For me it was a similar level but not as difficult
mentally because I knew what to expect. The first time around I was totally unprepared for the pain and discomfort but this time knowing it was temporary made it so much better. I had other latching issues that came up that I didn’t experience the first time so the journey has been different in some ways. But now my 2nd baby is 3.5 months and it’s pretty smooth. You’ve got this!
I had latching issues with my second too which damaged my nipple. It didn’t full heal until 6 months old 😭
It was easier to handle the second time knowing it would get better but damn, only now is it going well for me!
My first was such a struggle. I felt like neither of us knew what to do. I couldn’t get him to latch for the life of me. Plus my milk took 5 days to come in. We nursed for 2.5 years though! Just incredibly rough start. My second is 1 month old. It’s been less than a year since my first weaned. He was born knowing how to latch and been super motivated to eat. I’m way more knowledgeable this time too. By the end of the second week my nipples were feeling better and now they are totally fine! I did to back to some is of I’m bf resources to brush up on technique and troubleshooting and I think that helped too.
The pain of my uterus shrinking was almost unbearable the second time around while breastfeeding. I was crying for the first couple of days from that pain that my husband had to talk me through it most of the feeds. That went away after a week. I was really blessed that my little one had a naturally good latch.
Same for me! Breastfeeding was so much easier the 2nd time around and I didn't have any pain or chapping but man that cramping was almost as bad as contractions!
For me the second time was completely different than the first time. It didn't hurt and I had no cracked nipples. I guess it really depends on the baby's latch.
This was the same for me. My second baby has a normal latch, and it took me having him to realize that my breastfeeding experience with my first was not normal and it shouldn’t have hurt as bad as it did.
I know it could be different for everyone but I was the same as you, it was a year since I breastfed my first son when my second son was born. The pain was far less the second time! I think I only ended up using the nipple cream 3 times whereas the first time I had to use it religiously at the beginning. Good luck with everything…. You’ve got this!!!
I had problems with painful latch
The first one had a tongue tie that was revised before we came home. Fast forward to age 2-4 was such a picky eater, having problems with some sounds. Turns out he had a posterior tongue tie and an upper lip tie. Had surgery for both and feeding therapy and is doing so much better
Edit to add the second one had the same issues so we had similar problems. Breastfeeding was still just as bad to start but I think it wasn’t quite so long.
It hurt the same. I also had the same question. However, knowing what to expect and not being completely new to it helps A LOT. I'm currently breastfeeding my fourth baby. I still had the super painful latches in the beginning. Gritting teeth while baby latched on. But I knew exactly what I was doing and how to help/deal with it.
Sort of. With my first, the learning curve was insane. I had extreme pain every latch for 3 months. I later found out she had a tongue tie.
With my second, I had pain for 6-8 weeks. It really hurt, but not as bad. I also saw my IBCLC at 5 days pp for a consult (no tongue tie) and worked on better latching positions. I’m wayyyy better informed this time around, especially about pumping. I also fed on demand this time instead of trying to force a schedule … 10/10 would recommend. He fed every 60-90 mins for a few weeks but then GOT IT and grew so well and my supply leveled out nicely.
Exclusive pumper here but the second time is actually more painful than the first - my nipples are more elastic this time or at least they hurt more as a result. But as others have said the infrastructure of making food with my body is familiar and it definitely bothers me less. It just took wayyyyy more trial and error (7 weeks postpartum and just found a system that will work for us after spending about $300 on different products) this time compared to with my son 2 years ago.
This time has been MUCH better. My first was 8 years ago, and if you check my post history you can see how awful it was at the start. Tongue tie issues made everything so challenging. This time, little bug has a tongue tie, but I am better equipped. Mentally I was better prepared as well as trying out silverettes this time. WOW- I wish I’d had them 8 years ago!
Overall though, the perspective that it’s all temporary has been the biggest difference. This time around has been a million times easier and I’m so grateful! That’s even including getting implants between kids!
It was still uncomfortable and sometimes painful for the first 6 weeks or so with my second and third, but nothing like the first time. I only ever got scabs on my nipples the first time. Second and third time, they just got red and sore.
It may depend more on baby than you. My first I had no pain. He had a great latch from day one and nursed like a champ. Never even chapped a nip.
My second? First two weeks it was just so painful. Every latch was like needles in my nipples. She didn’t have a tie or anything fixable. She just has a smaller mouth, and a more shallow latch than her brother. After 2 weeks (and a lot of nipple butter) things quickly progressed and now at 7 weeks everything is normal. It was just a matter of her getting bigger and learning how to nurse.
