Nursing in general will take a toll on you. It takes work and a lot of patience. Sore, cracked nipples are no joke! You will feel like you are a milk cow that never catches a break. When you do, it doesn't last long. Here are some tips from my experiences nursing:
Lanolin or Medela nipple cream. Invest in it. Lots of it. Expressing a bit of breast milk after nursing and spreading it on nipples also helps tremendously with sore and cracked nipples.
You will leak. Invest in breast pads. Oh the embarrassment if you don't!
Invest in nursing tops/tanks/bras. This will make things so much easier for you and baby will appreciate you being able to "whip it out" quickly in appropriate attire. :)
Appropriate latch is key. It is so important, as you will be in pain for weeks if they do not latch correctly right away. Ask for a visit from the lactation consultant at the hospital (especially if this is your first time to nurse.) to make sure. Baby's mouth should be wide open and getting a good amount of breast tissue (areola) on the underside of your nipple. You'll know right away if baby isn't latched correctly. If you feel pain, remove baby right away (this may mean gently inserting your pinky finger in baby's mouth to release your nipple) and try again. Hold baby close. Get as comfortable as you can and relax (this can be the hardest part. Don't watch the clock. Don't worry about anything else. Enjoy this bonding time with your love, it doesn't last forever.).
Listen to the sound of your baby swallowing to ensure they are getting what they need. Breast feeding takes time. I had to supplement once with each of our twins at the hospital because they were struggling with latching. Specifically on my left nipple. OUCH! It still hurts 18 days later. Be sure to eat well and drink a lot of water. I have found that drinking ice cold water while nursing helps defer pain when one of the twins is latching onto my left side. Luckily now, the pain is only with the initial latch, but WOWSER, it was like someone was taking a vice grip to my nipple and trying to rip it off!
As baby(ies) start to sleep for longer periods of time, you will begin to feel engorged/full. I find this a perfect time for pumping and storing. If you can pump enough to get relief and still nurse baby when he/she wakes, go for it! I've stored quite an amount of my liquid gold already, which will come in handy when I'm ready to go get a mani/pedi in a couple weeks...or go back to work for a few days to close out the school year.
Don't feel guilty if you have to supplement. Baby needs to eat. Keep trying if nursing is something that you really want to do. After the one supplemental bottle each twin received at the hospital, they latched on without any issues and have only received breast milk since. This isn't always the case with everyone. So many people are so quick to judge and delve out the advice on how to take care of YOUR baby. It is ultimately your decision and YOU as the mommy have the final say. There are so many reasons why some women can't nurse. Don't be quick to judge others. Don't let others make you feel guilty for decisions you make on raising your child. Period.
For those of you rock star moms that are using formula, this one's for you:
(10 things NOT to say to a formula feeding mom)
http://www.mommyish.com/2013/08/07/10-things-not-to-say-to-a-formula-feeding-mom/
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