15 Things Nobody Told Me About Breastfeeding That I Wish I'd Known

Breastfeeding burns around 500 calories per day. While it's a great way to shed baby weight, it can also drain you of energy if you don't replenish your fluids or you skip meals. So chug that water, mamas, and sneak healthy snacks whenever you can.

If you're like me, you may think that after birth is a great time to start watching your portion sizes again. Wrong! Again, since breastfeeding burns mega-calories, you will be STARVING. I find I'm just as ravenous as I was during pregnancy. Guess the diet will have to wait.

Breastfeeding can be lonely, painful, and frustrating. You may decide to stop in favor of formula feeding like I did with my older daughter. It's OK if you do, but if you choose to keep breastfeeding, you aren't alone in sometimes longing for it to just be over so you can have your freedom and body back.

Breast milk is supposed to be nature's perfect food, which is why I was surprised at first that my little guy spits his up all the time. Just because you breastfeed, your baby isn't spared potential digestive issues. Bummer, right?

My nipples have blistered, bled, and felt so sore that I cried. The worst pain is when my baby latches on when he's super hungry. Why does it feel like he's got a mouth full of teeth? Help!

Bras are only for daytime, right? Not when you're breastfeeding. Since you need to wear breast pads 24/7 to avoid leaks, it may make sense to sport a sleep bra at night. The ones I bought are stretchy and comfy, but still, I'd much prefer to let the girls free while I sleep.

The first time my baby slept for five hours, I woke up with milk-drenched nursing pads and rock-hard boobs that hurt like a mother (pun intended). I couldn't wait for my little guy to latch on and drain the pain!

My upper back, shoulders, and neck feel like they're on fire because I'm constantly hunching over to breastfeed, in addition to picking up my baby and bending to change him.

It took me many attempts to identify the best breastfeeding position for me and my baby. In the meantime, both of us got frustrated and discouraged. The good news is that once you find a position that works well, breastfeeding goes far more smoothly.

I have breastfed and worked on my computer, talked on the phone, prepared dinner, ate dinner, put an older child to bed, read to older children, helped with homework, and solved world hunger (OK, maybe not the last one). But the bottom line is that when your baby needs to eat, he needs to eat, and you can't always drop everything else. But once you rock breastfeeding and multitasking, you'll feel badass!

When babies want to breastfeed every hour, or even more frequently, it's called cluster feeding. It's hell, basically, because you have zero freedom and your nipples will start to feel like taffy from overuse.