Planning on Breastfeeding, how best to prepare

[JellyCurls]

I am currently 16 weeks pregnant with DC3 and again I am planning on Breastfeeding.

DC1 has special needs and no suckle instinct coupled with a very high pallet made breast feeding impossible. I expressed for 6 weeks till her health deteriorated and was put on double calorie prescription milk.

DC2 I managed to feed for about 2 weeks but he lost so much weight I gave up in the end. Got no support from MW or hv as was a second time mum. Went along to a Breastfeeding network meet but walked in to find ladies feeding 4yr olds and was a but taken aback. Hall was freezing so when they asked me to let them watch a feed I cowardly made my excuses and left. Wapping them out a week after birth in a cold hall filled with about 10 women feeding toddlers (no babies) was not what I expected.

So onto number 3 and I really as t it to work out this time. Is there anything I can do to prepare myself? Books to read? Websites to visit? Your help is much needed

Ps hope not upset anybody by being shocked at the four year old feeding

[MyNameIsAnAnagram]

Have a read of this section, and also Kellymom is a great site for general info. It's also a good idea to look up the numbers for the various helplines before hand so you have them by the phone; there is the NCT, ABM, LLL helplines off the top of my head. Sadly MW and HV support can be very patchy, which is why you may need the helpline numbers.

If you look on the NCT website they run babycafes which are for bfing mums so there might be one in your area as well, you can go before baby is born as well as after.

re books, the LLL's Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is fantastic (don't be put off by the naff name!).

Good luck :)

[EauRouge]

No, not upset at all at your shock- I would be if I'd never seen it before! Please don't think though that by going to a breastfeeding group where older children are BF that you are expected to do things in a certain way. No one will judge you for not wanting to BF that long. I BF my 4.6yo and I know it's not for everyone! All kinds of parents go to BF groups.

A good book like The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding might help you, it has all the basic info as well as a bit about special circumstances should anything come up.

If you don't want to go to another group then maybe just note down the phone numbers of local breastfeeding counsellors to take with you into hospital. You could always give them a ring before your baby arrives too to see if they have any information sheets or other resources they can give/lend you.

Kellymom is an excellent website for BF information, there's all kinds of stuff on there and links to other websites if you need something specific.

Good luck with the birth and with getting BF going :)

[EauRouge]

I was too slow!

[Wishfulmakeupping]

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0954930959/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 fab book
I went on a breastfeeding workshop ran privately cost around £50 but worth every penny
Use the hospital midwives don't worry that it's your third it doesn't matter I must have had 5 different ones checking my latch before I left and still checked with health visitor lol
And I can't say enough how fantastic the national breastfeeding support network are- twice I was ready to give up even had the formula in house ready called them and they helped with the issues I was having www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk/

And of course good old mumsnet- I'm always asking questions on the feeding thread had some fab advice :)

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Just thought do you live in the midlands at all I could send you details of the workshop of you are local?

[JellyCurls]

Thanks ladies will have a look at the links later.

wishful I am in West of Scotland but thanks for offer of group finding for me

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Might be a bit of a trek then ;) good luck

[JellyCurls]

Thanks I will look into local groups and go visit.

Think I was so shocked as kid asked her mum for a drink, so I was expecting mum to give her a cup, but when mum said ok kid proceeded to lift up top and have a drink.

I have heard that a lady I know is now a support worker for breast feeding network so going to drop by and see if she will hold my hand