What helped you breastfeed successfully?

[twinklegreen]

Just out of interest, if you have breastfed a baby successfully...

Is there anything that you maybe didn't realise at the time, but on reflection really helped you to breastfeed. Can be something that you did or didn't do that helped in any way.

:)

Lansinoh for sure. I would have given up without it in the first week. Breastfeeding HURTS at first, but I was forewarned by my midwife and got a tube of this. I think not knowing that, not expecting that pain, would have made the whole thing feel wrong. That and just growing up in an environment where bfing was the norm, I remember my mum bfing my brother and sister, and from what I read here I consider myself lucky to live in an area where bfing is considered normal. When I went to visit my parents when ds was 6 months old or so I was openly stared at by strangers, unsurprisingly the bfing rates in that area are very very low.

Thanks fuckity

Lansinoh, breastshells, determination, stubbornness and the fact I found formula far too complicated and a total faff. And then... A DS who refused any form of bottle so that I had no choice. I'm still BF now and he's 21 months (never did I imagine I'd still be doing it after all this time).

Lansinoh definitely! My DD was small (6 lbs) so apparently she had a small mouth which meant even when she was latched on fine it still hurt like heck. I think after 3 or 4 weeks your nipples toughen up, then it just got easier as she got bigger.

In the first few days you feel massive, I used cabbage leaves a couple of times, which really helped, it did lead to an amusing incident when I was getting ready to go out with my DH and said "hang on a sec" and pulled out some cabbage from my bra - his face was a picture!

I had a lot of support from DH, it's really important for them to be on board too, he was really good at listening to the midwives and sometimes repeating things back to me when they'd gone, handy when I couldn't remember conversations with my baby-brain.

I got a feeding cover for when in public, and in front of my in-laws who were a bit uncomfortable at first. It means you can wear whatever you want underneath, and then lift your top up/down. I now don't use it much anymore, you eventually get really good at sorting yourself out without anyone seeing anything, though I tend to assess where I am and what the attitudes might be, i use it when we meet my FIL at his working men's club for example! Bebeaulait.com do some really lovely ones in pretty patterns, you can get them on amazon I think. I got the one with dots and my DD loves looking at it while feeding. Also it makes a good sunshade in the summer for the pram!

A few months in I bought a feeding cushion, wish I'd done that sooner, much better for your back! I got one in a C shape and DD used it when she started to sit up.

Now DD is 7 months old, she's starting to teeth and has bitten me a couple of times (!!!), I've started taking her off when I think she's starting a chewing session at the end of the feed, hopefully that will sort it. She's starting to eat finger foods, it's exciting but I think I will miss BF, it's hard work but I'm really over the moon I was able to do it.

Also don't forget (I wasn't told by the HV but it's been in the media in the last few days) - take a vitamin D supplement. I started a couple of weeks ago on a BF multivitamin and I feel less tired now.

Wow that seems like a bit of an essay - hope this helps, good luck :)

more votes for lansinoh, breast shells

supportive friends, and absolute stubbornness and refusal to purchase any formula.

Baby is 4m now and i finally think we have got it, but it as been a tricky few months, and much much harder than i ever imagined

Being very stubborn and determined.

Eating chocolate hobnobs by the bucket load!

Having my mums support

Going to a bfing support group

In that order!!!

box sets of various dvds.... I now know several episodes of futurama of by heart. I didnt appreciate the amount of time i would need to spent sat on my bum feeding with a boy attached to the boob.

and agree with biscuits- although I'd go for custard creams

Thankyou everyone :)

Online support :)

Yeah online and bf support groups, phone lines etc. Knowledge is power.

Skin to skin contact - best advice by midwife for my first born ever. Crawl under the duvet stripped off with naked baby (OK, keep nappy on!) and just snuggle. That got us started and it all just fell into place after that.

Good advice and support from family, especially my mum. Her suggestion to co-sleep was spot on for us, along with BF every time baby makes a peep

Oh and co sleeping. And not trying to get him into a routine or worrying about naps or how long he was going between feeds. I turned around the bedroom clock so I couldn't see how little sleep I was getting - throw out the clocks, exist in your own timezone, just you and the baby. Wonderful :)

(I realise this last bit may not be practical for a second+ baby...)

erm, me really. I was steadfast in my determination to succeed.

One midwife showed me how to swing ds around like a rugby ball as he favoured one boob, to con him into thinking he was on that boob.

Very very hard work, difficult and challenging. IMHO i thinkt hat this contributed to my PND such was the difficulties that i faced.

