I have 2 sets of these Soothies gel pads from Lansinoh and they are the BOMB!  I always have one set in the fridge so that after an extremely aggressive feeding I can put them on and just bask in the cooling relief they bring.  Seriously, these things are a MUST HAVE!

The best way to combat an infant trying to tear off a nipple is to get her level with the nipple....a nursing pillow is designed to wrap around you and place your little one level with the nipple.  I have 3 nursing pillows....one for the bedroom for at night, one in the living room for during the day, and one in the car for on the go.  It makes nursing so much easier!

This Earth Mama Natural Nipple Butter is a total lifesaver!  Hubs laughs because I actually give a sigh of relief every time I apply it!  It seems to immediately soothe on contact.  The nipple butter helps keep your nipples soft and supple for baby but it also helps with moisturization and healing.  It's completely safe for baby so keep it with you at all times.  Once feeding time is over slather some on and relax!

I HIGHLY recommend getting these Lansinoh TheraPearl 3-in-1 Breast Therapypads.  You can use them warm or cold to help relieve pain from engorgement or worse...mastitis.  I have them on hand just in case...they felt wonderful those first few days that I was plagued with engorgement from my milk coming in.  Now I have them on standby just in case an awful case of mastitis comes my way.

Just go ahead and invest the money into a great nursing bra!  I tried to go cheap and unfortunately if you're rather well endowed, like me, then you have to find the perfect bra that will give you plenty of support....which tend to be expensive.  Before I got pregnant I was a DD and now the girls have just grown out of control so I definitely need some good support.  I also HIGHLY suggest going wireless...it doesn't support as well as wires do but it will be more comfortable and you'll have a lessened chance of developing a clogged duct (yes, I speak from experience).

Two fantastic nursing bras are the Anita brand and the Bravado Body Silk.  These bras give great support and are very comfortable!  And I LOVE that Bravado customizes in larger sizes....which is a MUST for me.

Luckily at night you don't need any support but you do need something to keep the breast pads in place....unless you enjoy waking up in a puddle of breast milk...no thank you.  With Little Man my milk never fully came in like it has with Miss Jellybean (check out these tips for increasing breast milk supply) so I never experienced leakage.  Well, now that my milk is completely in-- it leaks-- all the time-- it's quite annoying-- but at least I'm making more than enough to satisfy Miss Jellybean-- so I deal with it.  Anyway, you need a comfortable sleep bra....I personally went with these super inexpensive Hanes Cotton Pull Over bras.  They're super affordable, comfortable, and do the job.

Once baby is done nursing you will want to gently dry your breast of any leftover milk.  I would gently clean the nipple and dry it before going on to the next step.  Breast milk is a great healer but I found in those first days when you're most likely to develop thrush (yeah, that's a fun thing to deal with-- it's basically a yeast infection) it's best to dry your nipples to keep any bacteria away.

Did you know that disposable breast pads have a gel in the center to absorb milk and can actually cause an allergic reaction?  Neither did I until I experienced it!  Not fun....let me tell you....I had no idea why my nipples were so sore and red....they felt like they were on FIRE.  I was checked for thrush, for a blocked duct, dermatitis, etc.  It turns out that the gel they use in disposable breast pads is the same stuff that's used in diapers and it was causing major sensitivity issues.  So I ordered these reusable breast pads and no more issues!  They're made of cotton and I can wash them in my own laundry detergent that's meant for sensitive skin.

I promise...it will get better.  Your nipples will toughen up and they won't always feel like they're about to fall off!  Just follow these tips to relieve the pain as much as possible and before you know it, breastfeeding will be as natural as drinking a cup of coffee.