1. “Just aim to make it through the first three weeks and things will get easier. (It was true.)” —Dani
2. “The assistance of a lactation consultant can make all the difference—it did for me. Breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally to many (dare I say most?) women.”—Karen
3. “Always make sure you have a tall glass of water next to you when you’re nursing.”—Claire G.
4. “A lactation nurse at the hospital told our prenatal class that breastfeeding is like dating. It’s more about the compatibility between a mom-infant pair than whether you’re doing it right or wrong. It could come easily or be more difficult, depending on the baby. She told me about a mother of seven who came in for breastfeeding help with babies one, three, and six, which I found really reassuring. No one is an expert, even seasoned moms.” —Ariel
5. “It is OK to break a latch if it’s really hurting you. It was so hard to get a good latch in the beginning, I was reluctant to break it (even when it was kind of excruciating) because I was worried she wouldn’t re-latch at all. But it led to pain, bleeding and blistering.” —Youngna
6. “My midwife gave me a tube of lanolin and told me to warm a little dab between my fingers before applying it to my ridiculously sore, cracked nipples. It really sped up healing.” —Claire T.
7. “Try nursing lying down—it’s revolutionary as far as getting enough sleep!” —Lauren
8. “A hospital lactation consultant recommended breast compressions, and boy, did that turn things around. My milk was slow and my baby would get frustrated or fall asleep, but doing compressions before latching baby on and when he got drowsy put our nursing sessions on track.” —Kim
9. “If you have a fast letdown and good supply, you may only need to feed on one side per session.”—Kalli
Read more:
7 breastfeeding tips every nursing mom has to read
Low milk supply? Tips for boosting your milk production
The best shows to binge-watch while breastfeeding