More on Nipples

I am not trying to beat a dead horse here, but once you start breastfeeding nipples seem to dominate your thoughts. As I was showering today, I couldn't help but thinking about my exploits of "toughening 'em up" prior to the babe's arrival.

Even though Dr. Sear's recommends against it, after hearing many, many, many mamas share their painful nipples stories I decided to try to get ready. Approximately twice, I stood in the warm shower and tried to prepare. I would grab the berry at the tip top of my breast and pull, tug, twist until it hurt. It didn't take long. Really, just 30 seconds. I would wince and fear the future. I wasn't ready.

Spence came and the wisdom of 'toughen 'em up' seemed to be so wise. Spence would try to latch on and it would feel like he was stabbing me with a knife over and over again. I no longer wondered why many women give up on breastfeeding. I knew. How could this little toothless wonder be able to inflict such tear-causing pain? Other mamas told stories about how you could smear on wool-juice to alleviate the pain. Lie. Some advised that the pain would halt once the kiddo was "latched." Lie. I just thanked my lucky stars that I was born with flat nipples (again the private/public line is meaningless here) and could use a nipple shield or as my friend named "the party hat."

And now? Nothing. No pain. He feels like a soft scrunching. Consider my nipples sufficiently tough.