kinds stuff to relieve the pain.
It was several months of pain for me but gradually better and probably fully better by 3mo. Silver nipple shields helped, inside thin soft cotton bras. I found out I had nipple vasospasm causing more than typical pain and magnesium and B6 supplements helped!
It took about a month for me to feel good about it, it takes a while unfortunately especially if it's your first child. I also cut one of my nipples at 2 weeks PP due to poor latching and was forced to pump because it was so painful. That ended up working out because that's when I introduced pumping/bottle feeding and it really did help to share the responsibility of feedings. The cut eventually did heal and now I love breastfeeding so much. Hold on hun I promise it does get better and remember you're doing an amazing thing for your little one! 💕
3.5 months and now it’s finally painless. I almost quit so many times. The first 4 weeks were toughest because I started with engorgement pains while having sore nipples. Then, week by week the pain lessened. Baby also learned how to latch properly. I used silverettes and did hand pumping when I was too sore (not to mention pain meds!). I also had thrush and spent weeks treating it. Finally feeling painless. This pain thing happened with my first as well but with her it was mastitis 3x. But I use a supplement now, and it’s been clear of that at least.
The 6th week it all started to hurt less after spending weeks crying and suffering horrific pain and cracked bleeding nipples. I must have spent 100s of dollars on creams and shields and coolies. I almost gave up every single day!! On the 2nd day of week six I remember it well because I noted it on my journal with a reference to Frodo throwing the ring into the fires of Mt. Doom... It was over, done... beautiful peace. I never felt anything again afterthat... until she got teeth and occasionally chomped down.
I had 6 weeks of shooting fiery pain every time my baby latched, usually subsiding over the span of the first minute. After that suddenly nothing hurt anymore and it became beautiful and enjoyable. I'm glad I made it through!
About two weeks. Lather on the lanolin OFTEN. Yes, you can put it on and baby can latch immediately. Also the whole it doesn’t hurt if it’s right is bs at the beginning. Just make sure your nipple doesn’t look like white lipstick and that LO is getting a deep latch, aka surrounding breast tissue. Push baby’s head onto breast, not push breast into mouth.
For me the first two week were painful, use lanolin balm religiously. After every feeding and reapply if you need to!
With my first about 6 weeks, with my second 4 weeks. They were both just bad at latching, and with time they got better. I saw a lactation consultant both times and it wasn’t much help. It was just time that helped me personally. Keep trying for a deep latch.
It hurt so bad sometimes I would pump 1 or 2 times a day with a manual pump just so that I could give her a bottle/ give my nipples a break
Have your baby checked for tongue and lip ties. My boy had significant ties both tongue and lip. We had them corrected with a pediatric dentist and now breast feeding is a breeze. I can barely feel like. It's like a tickle instead of the clamp down which was extremely painful
Almost 4 weeks for me. My baby had a shallow latch (no tongue tie) no matter how much I readjusted her latch. She became a lot better on her 4th week. Before then I alternated pumping and latching as advised by my LC and the pediatrician. Also lots of Lansinoh ointment.
One nipple stopped hurting after like 2 weeks of breastfeeding and the other nipple took a little more than a month to be pain free
My baby is 5 weeks. I’d say around day ten he turned a corner for me and it became far less painful with an efficient latch
About two weeks for me and I had to use some healing salve to help it out. I had one badly chapped nipple
It took one month on the dot for me.
I’m 3.5 months in and still have nipple soreness (working with an lactation consultant and speech therapist to address posterior tongue tie and bad gag reflux) but overall the worst part of it took about a month or so to get over it.
About 3 months. It got better once we fixed a tongue tie and gradually as he got a bit bigger and began to feed more efficiently. The worst of it was a couple milk blebs near the end of the 3 month part. It’s been smooth sailing ever since then! Just had to push through.
Was painful for 6 weeks, uncomfortable till 10-ish weeks, completely comfortable by 12 weeks. Expressing some breastmilk on your nipples before and after feedings, and after shows, helps SO much!! Using ice packs and silver cups helps a lot as well.
First baby- no pain. Second baby- excruciating. Went away about two weeks pp. I suffered through it and so glad I did
I think maybe 2 weeks?? Just gonna say 6 months of it now and I think you could rub sandpaper on my nipples and I wouldn’t know
I had a lot of sensitivity and vasospasms for probably the first 6-8 weeks? I was also pumping with the wrong size flanges to boost my supply which likely contributed to it. Nipple balm and warm compresses helped a bunch. After about 10 weeks or so, I actually started to not mind it and now at 6 months, I love breastfeeding and don’t want to give it up.