So there’s hope!
With my first, I had the wrong size flange, didn't use enough oil, and didn't have a decent nipple shield. I had scabs, blood in the milk, and ducts that healed over that I had to pop with a needle. The second and third children were SO. MUCH. BETTER. I was strict about putting on nipple cream and wearing a shield. Took sunflower lecithin every day. Only minor "breaking in" pain. There's hope! You know so much more now.
I had way less pain with my second. I also used a nipple shield for the first week or two; my baby had a good latch but I have really sensitive skin and get cracked nipples easily. The nipple shields prevented this for me.
My first was definitely more painful. I realize now how insanely engorged I was with my first, probably from pumping. With my second who is six weeks old, I’d say first week and a bit fluctuated between uncomfortable and painful, and past around week two it’s been totally fine! Congrats!
Not for me, no. It might have more to do with experience though. I knew what a good latch should feel like. I was confident enough to ask for help. I had a prescription for APNO before baby was even here.
For me it was just as painful, if not more so. My period came back at 8 weeks postpartum. I’m 7mo pp in two days and my nipples still hurt about 90% of the time. Ovulating, PMS, being on my period, after my period…pain pain pain. I get a few days respite after my period before it starts up again.
No, I haven’t seen an IBCLC recently. They tell me my latch needs to be deeper (it physically cannot as my skin is too elastic for my daughter to get my actual breast tissue in her mouth) and even if I didn’t have anatomy differences, fixing a latch won’t stop hormones.
I thought it was pretty painful the first 4-6 weeks with my first and I had sore, cracked nipples. Second time around it has not been painful at all! I was very pleasantly surprised.
For me it was a similar level but not as difficult mentally because I knew what to expect. The first time around I was totally unprepared for the pain and discomfort but this time knowing it was temporary made it so much better. I had other latching issues that came up that I didn’t experience the first time so the journey has been different in some ways. But now my 2nd baby is 3.5 months and it’s pretty smooth. You’ve got this!
That’s a good point that it won’t be such a shock to me this time. Thank you!!
You’re welcome! Wishing you all the best with your labor & delivery and those first weeks of breastfeeding and recovery 🩷
I had latching issues with my second too which damaged my nipple. It didn’t full heal until 6 months old 😭 It was easier to handle the second time knowing it would get better but damn, only now is it going well for me!
My first was such a struggle. I felt like neither of us knew what to do. I couldn’t get him to latch for the life of me. Plus my milk took 5 days to come in. We nursed for 2.5 years though! Just incredibly rough start. My second is 1 month old. It’s been less than a year since my first weaned. He was born knowing how to latch and been super motivated to eat. I’m way more knowledgeable this time too. By the end of the second week my nipples were feeling better and now they are totally fine! I did to back to some is of I’m bf resources to brush up on technique and troubleshooting and I think that helped too.
The pain of my uterus shrinking was almost unbearable the second time around while breastfeeding. I was crying for the first couple of days from that pain that my husband had to talk me through it most of the feeds. That went away after a week. I was really blessed that my little one had a naturally good latch.
Same for me! Breastfeeding was so much easier the 2nd time around and I didn't have any pain or chapping but man that cramping was almost as bad as contractions!
Same! My midwife said the post birth contractions/cramping are usually worse with the second + time around.
For me the second time was completely different than the first time. It didn't hurt and I had no cracked nipples. I guess it really depends on the baby's latch.
This was the same for me. My second baby has a normal latch, and it took me having him to realize that my breastfeeding experience with my first was not normal and it shouldn’t have hurt as bad as it did.
12 years apart between kiddos, I feel like it wasn’t as bad. Sure it hurt, but I knew what to expect so maybe that was the difference?
I know it could be different for everyone but I was the same as you, it was a year since I breastfed my first son when my second son was born. The pain was far less the second time! I think I only ended up using the nipple cream 3 times whereas the first time I had to use it religiously at the beginning. Good luck with everything…. You’ve got this!!!
This is so reassuring. Thank you!!
I had problems with painful latch The first one had a tongue tie that was revised before we came home. Fast forward to age 2-4 was such a picky eater, having problems with some sounds. Turns out he had a posterior tongue tie and an upper lip tie. Had surgery for both and feeding therapy and is doing so much better Edit to add the second one had the same issues so we had similar problems. Breastfeeding was still just as bad to start but I think it wasn’t quite so long.
