Does breastfeeding always hurt for the first week? Or few weeks?

[ToftheB]

Hello. My first baby had a severe tongue tie and bf hurt for the first week or so until it was snipped.

I've just had another baby (4 days old) and her tongue looks better (although I'm far from an expert!) and she seems to be latching better... but it's still really quite painful. Is this normal for the first few days or weeks? My breasts are tender because my milk has just come through... so maybe it will get easier after that? Or should I consider going to a lactation consultant/ tongue tie clinic for assessment?

Many thanks.

When I was expecting my first baby, I bought a paperback called You and Your Baby which suggested massaging your nipples with baby lotion or cream for a minute or so each day to get them used to being handled. I used Nivea and had no problems.