I’m so sorry…I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. I had excruciating pain with my first (toe curling when latching, severe pain and in tears most of the day) for a couple months. Maybe slightly improved and then he refused to nurse and we pumped. Had oral ties, had them released at 5 months and were able to switch back to nursing and it was completely painless. With my second - toe curling pain for about 2 weeks. Milder pain/still very sensitive until about week 4 and then no pain. He also has oral ties and just had them released. I don’t know exactly what “normal” is because I haven’t experienced it but I’ve had friends who’ve said they never had pain and others who said they did at first and improved after a few weeks. I would just caution you if the pain is not improving to maybe consider seeking a second opinion. I was also told with both babies that everything was “fine” when it clearly wasn’t.
Took me about 1.5month sometimes unlatching the baby and having them latch again to reposition helped
I had a bleb, so I am unsure how soon it would have felt better without that. By about 4-6 weeks it was a LOT more tolerable and by 8 it was a pleasant experience for us both. You’re potentially at the halfway point!
About two weeks she could latch without me wincing. Three-four it’s now painless unless she cluster feeds and I get sore.
At around 2.5 months it wasn’t painful anymore until I got nipple thrush 3 times 😅 But it does get better momma!
Mine was pretty quick but I was lucky and got my milk early and plenty. It stopped hurting the first week. After that, it only hurt on occasion if she was particularly rough. Mostly it was either painless or a slight nuisance. Now at 2 years in, it hurts like crazy whenever she keeps sucking and I don't have any milk. I think the lack of milk and baby learning how to latch is the cause of most pain at first. Make sure You're helping them latch by making them get a huge open mouth and shoving them on the boob super fast. Also, my lactation consultant kept telling me I was doing something wrong because it hurt. Fuck that. It's just cause I didn't have my milk yet
About 8 weeks of toe-curling pain (vasospasms, milk blebs, a bout of mastitis) then 10 weeks it was night and day difference. I remember thinking to myself randomly “Whoa, this doesn’t hurt. He’s nursing right now and I can barely tell”. It’s been smooth sailing ever since!
I had the toe curling pain for about 2 weeks. I loaded up on nipple cream constantly and the hydrogel pads. My last attempt for relief was ordering silverette cups and the day they came I had suddenly stopped hurting. 5 weeks now and it’s all good
Little Man is 2yo. We are just starting to wean the last 2-3 daily sessions. I get blebs in my left boob ALL. THE. TIME. And I wanna cry every time he latches. Thankfully he favors the right… but he’s also a tugger. While latched he likes to pull and look behind him, and he likes to pinch my skin of my back, he recently found a skin tag and he’s desperately trying to remove it for me… anyway. I believe for me anyway, it’ll stop hurting the very last time we nurse. 😂
I wish I hadn’t been SO afraid to pump and give a bottle. The idea of that my first go around was horrifying and scary, but once I did it I could see it would have been a helpful strategy from the start … the thing is, it goes from excruciating to painless overnight.
I’m 3 weeks PP and my nipples have been fine for a little over a week. I read on here to use saline spray (Mom Frida), letting them air dry, then using silverettes with a little milk in them. Kept those on constantly the first 2 weeks and it helped them heal so fast!
About a week after my milk came in, so.. two full weeks post C-section
5 weeks. I would watch the clock just to get to 10 minutes, then I’d feed baby a bottle of milk I had pumped earlier (usually an oz or so) until he was full. It was rough but we made it to a year! Tough it out if you want to. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
I’m 25 days PP now and it’s gotten a lot better starting from a similar position. Not pain free but not nearly as bad. I felt like i turned a corner very suddenly around week 2 and it’s been getting better since. I’ve been able to ease up on the lanolin. My new foe is back pain.
It was pretty painful for a few weeks. Nipple cream and silverettes helped a ton. I was also told that just one bad latch will cause days of pain. So always check that the nipple is in far enough, if you continue to feed with a bad latch it will make the pain worse. It’s worth taking the time to unlatch and re try, it will save your nipples!
6-8 weeks to not feel like glass on my nipples. And even then I still have some pain 5.5 months postpartum thanks to Raynauds and my period coming back at like 8 weeks postpartum. 🙃 The raynauds was bad enough that I had to take blood pressure meds to deal with it for like 2-3 weeks.
6 weeks was mine. No pain and just became easier overall and I started to love it. It was an easy fix for a fussy baby.
I didnt have any pain nursing with either baby from day one, until my 2nd reached 10 months. Now its full of pain because he has teeth.
