There’s a lot about motherhood that no one ever tells you. People are quick to share the good (how beautiful childbirth can be, how babies are such a miracle, how much love you will feel…) They’re not lying, it’s mostly all true, but what about the less good (and downright icky) aspects of motherhood? No one tells you that most women poop when they give birth or that there will be a room full of people staring at your lady parts. And what about breastfeeding tips? No one mentions that the first time you breastfeed it might feel like someone is ripping your nipple off, and mostly, people fail to mention that it might take a lot of work to get breastfeeding right.
The good news is that, like most areas of motherhood, when it comes to breastfeeding your baby, help is out there. There are other women who have been there, fed that, and there are tips to help you through it. But where can you find this advice? According to Sally Woo, a lactation specialist, “A large number of grandmothers these days did not breastfeed, so they don’t know how to help their daughters, or they’re giving them advice that isn’t right,” reports Fox News. So we turned to some experts and some expert moms for real breastfeeding tips that can really help make it suck just a little bit less.
1. Use lanolin ointment on nipples.
Lanolin ointment—similar in consistency to Vaseline—is a non-toxic topical treatment for dry, cracked or irritated nipples. We know, the words “cracked” and “nipple” should never go together. Welcome to motherhood. Luckily lanolin soothes nipples and helps speed up healing without any toxic chemicals that could be harmful to your baby, so you don’t have to wash anything off your skin before feeding.
Read Related: 10 Ways to De-Gorge Your Breastfeeding Boobs