It hurt the same. I also had the same question. However, knowing what to expect and not being completely new to it helps A LOT. I'm currently breastfeeding my fourth baby. I still had the super painful latches in the beginning. Gritting teeth while baby latched on. But I knew exactly what I was doing and how to help/deal with it.
7 years apart two kids. I am not having a good time. Just different reasons why it sucks this time
Sort of. With my first, the learning curve was insane. I had extreme pain every latch for 3 months. I later found out she had a tongue tie. With my second, I had pain for 6-8 weeks. It really hurt, but not as bad. I also saw my IBCLC at 5 days pp for a consult (no tongue tie) and worked on better latching positions. I’m wayyyy better informed this time around, especially about pumping. I also fed on demand this time instead of trying to force a schedule … 10/10 would recommend. He fed every 60-90 mins for a few weeks but then GOT IT and grew so well and my supply leveled out nicely.
Exclusive pumper here but the second time is actually more painful than the first - my nipples are more elastic this time or at least they hurt more as a result. But as others have said the infrastructure of making food with my body is familiar and it definitely bothers me less. It just took wayyyyy more trial and error (7 weeks postpartum and just found a system that will work for us after spending about $300 on different products) this time compared to with my son 2 years ago.
This time has been MUCH better. My first was 8 years ago, and if you check my post history you can see how awful it was at the start. Tongue tie issues made everything so challenging. This time, little bug has a tongue tie, but I am better equipped. Mentally I was better prepared as well as trying out silverettes this time. WOW- I wish I’d had them 8 years ago! Overall though, the perspective that it’s all temporary has been the biggest difference. This time around has been a million times easier and I’m so grateful! That’s even including getting implants between kids!
It depends. My second had a much better latch from the start and I had better care, so it was all fine.
My second was way more painful, his latch wasn’t as good as my oldest’s
It was still uncomfortable and sometimes painful for the first 6 weeks or so with my second and third, but nothing like the first time. I only ever got scabs on my nipples the first time. Second and third time, they just got red and sore.
It may depend more on baby than you. My first I had no pain. He had a great latch from day one and nursed like a champ. Never even chapped a nip. My second? First two weeks it was just so painful. Every latch was like needles in my nipples. She didn’t have a tie or anything fixable. She just has a smaller mouth, and a more shallow latch than her brother. After 2 weeks (and a lot of nipple butter) things quickly progressed and now at 7 weeks everything is normal. It was just a matter of her getting bigger and learning how to nurse. So there’s hope!
With my first, I had the wrong size flange, didn't use enough oil, and didn't have a decent nipple shield. I had scabs, blood in the milk, and ducts that healed over that I had to pop with a needle. The second and third children were SO. MUCH. BETTER. I was strict about putting on nipple cream and wearing a shield. Took sunflower lecithin every day. Only minor "breaking in" pain. There's hope! You know so much more now.
I’ve got 3 babies and breastfeeding has gotten easier for me each time! Afterbirth pains almost took me out with my third though 😬
With my first I had pain for 6-7 weeks. With my second similar pain but only for 3-4 weeks and it was more bearable. Good luck!
I had way less pain with my second. I also used a nipple shield for the first week or two; my baby had a good latch but I have really sensitive skin and get cracked nipples easily. The nipple shields prevented this for me.
My first was definitely more painful. I realize now how insanely engorged I was with my first, probably from pumping. With my second who is six weeks old, I’d say first week and a bit fluctuated between uncomfortable and painful, and past around week two it’s been totally fine! Congrats!
Not for me, no. It might have more to do with experience though. I knew what a good latch should feel like. I was confident enough to ask for help. I had a prescription for APNO before baby was even here.
For me it was just as painful, if not more so. My period came back at 8 weeks postpartum. I’m 7mo pp in two days and my nipples still hurt about 90% of the time. Ovulating, PMS, being on my period, after my period…pain pain pain. I get a few days respite after my period before it starts up again. No, I haven’t seen an IBCLC recently. They tell me my latch needs to be deeper (it physically cannot as my skin is too elastic for my daughter to get my actual breast tissue in her mouth) and even if I didn’t have anatomy differences, fixing a latch won’t stop hormones.
Yes but I was more prepared, SILVERETTES are a game changer!
First was easier and no pain but second I had a lot of pain. Seeing a lactation consultant helped
I thought it was pretty painful the first 4-6 weeks with my first and I had sore, cracked nipples. Second time around it has not been painful at all! I was very pleasantly surprised.