IM SCARED TO BREASTFEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So im not going to be going back to work after my Lil Rico is born- and i will be going to college online for a while until Rico gets a little older. So ill be a stay at home mom- so i have no reason NOT to breast feed...plus i want to, since its so much more benifical for the baby! BUUUTTTT man, people always tell me how much it hurts, and how painful it is.
So to all you xperienced moms....
is it really that bad??
and another thing... since ill be breast feeding.. what about baby formula.. will need to buy it still just not as much as i wuld if i wasnt guna breast feed.
help please =]

i do both, mostly because ethan eats more than i can produce. it does hurt for the first 2 weeks, but if you can have a baby, you can breast feed. it is soooo worth it.

as long as your baby latches on correctly you will NOT have cracked or bleeding nipples.
my son took right to breastfeeding and latched on great. yes, my nipples would get sore at first, but nothing too painful. 

I'm scared too, don't worry! If we can pop a 7 lb baby out of our hoo-ha's then we can breastfeed too!

I'm not going to lie, i tried it at first and i ended up quitting after 3 days. But you should atleast give it a try. It just wasn't for me.

I applaud anybody who makes the committment to breastfeed but would never begrudge or belittle anybody who chooses not to. From what I understand, the first few weeks are the hardest but if you can come through on the other side, it can be a very rewarding and meaningful thing for you and your baby to share. Good luck!

My started getting sore about two weeks PP but the pain went away in about..3 or 4 days..It hurts a little, but the time you get to spend together, it's SO SO worth it.

Just make sure and use the lanolin ointment! It does wonders.

I didn't think it was bad at all. Of course your nipples can get raw, just make sure you put lanolin(sp) on them to keep them moisturized.

this magazine at my docs office said to put cold cabbage leaves in ur bra to help wit the soreness... idk.. i thought it was funny... to think it goes from tissue and socks when ur little, to cabbage leafs wen ur pregnant. man.. lol

The beginning can be painful and frustrating. My nipples were dry and sore for a couple of weeks, but they toughen up... just remember that it's totally new for BOTH of you. You need to give each other time to get good at it! After the first couple of weeks it will feel like you've been nursing forever   One tip though- stock up on nipple cream. It's a god send in those first few weeks. Oh, and I used formula as well as breastfeeding, just the odd time when we were out in public, or if I was away for my daughter for a couple of hours. Good luck!

Oh yeah it hurts at first but if you can get thru the first two weeks then you will be a pro... I breastfed my son for 16 months and they will bite too when they get teeth but in the end it is all majorly worth it!!! And yes the Lanolin works wonders and does not hurt the baby!! I used it ALL the time!! hehe

i got really sore the first week, especially after the milk comes in,your so engorged its hurts to even slightly bump your hcest against something (not to mention any pressure makes you leak everywhere),and my nipples were sore, but as soon as the milk regulated a bit and afterlots of cream (lanolin is awesome) it was awesome. never hurt again and it was actually very comfortable, and sucha great bonding experience.
ok,actually, i lie, when my son was about 8 months he started biting me all the time with his new fancy teeth-and that was the end for me!  

Quoting Soon2Bmomto2:“ The beginning can be painful and frustrating. My nipples were dry and sore for a couple of weeks, but ... [snip!] ... breastfeeding, just the odd time when we were out in public, or if I was away for my daughter for a couple of hours. Good luck!”

same here, my son gets foruma every once in a while for those reasons,
and he uses enfamil lipil with iron, since that's what they started him on at the hosptial.

Quoting TRAViESITA:“ So im not going to be going back to work after my Lil Rico is born- and i will be going to college online ... [snip!] ... what about baby formula.. will need to buy it still just not as much as i wuld if i wasnt guna breast feed. help please =]”

i breastfed both my boys....it does hurt the first couple of weeks...
it does benefit the baby and u as well...i think that its more painful when you stop breastfeeding...i breastfed both til they were 2..it has been a long time since i have breast fed being my oldest will be 13 in nov...and youngest turned 10 in june...i will be doing it yet once again with this one...good luck.. 

oh yes..! I am a breast feeding mama of 4yrs strange... my son was 2 1/2 when he stopped b/c my daughter was born and took over… I thought it would be an easy transition but I was sooo wrong it still really hurt the whole first month... but it dose get better... I'm not looking forward to braking them in this time ether, but just remember it is the best food on earth for your baby… it will be like seconded nature after you both get the hang of it... take care...