Would like to avoid the same issues I had when bfing DS

[kickingking]

expecting baby 2 in April and would like to avoid the same problems breastfeeding that I experienced first time around. Although I was a successful breastfeeder and bf for 12 months, it wasn't an easy start.

Issue 1) I had, and will be having another, elcs. I think this contributed to not being able to get in a good position for feeding and I found support during my hospital stay woefully lacking - I kept asking if I was doing it right and was flippantly told yes. I clearly wasn't and left hospital three days later with my nipples in shreds and had to use shields for weeks. What can I do to prevent this happening again? I am assuming there will no more support at the hospital than last tine.

Issue 2) over supply. I made copious amounts of milk for months with DS. In the first few weeks, I couldn't move without drenching my bra, t-shirt, baby and the sofa. I would wake up every night with soaking wet bedclothes and pjs. Breastpads did nothing to stop the river of milk. Even when DS was 3/4 months old, I used to have to go out with a spare bra and t-shirt in the changing bag because I was still having the occasional flood. So what can I do about that, if it's the same again?

I am bit sure I will have the patience to deal with either of these issues when I have a four year old to look after as well, so any advice appreciated.

I had similar problems with oversupply and also sore nipples. I think my sore nipples were caused by my breasts being so engourged that my baby couldn't latch on properly. I was in constant agony with my breasts so the point where I couldn't even hold my baby and even the weight of my duvet hurt me!. Baby found it impossible to latch on due to the constant engorgent which didn't go, even if I expressed a little and I found generally the actual feeding very, very painful. Not just the nipples but throughout the whole breast. I phoned the numbers they give you at the hospital but the advisers were next to useless and were actually really horrible to me and critical that I ended up having the express my milk as my baby couldn't latch, despite part of the problem being that I had a very small baby who got tired very easily. I also had milk gushing out of me all the time.

When I went on the have my second, unfortunately I had all the same problems. My second wasn't small but also couldn't latch once my milk came in properly. I was again in so much pain. I had to give up. I still feel very guilty and sad about it, especially as I couldn't express for long with DC2 as I had DC1 to look after as well, it just wasn't possible!

Sorry that I don't have anything helpful to say. Just wanted to tell you that you're not the only one and that I think you did very well indeed to breastfeed for as long as you did!

My milk didn't come in til the day I left hospital and my nipples were already shredded by then so I don't think engorgement was the problem. I had a big baby and don't have big nipples or very big boobs so he should have been able to latch easily enough.

Did you manage to go to any bf groups when you were feeding last time? I found mine invaluable. I'm sure if you went to a group before your second baby is born you would be able to get some advice and support from whoever is running it as well as other mums. You and your first DC mastered it last time (Congratulations on feeding for 12 months!!) and I'm sure you'll be fine this time, just get as much practical support as you can. Good luck!

My local children's centre have a breastfeeding group which I did pop along to once with DS. That was only because he was eight months and I didn't know anyone else who had bf that long!

I believe they have peer supportes so maybe I will ask if someone could come and see me in hospital or soon after?

That's a great idea, and especially convenient as with an elcs you can organise dates in advance!

That's what I thought!

One advantage of an elcs is you can organise quite a lot beforehand ;-)

i had oversupply for awhile - for me it helped if i just fed from one breast for 3 hours then switched. but not switching during feeds unless the baby drained the breast which never happened - switching too frequently can make you produce more milk. so sometimes i would go two feeds with the same breast (maybe expressing discomfort from the other) my supply settled a lot.

While I'm thinking about it, what is the best colour to hide smaller amounts of leakage? Black, I assume? I seem to remember reading dark colours with a small pattern? Never had any special breastfeeding clothes with DS as I was back in my old clothes very quickly.