rachel just because you are young doesn't mean breastfeeding couldn't be for you. My sister has 4 children, her first was born when she was only 17, and she breastfed all of hers. Admittedly not as long as i fed my DS, but she did a minimum 6 months with them all, and i think it was closer to the 9 month mark before she stopped, and that was fear of teeth rather than anything else! I don't think it matters how old you are, any first time mum will have the same worries as the next, but you just need to trust yourself and your baby, and your baby will want to be fed, they don't hang about, and if you need any support or reassurance, then ask the staff at the hospital, there will be lots of breastfeeding experts who can help you if you aren't sure over that (or anything else at all baby related!)
Re changing bags, well last time i had a very cheap one from kiddicare, cost about £8, but i needed something big enough for a 22 month old who still has reflux and a newborn and everything that they need plus enough space for my clutter, and DP has very very kindly bought me a Ju ju be be prepared. We watched a video on youtube and were sold by just how much the woman unpacked from one. Decided on black/silver (more manly for when DP carries it :) ). But struck lucky and someone was selling one on ebay, as new, but for nearly £40 less than the usual price they sell for in the UK (there was a website i found selling them as a back up called jellybeangorup.co.uk and i couldn't find any cheaper). It arrived today and i am very pleased with it. It really does feel good quality and it should easily last us through the 4 DC's we want in total, and should be a good bag for the hospital and as a overnight/weekend bag. Very much looking forward to packing it now!! My mom would have a fit if she knew how expensive it was, but we barely needed to buy anything this time round, so its my treat! (courtesy of DP) Just looking at getting a musical swing, and think that might be about it now.
twizzle we didn't need to take anything for ours when we were having DS, and drinks and biscuits were provided. Echoing other comments, NCT was great for making friends, but take some of the course content with a pinch of salt. On ours they never covered any issues, and made us all think breastfeeding is easy and only hurts if you are doing it wrong. Which i disagree with! i think you should expect it to hurt to start with, but that it not last and then it will be highly enjoyable. And ours never really covered enough on CS, as none of us on our course was wanting a CS....however i ended up with an EMCS and it would have been most helpful if they had actually covered more on CS's and recovery as part of the course.
tinker i am with you 100% re your breastfeeding comments. Trouble is i don't think the NHS has enough resources to educate people on how it actually works, and that it is normal for a baby to suckle for the heck of it, to effectively put their order in for more milk for the future days. I also heard one person say how she had tried to express, and it started to come out looking like dishwater, so she decided she wasn't making proper milk and her child would be better off with formula....when if she had just kept expressing she would have realised that it would have then come out like milk, and that it's only the first bit that is thinner/watery. She was gutted when it was explained to her by the health visitor (she'd already quit by then so had to stick with formula).
am988 i'm with you on the tiredness. DS just turned 20 months, and he is an absolute angel but he is wearing me out beyond belief. I am so tired, and yet when i go to bed, ruddy pregnancy insomnia kicks in. I haven't had a solid nights sleep since before BFP and to top it all, i came down with a vomiting bug on sunday, so have barely had any sleep the last 2 nights, and DP came down with it last night too, so i woke 3 times to hear him leaving our room, 3 times him coming back in, once DS crying out in the night, plus whatever times i woke of my own accord as still feeling rough myself. Not actually been sick since Sunday night, but barely eaten anything and feel rough everytime i eat or drink something. All i kept down on Sunday was half a sandwich. Yesterday wasn't great either. And so far today i've eaten half a bacon sandwich and 2/3 a muiller rice. About to attempt something else. Wish me luck!!