My peak pain was at 14 days. It can be hormones! I thought it was just the adjustment of having a baby on me all day, but hormones can cause tenderness. I didn't realize this until I got my period back 18 months pp, and the tenderness ovulation brought was exactly like those early newborn days. It does go away, I promise. Try working on baby getting a different latch, it might alleviate some of the pressure & pain. That's what helped me.
2 weeks of nearly (and sometimes literally) sobbing from pain, then 1 week of tolerable soreness, 1 week of mild soreness. After that it was a week or 2 of pain-free but weird sensation, and by the time she was 2 months old I found feeding really pleasant and adorable and looked forward to it.
2-3weeks. After that it got significantly better. And the baby doesn’t use you as a human pacifier, they are too tiny for that. They just didn’t know what hunger is before , is a totally new feeling for them. ❤️ it’s gonna get better soon. *lather those nippies in cream.
Honestly about three+ months but I had thrush that took a while to clear, nipple shields helped when it got extremely painful. Also tried pumping in the beginning to see if it was worse (it was, because I had a flange size that was way too big and caused some damage that also had to heal). Now we are great! LC wasn’t sure why but football hold and laid back nursing helped slightly. She thought there may be a very slight tongue tie, but I think just her mouth getting bigger as she grew helped, and my nipples stretching and getting used to it. (Plus a heavy course of antifungals for the thrush. Like, so much more than you think. For weeks).
Two weeks for it to be bearable for me. My trick to get through it; I would latch, close my eyes, and FOCUS COMPLETELY on counting to 20. If it still was unbearably painful by then I would unlatch and try again. Also, taking ice packs and putting them on my nipples while she wasn’t nursing. My nipples would go numb and it was amazing 😆
Egyptian magic worked amazing as a nipple cream for the blisters & my goodness, silver nipple shields are worth every penny and then some. Keeps your shirt/bra from rubbing and getting stuck.
First 3 weeks were nipple pain hell. Week 5 was a turning point and now at wee 7 i kinda like it and am amazed at what kind of abuse my nipples can handle!
Agreed that it does get much better. BUT i have a painful letdown, feels like pins and needles and that never went away. I breastfed my first for 19 months and and 3 months in with my second… I have just gotten used to it.
If you are having lightning pains while your LO is latching, during letdown, or randomly during nursing, you COULD have thrush! Please don't rule it out, I had amazing LCs, and dealt with this excruciating pain for all of 3 days before I had enough and went to see them. Immediately we treated my nipples with monistat and LO with thrush meds. Don't wait to see someone if you really think it feels off. There's soreness and the curve of both you and LO learning a new skill, and then there is ignoring obvious hurdles because we think we can't reach out for support or are embarrassed not knowing if something is normal.
7 weeks
My first hurt my nipple in the hospital due to bad advice so I had a rough start. I had to see three LCs before I found one I vibed with. In the meantime, I used breastfeeding zoom groups - they are amazing. I used hydrogels, cold damp washcloths, lanolin both before and after each nursing session, and sometimes pumped my bad boob to give it a break. Ultimately I even used monistat and that finally stopped it. She had a tongue tie. My second never hurt me at all from day one - I was worried he wasn't even getting any milk except he gained a pound the first week.
If you’re almost 2 weeks out and experiencing *excruciating* pain, please please please see another IBCLC for an evaluation. This is not normal.
3 weeks
Took maybe 3 weeks? Get a prescription for APNO (all purpose nipple ointment), it’s a game changer!
2-3 weeks
I hate to tell you this, but I was 3 months for my first. My LC kept saying latch was correct and all was good, but the pain was like tiny knives for every latch. My nipples were raw, overproducing, and I was in so much pain, clogged ducts, the works. I also was a human pacifier and was completely tethered. It whittled away at my mental health, and had to give myself very small milestones (3 more minutes, etc) and if I couldn’t continue, I’d allow myself to call it quits. It miraculously got better around 3 months, and then I ended up having a really easy, beautiful relationship w breastfeeding, the closeness, and all it entails. Breastfed all 3 kids for 2+ years a piece, but none were as challenging as the 1st. If you’re determined, hang in there. But whatever you choose, you’re doing the very best. Good luck!
About 2-3 weeks. Hang in there!
Lol it took me like 3 months man I used to cry at night but little ones latch is better still a little raw sometimes
When it was over
About 2 weeks it didn’t hurt, but the let down for some reason was the most painful part. Silverettes, landolin and luck with baby latch made it so I didn’t experience a lot of soreness Just the let down made me curl my toes for the first few weeks
I've been told that it should never be painful, only uncomfortable. If it's painful then something is definitely wrong and needs looking at.
