Breastfeeding

[FarMack]

Hi all, I want to atleast try to breastfeed my baby once it comes along but there seems to be a lot of mums discussing their challenges with latching on, sore breasts etc. Has anyone tried the Miskin Method for breastfeeding? What are your experiences (good or bad)? Are there any other methods that have helped?

[KitchenFloor]

Never heard of it.

You may be lucky: both my babies latched properly immediately and I've never had any sore nipples.

However, what is useful is a list of who to contact if it's not going well: local la leche league, local breastfeeding drop in sessions (might even be worth going to a free while still pregnant if you can), contact details for any independent lactation consultants and/or tongue tie specialists.

The one piece of advice I give all new mothers is that you should expect to do nothing but feed baby and recover from birth for the first two weeks. And make sure you have high calorie snacks and keep hydrated.
Also watch out you don't do your back in, it takes a while for your stomach muscles to regain strength, there's a reason all the books say "make sure you're sitting comfortably, and well supported"

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I’ve never heard of the Miskin Method, the only method I used was feeding the baby when it looked like it might need it

I think you need to be aware that not everyone has problems and this is a board where people will naturally gravitate to when they are having problems.

Kitchen has given you some great advice already. I’d add going along to your local Bfing Support Groups before the baby arrives. They are a great place to meet local Mums and Mums to be and have a

Put the Breastfeeding Helpline numbers in your phone and use them. No question or niggle is too small.

And have a read of Information is your Ally, Nursing your Newborn: what to expect in the early weeks and books to avoid

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Can I add one more thing please? If I’ve been looking for books on babies and parenting, I’ve always looked for books that are research based rather than one persons opinion. I’ve also looked for Authirs that have actually had babies themselves, which strangely a lot of baby gurus haven’t.

If you are looking for a good book try The Wonanly Art of Breastfeeding. If you get in touch with your local La Leche League Group they may have a small library of books which you could borrow. They may even have a group which you could go to

[littledinaco]

I’ve never heard of this, just had a quick read and there is lots I don’t agree with. (I’ve breastfed 3 DC for a long time each and tandem feed too - not saying this makes me an expect just that I’ve come across lots of different problems, etc).

From what I can see the lady classes herself as a ‘breastfeeding expect’ but isn’t actually a lactation consultant.

I would say if breastfeeding goes well, you will find your own way that works for you and your baby. No one will no your baby better than you.

If you encounter difficulties then the best advice is to see an ibclc lactation consultant. You then have the best chance of identifying the problem (often people get misadvised by midwifes, health visitors etc) and working out how to solve it.

Good luck

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

*authors. Sorry about the typos

[littledinaco]

*know

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I can’t see that she any recognised qualifications to do with Bfing either little.

[InNeedOfALieInNow]

Second the womanly art of breastfeeding

But also, please contact a local lactation consultant from the ilbc BEFORE you give birth. Just having spoken to them beforehand means that when and if you need to pick up the phone there’s somebody you already know waiting to help you. Ideally I recommend everybody sees a qualified LC after birth but I appreciate the cost may be prohibitive. Don’t underestimate the perfect storm of hormones/tiredness/people pressuring you to give formula or telling you the baby is hungry/midwives saying your latch is fine or that there is no tongue tie which can make you feel like a failure or incapable of asking for help when the time comes. Having a LC you know (even if you’ve only spoken to them on the phone) can be the difference here

[InNeedOfALieInNow]

*IBCLC fat fingers sorry

[InNeedOfALieInNow]

*IBCLC fat fingers sorry

[InNeedOfALieInNow]

*IBCLC fat fingers sorry

[FarMack]

Thanks everyone for your help & advice. Will look out for local BF groups and enquire about IBCLC.
Women in my close family have all struggled with breastfeeding, maybe this is making me more apprehensive.

[KitchenFloor]

Just found this "6. Feed according to your anatomy

Your breast size doesn’t determine how much milk you produce in 24 hours but it does influence how much milk you produce in one go. To ensure your baby gets enough milk over the course of the day you need to feed in line with your cup size to maintain a healthy supply"

Err wot?

I'm pretty small and my boobs are way bigger than a newborn stomach capacity.

I followed the "if it cries feed it" model

[MorrisDancingViv]

My advice is read as much as you can about breastfeeding and have the knowledge to help you know what is normal and what isn't. Watch YouTube videos about latching. Look at Kellymom website, go to a breastfeeding workshop.

[littledinaco]

It looks like it’s just a Mum who has breastfed sharing her experience and what worked for her (which is lovely but not really a ‘method’). I wouldn’t read it as advice.

Some of what she says isn’t really suited to a newborn. I particularly dislike her saying about keeping baby awake to ensure he is feeding effectively. There are lots of benefits to allowing baby to sleep while feeding. In some situations breast compressions are useful/effective but she writes as if they should be used as standard/every feed. For some women with a fast letdown this could be a bit of a disaster!

Agree pp Kellymom website is fantastic.

There are some brilliant breastfeeding groups on Facebook too.

Look up breastfeeding groups near you, lots of pregnant mums go along. It can be lovely to meet breastfeeding mums and if you’ve been already it’s not so daunting going with a newborn for the first time.

