Learn as much as you can about breastfeeding even before your baby’s born. Talk to other nursing moms, read books to familiarize yourself, call your local La Leche League International chapter, and consider taking a breastfeeding class (offered by most hospitals) some time in your last trimester. The more you know about how to get started and the benefits of nursing, the more likely you are to succeed at it.

Key Takeaways:

• Try different holds when nursing for the first time. The football hold isn’t what we traditionally picture when we think of nursing, but it works great.
• I never doubted my ability to breastfeed, but I knew I couldn’t keep going with the pain as intense as it was.
• Focusing on the problem, using the balm, and letting my nipples air dry helped me heal within a couple of days.

““Yesterday my mom asked if I was preparing my nipples. She said it was so painful for her that she couldn’t breastfeed with my sister or me — but to be fair she had just gotten breast implants in the 70’s. Do I need to “prepare my nipples?””

http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/preparing-your-nipples-for-breastfeeding-is-that-a-thing/