Okay, this is my experience. My son was in the nicu from about the hour he was born until 1 week. The first feeding wasn’t painful exactly- just odd being my first time, I had no idea what to expect. But it wasn’t painful and it really gets to be something you don’t notice after a few feeding unless they bite down. ( I chose formula with my first.) Pumping felt just…weird. I didn’t like it but that was the only way to get breast milk for my son. It didn’t hurt, more that I was an emotional wreck --but pumping can up your supply and allow you to build a “stockpile” of breast milk that can be frozen and used later.
I was told that if I had a cracked, or bleeding nipple, to switch breast and wear a nipple cover when feeding on that side until it healed.
If I’m understanding the wording correctly, yes, both breast produce milk-- but no, milk only comes out of the one being used by the baby. Leaking can happen if you miss a feeding or don’t pump for awhile (cue the embarassing wet nipple circle on your shirts (but they have pads to put in your bra to minimize that.)
My son had blood sugar issues from birth (very low blood sugar) so they bolstered it by giving him formula in addition to my breast milk that I pumped to keep his levels up as well as a dextrose drip through an umbilical line. Because a childs stomach is only about 5ml capacity at birth, and they gave him formula, I was fighting an uphill battle to pump and feed and produce enough to keep him full. I powered through and made it 6 mo before I gave in and switched to formula because I wasn’t producing enough period. I tried the teas, drinking a literal ton of water etc. The tea actually ruined my supply and was the thing that stopped our breast feeding journey.
Breastfeeding is a natural thing, and is better for a child. However, fed is best and there are women who don’t produce enough, or are unable to for other reasons (things like post partum depression, prior trauma etc. ) or they simply do not want to breastfeed. It’s a choice and all choices are valid.
Also, for your story-- people are SUPER JUDGY about this whole thing. There are also people who see a breastfeeding mother and think it’s obscene and should be covered up or done in a bathroom stall. it’s a whole mess in public where everyone has something to say. So, I started using a infinity cloth cover that was basically seethrough and very breathable and just ignored the rest.