Nearly all breastfeeding difficulties can be sorted with the right help so try not to worry too much.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Don’t worry too much about the women in your family struggling. I come from a family where nearly every baby was on formula, bar 2 in over 40 years and we are a very big family. I just blithely ignored all their “helpful” advice and did what I thought was best for me and my baby

If you do want to BF read the books and articles suggested on here, go to the Bfing Support Groups near to you, put the helpline numbers in your phone and maybe call a Lactation Consultant but most of all develop a thick skin.

Like the PP said, you’ll probably need to relax as much as you can at home for the first couple of weeks at least. Babies are tiny with tiny stomachs that need filling often. They also, very unhelpfully, don’t know the difference between day and night.

You’ll have the pg, labour and birth to recover from plus a new baby to look after so rest up, eat well, drink plenty, watch that box set you’ve meaning to catch up on, and MN. We as a society place way too much pressure on new Mums to be up and about soon after the birth. The Babymoon Experience by Caroline Deacon talks about nuturing yourself through PG and you and your baby in the first few weeks.

As for the Miskin Method, from what’s been said on here already, it doesn’t sound like it’s based on research. I’d suggest giving the book a wide swerve

[arbrighton]

What helped for me was face to face support from the infant feeding team at our maternity unit

The local breastfeeding support group at the children's centre

Can I Breastfeed In IT (SUPPORT) on Facebook group

Supportive husband.

Time

Perseverance.

Always saying just til '................'

He was one last weekend and we're still going

[RidingMyBike]

Really not worth looking at the Womanly art of breastfeeding book - I was given it as a birthday present whilst pregnant and it was absolutely useless. It's written in a very manipulative and patronising way, makes a lot of assumptions, contains poor advice (the advice about postnatal depression was actually so bad I thought it dangerous) and really pushes one way of parenting over others. It's also very badly indexed so eg I couldn't find blocked duct under either duct or blocked. It was actually under mastitis.

It was hurled across the room in tears several times and remains the only book I have ever destroyed!

Look up the locations and numbers of local BFing support - they are sometimes held at children's centres for instance. A bumps and babes type group might be worth a visit if you have time before the baby arrives - you'll get a chance to make contacts and find sources of advice. Good luck!

[BertieBotts]

What are the problems your family members have had, if you're happy to share? Sometimes problems can be caused by poor advice or misunderstandings and sometimes there can be physical issues (which can be genetic) which can make BF harder. Having a guess at which you're likely to encounter can make it easier to avoid the same issue a or at least know what to do if they do happen.

[ICJump]

The method looks well branded but she doesn’t have an IBCLC qualification which is the gold standard really.

My top tip would be go see some women actually breastfeeding. So getting to a breastfeeding cafe or suppprt group. This will help give you some idea of the variety of ways of feeding and then if you did have an issue you know where to get help.

[troodiedoo]

I found it very easy, not everyone has a hard time of it. My advice would be feed as soon as you are able to post birth. Don't wait for a midwife or hca to tell you to try.

[FarMack]

Thank you everyone for your advice, really helpful!
I stumbled upon the Miskin Method in my research and to a BF rookie (like me) it sounded ok, obviously for the reasons you all have mentioned I'll give it a miss!
@BertieBotts my mum suffered awfully with cracked nipples and mastitis. I'm the oldest by quite a few years so I remember her struggling with pain and discomfort with all 3 of my younger brothers. One of my brothers was also tongue tied which made breastfeeding even more difficult for my mother. My aunt tried to breastfeed all of her kids (6!) with no prevail and has actually gotten quite bad scarring and an inverted nipple on one breast as a result. She also had two, if not three, babies with cows milk protein intolerance therefore all suffered with reflux as a result of the milk in her diet.
They haven't tried to put me off breastfeeding but have warned me of the things that can go wrong.
I'm so eager to get it right, reading and researching as much as I can.

[KitchenFloor]

@FarMack - those who need it swear by Lansinoh, that should help with the cracked nipples. If there is pain and discomfort please seek professional advice asap as it shouldn't be the norm.

My 1yo has CMPA, I cut dairy from when she was about a week old, reflux gone.

[Icklepickle101]

I got mastitis 5 times in 6 months, it was pretty horrendous but not enough to deter me from bf my impending arrival. Oversupply is more tricky to rectify than low supply but things like not expressing, making sure you alternate sides etc are all very helpful.

I found it quite sore for the first week or so but apparently the his is quite common as their mouths are sometimes a bit too small and can squash your nipple slightly. Any sign of trouble speak to someone but you may get on just fine

[katmarie]

I'm the first in my family to breastfeed, and at five months my ds seems to have really cracked it. My main tips are to try different holds, for us, rugby ball hold worked really well early on, but now he's bigger cradling him works better. Take your time over it. In the first couple of weeks literally all I did was feed, cuddle and change nappies. I didn't even see the inside of the kitchen for two weeks thanks to my amazing dh who kept me fed and watered. Also avoid tight bras and constructing clothing at first, I'm convinced it was a too tight nursing bra which gave me mastitis.

I stayed in the midwife led unit for an extra night and got lots of help establishing feeding, the midwives and student midwives there seemed to have more time for support than on the postnatal ward. The midwives encouraged me to ask for the support while I was there, to make the most of their expertise.

Finally don't be too hard on yourself. This is something both you and your baby need to learn, your body needs to condition to it, and you need to build up your confidence. All of that will take time, so try not to pile on the pressure, give yourself the time to get it right.