Managed tll ds was 7 months, weaned to go back to work.

Im fucking superwoman me...imho! No idea how i didnt throw myself under a bus, well it was because i was too exhausted to throw myself anywhere.

Having an understanding of how bf works really helped me keep the faith.

Also dh's unwaivering faith and support got me through the hard times. The power of having someone believing in you when you doubt yourself and your ability shouldn't be underestimated.

Cluster feeding is normal and just go with it as it gets your supply going.

Having DH on board is essential - in the early days he did everything except feeding.

The right support from mum, friends etc - you are bombarded with advice as a new mum and it can all be overwhelming. Some people can try to put you off b/f which made me more determined.

As a b/f counsellor now I have learned heaps more about the importance of the basics of skin to skin, good attachment, feeding on demand and seeking help as early as possible... I'm really looking forward to b/f DC2

Lansinoh - a bloody awkward baby that never learnt to drink from a bottle. There was also an a4 book which I got which showed latching on with photos in it which was given out free which was great.

I also rang the breastfeeding helpline with DD1 when she was about 4 months and wished I had done it sooner.

DD2 was a doddle, and to this day neither of my children have ever had formula (or managed to learn to drink from a bottle)

Agree bumblebee- DP/DH support is a must. DP was supportive in everyday, from getting me a pint of water when feeding to reassuring me I was crying with pain (tongue tie).

Breastfeeding support group/helpline

Lansohil cream

Breast pads/muslins (I had oversupply)

Kellymom.com - same as someone else said, knowledge is power!

Good luck

Determination and a realisation that if I wanted it to work I had to willing to do it as often as needed night and day for the early weeks.

Initially DD was being topped up with formula as she didn't regain her birth weight for ages and it was only by deciding to do it every hour day and night if necessary initially that got me going and allowed me to ditch the formula. Hardest thing I have ever done, but also the thing I am most proud of!

Lansinoh

Determination

A comment a friend made that just because it's painful doesn't mean you're doing it wrong!

Dh support and encouragement - learned from NCT group

Expectation that would not be easy (though was still harder than expected)

Other friends who were doing it

Believing 'breast is best'

True about it being very hard, but also making me feel very proud and productive. My body grew this baby and now my body is still growing this baby! Every bit of weight gain felt like a personal achievment.

Being essentially of a lazy character . I had no problems at all in sitting around and just feeding and snuggling DS. I truly didn't feel the need to try to carry on with housework or run the hoover round. Cluster feeding in the evenings for me was no problem as I just went to bed at 1830 and spent the evening watching TV/surfing the internet for the rest of the evening attaching and reattaching DS as needed.

Oh and getting large print books from the library helped as well as you can prop them up further away and still read.

This plan may not work so well now that DC2 is on the way and DS will be running around.

Family support (DH and DM are the most influential) and support from friends who are happy to come and visit me in the evenings because I can't go out because bfed DS won't let me stray too far! That is probably the biggest thing.

Being determined definitely helped because it is such a big commitment.

My best friend also helped guide me through positioning when I was learning to feed DD and that was a great help. Having friends who bfeed too helps.

I think realising first time around that although bfeeding is the most natural thing in the world that doesn't mean it easy and that it is a skill that you and the baby has to learn helped me through the tough times when she struggled to latch on in the small hours and I was desperate for sleep.

It is much easier second time around, I have had no issues at all this time.

Should I be taking vitamin D then?

I never used lansinoh - I didn't find it painful at all, probably because DD was a very efficient feeder from the early days and rarely spent long periods on the breast (other than a couple of memorable days around growth spurt time).

I agree with those who say determination. I was single minded about it and just decided I was going to do it. I had a crash section and DD was very sleepy when born (3 weeks early too). I stayed in hospital for 5 days for feeding support, refused visitors after day 2, plenty of skin to skin (this made a huge difference IMO) and gave Paddington bear hard stares to the couple of midwives who said I should consider giving DD a bottle because I was exhausted. I knew that she was able to latch, she just couldn't stay awake long enough to feed - which I didn't think would be helped by giving her a bottle. I knew there was no physical reason preventing feeding, it was just a case of patiently waiting for DD to wake up and want milk (which she did after 6 days, and never looked back).

Won't make a difference if you take vit D, reddaisy, but it is advised that babies over 6 months are supplemented. When DS was that age I read somewhere that 15 minutes of daily sunlight on the hands and face is enough, so I didn't bother, but not sure if research has changed since then?