"Do I need to do anything special to prepare my breasts for breastfeeding before my baby is born?"

People used to think that you needed to toughen your nipples ahead of time. Recent research does not support nipple toughening, nipple rolling, expressing colostrum before baby is born, using breast shells, or the application of lotion or creams. In fact, some of these can actually cause soreness. There is nothing special you need to do; your nipples will adjust in the early stages of breastfeeding.