I haven't read all the replies, so sorry if this has been said!

Ok, don't forget when you are UTD your breasts change & your nipples get more sensitive than they would normally be. This probably isn't helping you guys right now!

There are people who can breast feed from day one with no pain, no trouble at all.

Then there are the rest of us

For me & most of my friends (but not all!) those first few weeks your nipples do get tender. But its handleable (yeah, i know).
Cracked & grazed nipples are when you will really feel pain. Toe curling, tears in eyes, brace yourself pain. If this happens you can use breast sheilds while waiting for the cracks to heal. It'll only take around 2 days to completely heal & using sheilds for only that long at a time won't hurt.

If you have cracks, you usually need to work on attatchment. Your bubba should have the areola in the mouth. Not just the nipple. & quite alot of it.
They should have their tongue out & over their bottom lip, with the lip curled down. (I know you can read this everywhere)

It can take hard work. You've not attepmted it at all before?

For me. None of my kids would've been breast fed past a few weeks if I wasn't stubborn, persistant.
I was never offered any help with my girls. I asked with DD1, but was just told 'all looks fine' That was it.
I quit with her & DD2 at 6 & 4 weeks & it played on my mind for years.

When DS came along I fought. I broke down at 6 weeks after having him on formula for 3 days & my health nurse thought to ring a lactation consultant.
That was our turn around. 23 months later I weaned him after finding out I was pg with DD3.

This time around I had the LC already lined up. It took 10 weeks do get through the issues this time (mouth shape issue here, DD3 was a smaller baby, so it took longer), but with help & support from my CHN & LC I got through it.
For the first time a bottle wasn't suggested to me at all. Which told me they weren't gonna give up on me!

Now everything is great

I'd get in touch with a LC now. Get your boobs a little bit of sun (don't burn!) & when there is leakage, make sure your nipples are dry before you put them away. You can get cracks & thrush just from them sitting in moisture all the time.



have faith in yoursel & bring out your stubborn side