For moms who choose to breastfeed their little ones, there can be countless amazing things that come along with this major decision. Not only is it precious time spent bonding with baby, but it's also a healthy and priceless gift they're giving. However, let's just get real for a minute here: Despite how wonderful nursing is (and it really is!), this sh*t is painful, hard, and sometimes pretty gross.
Now don't get us wrong; breastfeeding can be breathtakingly glamorous, of course — especially when a professional photographer is snapping away gorgeous and sentimental snapshots perfect for social media. But a majority of the time, unfortunately, it's nowhere near as beautiful or empowering, thanks to the cracked nipples, excruciating mastitis, and painfully engorged boobs that can come along with physically nourishing a growing human being.
Yep, it's true.
From nursing moms dealing with milk blebs and passing clogged ducts to fighting off thrush and being bitten until they bleed, breastfeeding simply isn't fun for everyone.
Check out these 40 gross and painful things that all nursing moms can relate too at some point during their magical breastfeeding journey.
Mastitis
This infection of the breast tissue is incredibly painful and is caused by a clogged milk duct or bacteria.
Passed Milk Clog
To deal with a plugged duct, some moms use vibration or massage to work out the blockage — and what comes out may surprise them.
Breast Abscess or Cyst
This is downright excruciating and can happen when a lump of pus forms that needs to be drained.
Itchy Boob
Some moms complain that their boobs get itchy and there's a variety of culprits that can make them want to claw their lady bits, including stretched skin or their letdown sensation.
Bloody Milk
Pumping moms might notice pink breast milk, and this can be from bleeding nipples.
Leaking Nipples
Leaking boobs can ruin outfits and cause moms to smell like sour milk.
Cracked Nipples
Little mouths can be vicious on Mom's nipples, leaving them cracked and irritated.
Dried and Crusty Breast Milk
Moms find dried breast milk all over the place, and when liquid gold turns into crust, it isn't always pleasant.
Thrush
A yeast overgrowth causes this unpleasant fungal infection in a baby's mouth that can be passed to Mom's nipple.
Chunky and Separating Milk
Breast milk will separate when it's stored, which can catch some people off guard who think it's curdled.
Milk Blister
Moms dread blebs, which are blisters that form filled with milk, because unblocking a nipple pore is zero fun.
Bloody Nipples
If breastfeeding nipples get irritated enough, they will bleed — and no woman wants that.
Breastfeeding or Pumping in the Bathroom
Nobody wants to eat where other people poop, not even babies, and moms especially don't want to express milk there.
Stringy Milk
Breast milk that looks stringy can be a sign of a clogged duct or mastitis.
Nipple Bitting
When those gummy mouths start to fill with sharp teeth, things can get seriously unpleasant.
Needing Dad's Help to Pass a Clogged Duct
When Mom needs relief passing a clogged duct, some partners might need to step in by sucking.
Breast Milk Changing Colors
A mom's diet can impact the color of her breast milk, so it can have a green, red, or orange tint depending on what she eats.
Milk Protein Allergy
Babies can be allergic to proteins in Mom's milk and cause them to get fussy or have diarrhea, if she doesn't eliminate the triggering food from her diet.
Baby Claw Scratches
Instead of thanking Mom for a delicious meal, some babes scratch away and leave their mark.
Clogged Duct Treatment
A vibrator or "massager" can help with a painful blocked duct.
Engorged Boobs
When Mom's boobs make more milk than her baby drinks, this surplus in her tatas can seriously hurt.
Curdled Old Breast Milk
It doesn't take long to figure out if breast milk has been left out too long — the nasty smell is a potent giveaway.
Lazy Boob
One boob might produce more milk than the other and become a clear favorite, while the other breast just lags behind, under-producing.
Clogged Montgomery Gland
The small glands around the nipple grow during and after pregnancy. They may look like little pimples and can get irritated from breastfeeding.
Red Swelling or Lumps
It's a fact: No breastfeeding (or non-breastfeeding) woman wants to see swollen, red patches on her breast.
Sour Milk Smell
From leaking boobs to milk spit-up and dribbles, breastfeeding can be messy — and smelly.
Breast Milk Poop
There's nothing like those blowout diapers filled with breast milk poo.
Bloody Diaper
If Mom's nipples are bleeding, baby can ingest some of it. This means that Mom might find some blood in her baby's diaper after a bowel movement.
Bloody Spit-Up
If Mom's nipple is cracked and bleeding when her baby's nursing, she might notice some blood in her little one's spit-up.
Dripping Food on Baby
Sometimes Mom and baby are hungry at the same time, which means that Mama has to multitask. But this also means that sometimes she spills or drips and baby ends up covered in Mom's meal.
Reflux
Some breastfed babies suffer from reflux when they drink milk too fast or have food sensitivities.
Vasospasm or Mammary Constriction Syndrome
This happens when the blood vessels tighten and can cause serious nipple pain during breastfeeding.
Blood Blisters
It's possible for a mom to get a blister or blood blisters on her breast, areola, or nipple, and it's just as painful as it sounds.
Uterine Cramps
Some moms experience period-like cramps while nursing because oxytocin released during breastfeeding causes the uterus to contract.
Skipping Soap
Soap can dry out or further irritate already traumatized nipples, so nursing moms may be advised to skip lathering up their boobs in the shower.
Getting Aroused From It
Nipple stimulation sexually arouses many women and some feel pleasure during breastfeeding because of this.
Foremilk Hindmilk Imbalance
The foremilk and hindmilk have different concentrations of fat and lactose, and the difference in how it looks isn't appealing to everyone.
Pus in Milk
Ah, mastitis. Not only is this infection incredibly painful, but the aftermath of it can be just nasty — like pus-filled milk.
Latch Attacks
Even when it feels like the baby's been eating for hours, hungry babies can turn into little monster sucklings. They'll latch onto anything that even remotely resembles a breast.
Gymnurstics
As babies and toddlers get more experienced on the breast, they often think they can take their milk order "to go" — something many moms have termed gymnurstics. And let's just say this doesn't always feel good for Mom.