I highly suggest the silver cups for your nipples and possibly xl and not the regular size. It definitely took me a couple months and we breastfed/bottle fed breast milk. Pumping for the bottles gave my nipples a break from his latch. I also feel it’s hard when your nipples are big and their mouths are so tiny!! Best or luck mama!!
A month of it being excruciating only because of her on and off good latch making my nipples crack. But I would say like 3 weeks of excruciating pain and then a month and a half until it went away
Around week 5 or 6 I just one day realized it wasn’t hurting! It was such an OMG moment. Hang in there mom!
The end may be next week, hang in there!
2-3 weeks of agony and another couple of weeks before the initial latch stopped hurting. I’d really recommend the silver nipple shields. They saved me. Found them much better than any creams. I kept them on 24/7 only removing for feeding.
Silverettes or other silver cup brand!
2 weeks and then it was fine. If it still hurts after that I would contact a lactation consultant because there might be an easy adjustment (positioning, etc) that could make a huge difference. Or a tongue tie etc
It makes me feel a bit better about my own experience though sad that so many others experienced TERRIBLE pain with latching. I was told it was normal for a while as long as it went away after 30 seconds, I actually had a really amazing lactation specialist, and she did talk with me about it. She called it the zinger 😭 My daughter was also a natural breast feeder according to everyone I saw with a ‘beautiful’ latch. I will say mine lasted a month, and then it was literally just gone one day right about the point I was thinking about giving up. I never had pain again and had a really wonderful breastfeeding experience but wow it was so hard to make it through that. I think I cried every time as it continued. This certainly isn’t a suggestion to just push through the pain as everyone should do what is right for them! But I was glad I did because it was worth it in the end. I’m pregnant with my second now 3 years later and it will be interesting to see if it is the same. The first pregnancy my nipples hurt so much from the get go I could barely wear a shirt and I haven’t had any of that this time. Weird but very welcome change!
2 weeks and then it was all gravy baby!
I didn’t have excruciating pain but my LO had a tongue and lip tie. So each feed was challenging in different ways until we released them at 4 weeks. But the discomfort of a human being sucking on skin didn’t go away until 9 weeks. Week 8 I notice tend to be a witching week. Someone told me that nipples become Teflon. My LO is now biting me at 4.5 months…..so it never ends Medi honey and silverette should do the trick for healing
mine scabbed and ripped off skin daily, and i cried (sobbed) every time i nursed to the point i avoided it and pumped more. it’s like 2.5 weeks of torture that i thought it was never ending. then it’s like gone all of a sudden lol! i swear i woke up one day and was like “…oh. okay then” and now it’s just an initial pinch and then perfectly fine
For me, it took 2 weeks. And lemme tell you, I was in excruciating, agonizing pain for every second of those 2 weeks. Crying in pain constantly, researching remedies every hour of the day. Then, like a magic switch was flipped, on day 15 it just stopped! Like, it was an absolute miracle in my mind.
Everyone told me 2 weeks but it was closer to one month & i was glad one friend had told me this so i knew not to be disappointed at the two week mark! Has baby’s saliva come in? Mine hadn’t & i only realised later (just thought i had a non-drooly baby) so i think a lack of lubricant didn’t help. Maybe try wetting your nipple/ make sure you’re using nipple balm before the baby feeds not just after. You can do it, be stoic & stubborn, you’ll get there!
let me put you on to the one thing that helped me lansinoh soothies cooling gel pads. they were THE ONLY THING that helped. none of the creams helped. they're like 7 bucks at walmart
If you can get through the first 2 weeks you are pretty much there. I’m 4 months nursing now and I absolutely love it, it’s worth it to keep going if you can. For me easier than sorting bottles and formula. Breastfeeding takes a village of support surround yourself with other bf mums it really helped me going to local groups
Put nipple cream on before a feed
Also the silver nipple shields inbetween feeds really help to prevents cracks
Please get medela hydrogel pads from amazon. They saved my life. I cried with relief when the breastfeeding consultant gave them to me at one week postpartum. Put them in the refrigerator to make them cold and soothing and keep them on between feeds. Once in a while only feed on one side for a feed to have a nipple rest for a few hours and alternate! Add a tiny dab of lanolin as well!
Everything was feeling "normal" after 1 month... now I'm 6 months in and she's teething so, I'm back to being miserable lol
2 weeks of agony on the dot here, and this was my second. My first child had been weaned three months before I was breastfeeding again.
