Hate the thought of breastfeeding

[redneckhippy]

Hello. So I'm currently pregnant with my first baby. Breastfeeding is really important to me and something I very much want to do successfully, but I hate the thought of breastfeeding. I don't even like it when my husband touches my nipples and when I read about leaking milk and think about having someone sucking on my breast and milk coming out of them it just really sounds aweful to me. Will these feelings change when the baby comes? How do I get over that? Did anyone else feel this way before the baby came and (hopefully) felt different after? I absolutely do not want to give my baby formula, I'm just scared breastfeeding is going to be a terrible expereince.

 

[staralfur]

Yes, I felt that way. I hated having my nipples touched before I had my LO and I hate it even more now. But a baby feeding is just... different. It's hard to explain but it's not the same cringeworthy sensation as someone playing with your nipples. As she got older and her comfort sucking became lazy it did really bother me, but that's an easy fix (either re-latch or don't let them comfort suck). But even that wasn't an issue until she was around a year and a half old.

You don't really feel your milk coming out... at first you will probably feel the letdown but even when I found that to be painful I didn't find it to be uncomfortable, if that makes sense? It hurt for a few seconds but it wasn't a feeling that I couldn't handle or needed to go away to continue breastfeeding.

Once you get past the first couple of months, when your nipples have become accustomed to feeding and your letdown has calmed down and you're no longer experiencing engorgement, you probably won't feel anything at all. I would sometimes forget that my LO was latched on or forget that I had to pump until I started leaking through my bra.

 

[bumphope]

I agree with staralfur. I am not a boob/nipple person either (!!) but feeding / expressing (as I'm doing mostly) just isn't quite the same somehow.

You'll be fine

X

 

[missk1989]

Im a bit different in that i wasnt bothered about bf. I said i would have a go but that if it didnt work out i wouldnt be upset. I really enjoyed it. As pp said it is nothing like you expect and is different to people playing with your nipples.

 

[JessesGirl29]

I hate having my nipples touched and I love breastfeeding. The first bit is hard and if you can push through you won't even have to think twice about doing it. Makes life pretty easy.
For me it wasn't about nipple sensations or feeling aware of milk really being involved since you don't see much, it just felt satisfying to feed and nourish my baby you know? Not weird at all, nature makes it that way I think.

 

[mara16jade]

Yup, me. I hated, I mean hated having them touched!!! But not by baby.

 

[WanaBaba]

I felt like this too, really wanted to breastfeed but wasn't sure if I'd be able to because my nipples are so sensitive, I hate them being touched and also just the thought of breastfeeding kinda weirded me out, I thought I'd find it too weird.
But here I am 4 and a half weeks on and I Love breastfeeding my daughter (even though I have mastitis right now so it's not so fun but I know I'll get past it) and it hasn't felt weird at all not even once!

 

[redneckhippy]

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone. I thought I was just a weirdo or something!

 

[Betheney]

I was the same. The prospect of breastfeeding kinda weirded me out. I knew I wanted to do it bit everytime I looked down at my boob and imagined a face sittinf there sucking on it I was freaked out.

When she was born I was still a bit reluctant but the midwife helped latch her and it did honestly feel normal. I ended up really loving breastfeeding and she fed until she was 22 months. My son is now 21 months and still feeding.

 

[Sarah lo]

Yup, me. I hated, I mean hated having them touched!!! But not by baby.

Same here. its completely different when its your baby doing it.

Just one little thing that still bothers me is that sometimes when my LO is feeding, he plays with the nipple on my other breast, if that makes sense. He keeps rubbing it with the back of his hand (I've been told they do this because it somehow makes the milk flow faster from the one they're feeding from ) I find it not a very pleasant sensation so I just put my hand over the one he's trying to play with and its fine

 

[staralfur]

The nipple twiddling is THE WORST! I recommend you stop that as soon as it begins. I used to just let my LO do it because it would get her to sleep faster and when her fingers were really tiny it wasn't as annoying... but she's almost 2.5, I haven't let her do it in over a year, and I still have to push her hand away at least a few times per nursing session. Reeeeeally hard habit to break, apparently.

 

[Snufflepop]

I completely felt like this before dd. Would have punched anyone that even tried to tweak/twiddle/touch my nipples. However a baby feeding just doesn't feel like that so it doesn't bother me at all and I love feeding dd.

I also only nurse with one boob out and then swap sides as needed so LO doesn't get the chance to do any nipple tweaking of her own!!

 

[MommyJogger]

The sensations of having someone mess with your nipples and having a baby nurse are just so different. Once you get past the initial tenderness (which still doesn't feel as awkward as someone messing with you), it literally feels like nothing when a baby nurses, at least in my experience.

 

[BigLegEmma]

Yes, I felt that way. I hated having my nipples touched before I had my LO and I hate it even more now. But a baby feeding is just... different. It's hard to explain but it's not the same cringeworthy sensation as someone playing with your nipples. As she got older and her comfort sucking became lazy it did really bother me, but that's an easy fix (either re-latch or don't let them comfort suck). But even that wasn't an issue until she was around a year and a half old.

You don't really feel your milk coming out... at first you will probably feel the letdown but even when I found that to be painful I didn't find it to be uncomfortable, if that makes sense? It hurt for a few seconds but it wasn't a feeling that I couldn't handle or needed to go away to continue breastfeeding.

Once you get past the first couple of months, when your nipples have become accustomed to feeding and your letdown has calmed down and you're no longer experiencing engorgement, you probably won't feel anything at all. I would sometimes forget that my LO was latched on or forget that I had to pump until I started leaking through my bra.

^ This.