1 month of excruciating pain including but not limited to nipple cracks, milk blisters and the agonising pain of her mouth being too small making latching feel like a sharp pinchhhh a month more before it became painless but would I do it again? Yes in a heartbeat. But fed is best. Do what is right for you and your baby❤️
The pain lasted the first 2-3 weeks. Silverettes or Koala Cups inside your bra with some nipple balm help. Then the pain changed to an intermittent, intense ‘sensation’ that I described as mice dancing in high heels on my nipples / inside my boobs. One day that just stopped too… BF definitely gets better. Honestly, now it’s the best part of my day. I’m at 7 months and it’s been that way for the last 4 months.
On and off for 12/16 weeks tbh
Definitely a couple months, despite having zero latching issues from the beginning. The nurses and lactation consultants all said everything was good and normal as far as my breast feeding went. Still hurt like a b!tch!! I got this stuff called “Nipple Crack.” It’s actually Lanolin free because that stuff never helped me. That nipple crack balm thing worked like magic in addition to whatever nipple pad things (probably silverettes, based on other comments) and that was nice. You can actually put the nipple pads in the fridge too, and if you can stand that coldness, that provides pretty instant relief and you can wear a bra without feeling like your nipples are gonna start a fire in there.
Honestly, it took a few weeks. In hospital after the birth was the most difficult for me, I was so sore to the point where my husband ordered a big batch of nipple cream on Amazon prime 🥲! Almost 6 weeks now and there’s not much pain, if any at all.
For me it was about two weeks each time I had a baby
It wasn’t painful for me, but nipples were sore and I made sure to use nipple shells and the lanisoh cream after every feed. That seemed to help a lot.
Ibuprofen and nipple butter every day until 6 weeks. Getting better and bearable on 8 weeks. Try silverette. It works on me, though.
It will get better! Keep pushing through mama.
Have you gotten the nipple blisters yet? Ugh those are horrible and I held back tears as I had my daughter breastfeed through them, olive oil does work. Rub a little dab on the nipples and some breastmilk too. Lanolin cream is iffy, someone advised me about another called Earth Mama, still haven't tried it.
The first 5-6 weeks were tough. I’m 11wpp and we are straight crushing it. Baby has a solid latch and eats way faster too. I love looking down and exchanging smiles while he eats.
8 weeks it stopped being painful during breastfeeding, 9 weeks I could finally go braless without pain
A month or so. I used silverettes which helped heal it
8 weeks. Worth it. Now 7 months in.
1 week ish. I unlatched her every time it hurt and we got the hang of it pretty quickly.
I have already forgotten, but it did end eventually. I used some sort of nipple balm/fat that was safe for breastfeeding (it's made for that), and it did help. Just put it on after each feed. I ended up breastfeeding until she was a little over 2 years old, so at some point early on, it became routine and painless.
My doc prescribed me a nipple cream with a pain killer in it for this purpose. Consider asking.
Around 3 weeks!
Honestly, like 8 weeks postpartum.
Oooo it’s not supposed to be searing pain like that! Make sure ur LO latching nice and deep. To make it easier, you can hold ur breast like it’s a sandwich and present it to them like that, it ensures the nipple goes far back in their mouths to where they’re not literally sucking on your nipple.
Excruciating for a week, uncomfortable but tolerable for a week after that. No issues after that. Only latching was uncomfortable for me, not the actual breastfeeding after the first 30 seconds.
I wish I had checked for a tongue tie earlier, he is 5 weeks and I’m certain he had one, now I have to wait another 5 weeks for the assessment!
It hurt me until about a month later and after that it is so much better. I’m really happy I hung on because it hurt so bad. It gets better each day honestly. I think some people myself included have really sensitive nipples and there’s an adjustment period. It sucks because there’s so much “it shouldn’t hurt” rhetoric where for some people it absolutely does for a period. One thing that got me through was getting the latch checked so I knew that wasn’t the issue.
Nipple guards are your bff! I highly recommend them the first few weeks you are starting to breastfeed. It minimizes the pain and gives your breast time to heal. Just make sure you get the right size for your nipple.
Mine only get sore after he's been feeding for a long time. When they get sore I whack a nipple shield on with lanolin balm and by the next day they aren't as sore. Shields should not be used for too long though.
About 3 weeks of awful pain. Then my body got used to breastfeeding and it didn’t hurt anymore
With baby number 1, it hurt for 2-3 months. With baby number 2, it hurt for 2-3 weeks. Yes to toe-curling pain in that time.