Right experienced bf-ers over here please!!

[StaceymReadyForNumber3]

Ok so I am 22 weeks pg with dc3. For a multitude of reasons I didn't successfully breast feed my other dcs (dd never latched even on a bottle and ds was in hosp for a while and would never go back to breast but did get ebm for a while)

So this time around I really want to bf. and I need your tips.

Also I had a lump removed from my right breast a few years ago the scar is around the top of the areola, will this impact on my supply?

The lump question is a hard one to answer but it shouldn't. Most milk ducts are in your "underboob" and it sounds like the lump was above.

What pain relief did you have for your previous births? Pethidine / Diamorphone can make the baby a bit spaced out so it loses that instinct for its first feed.

Ensure your baby is checked for tongue tie before you leave hospital

Be prepared to BF your baby a lot more frequently than you did your FF baby - especially at first when the baby is working with you to get your supply up.

I fed DS for 22 months through a variety of circumstances (including shift work). I've had over/under supply issues and have had experience with mastitus and thrush and a few other problems.

Oh we also mix fed after nine months as well.

If you have any questions about the above, I can attempt to help.

I honestly found my best help on here, and by watching Dr Jack Newman videos on YouTube about latching. There is a diagram floating around the net about how to latch properly which I found helpful. Have you a local boob group?

I had a fibroadenoid (moveable lump thingy) removed from one breast with a scar around the nipple and so had the same concern as you but it's fine - in fact that is actually DD's favourite breast to feed from!

In terms of advice, I've only fed one baby so no expert but what I found important was:

• skin to skin immediately and try to feed as soon as possible while they are still alert. After about an hour they get quite sleepy so it's harder to get them to latch. (I was told this and seemed to be true but haven't read it anywhere else).
• if it makes a noise, put a nipple in its mouth! Feed at every single opportunity you get. It's a new skill that takes practice.
• be confident and trust your body. If you expect to succeed, you are much more likely to!
• the first few days hurt so much they make your toes curl when they first latch on. Count slowly to ten. By the time you get there, it should have stopped hurting. If not, see a breastfeeding supporter ASAP.

Good luck!

I love sugarandsprite's advice

if it makes a noise, put a nipple in its mouth! I lived by this in the early months!

Also find out where your local BF support group is and start going, it's never too early! At our group we are deperatley encouraging pregnant women to come along and meet us so that we can chat about concerns before they have the baby and then if they have problems afterwards they already know us, so that it's not like ringing a random stranger IYSWIM.

longtalljosie yes the lump was above my nipple, I didn't know that milk ducts were underneath, thanks! I did have pethidine with ds but he was out in 10 minutes so didn't affect him, just me when he was about 10 mins old. But he was whisked off as there was meconium in the waters so we didn't get skin to skin.

tribble I'll have to look for a local group but do have 2 friends who are bf counsellors and have said they will help, but I'm slightly worried as baby is due near Xmas and don't want to bother people when they are dealing with their own families!

sugarandspite loving the phrase 'of it makes a noise stick a nipple in it' I remember the latching pain from ds, I didn't know it should go by a 10 count though, great advice thanks!

noodieroodie I never even thought about going before the baby was born, great tip I shall investigate and try and attend!

I am determined that I will breast feed is that positive enough?!

Just read this and now have 'stick a nipple in it' in my head to the tune of 'Put a ring on it' :)

I think you've had good advice already. Make sure you drink lots of water, snack often and take care of yourself. If you have any problems seek help quickly but don't panic. It can seem pretty bleak at 3am with a fussy baby but they learn fast and there's lots of support.

Finally - the most common problem I've heard is people thinking the baby isn't getting enough because it's feeding all the time, at times, and seems unsettled. This is really normal and is jut the baby 'putting in its order' to up your supply. I think it's really common at this stage to have well meaning friends / family waving the formula bottle but as long as there's lots of wet / dirty nappies it's all fine.

The thing at the beginning where you stick the nipple in all the time is not just learning the skill but also stimulating your supply, it's these early weeks that can help set up your long term supply.

Lastly www.kellymom.com is a fabulous resource :)

Stacey - the count of ten thing was true for myself and quite a few friends but may be different for others. The counting thing did help me focus on the fact that it was a temporary pain.

Also, if you haven't already I would do some reading on the mechanics of how breastfeeding works. Kellymom.com is a good place to start. So few midwives / doctors etc really understand it so it's better if you know your stuff.

And I have to say the if it makes a noise, put a nipple in its mouth truly truly helped us and helped me get my head around the fact that he SHOULD be feeding ALL the time in the early days. Ignore any of the 'oh she can't be hungry again' - it doesn't matter whether she is or not! If she'll even consider latching on, use that opportunity to let her practice.

Im sure it will be harder with having your older kids, but plenty of time snuggled up topless and baby in just a nappy in bed on your chest will really help when you get home too.

That philosophy was so well upheld in this house even the dog started to look nervous!

I found forcing myself to breathe out and relax all the way down to my toes helped with the latch ons in the early days. It wasn't pain for me exactly, just somewhat intense!

I admire your determination, OP, and I think that will be a really key factor. I found BF a bit of a struggle up to 6 weeks (no problems as such, just mentally quite tough) and my stubborn refusal to entertain any thought of stopping saw me through, even when I felt like I hated it. And I'm glad I stuck with it now.

On the skin to skin point, yes this is great for initial feeding, but if it doesn't happen for some reason, don't fret - just because you don't get this doesn't mean bf is not going to happen. DS was whisked straight to NICU and I didn't even touch him until the next day, and we didn't try breastfeeding until about day 3 (he was prem), but we gradually learnt together over the following 2 weeks with a very successful outcome. It just meant that I had to stimulate my own supply with hand expressing (and later with the hospital pump) until I was able to put DS to the breast.

Sorry, I know a situation like that is unlikely, but I just wanted to throw that out there to show that bf can happen even after a rocky start.

Good luck and keep talking here, as well as finding a RL support group.

Thanks for the link thisonce I shall start my research, glad I looked into this early. And relaxing into the pain/intensity of the latch, I need to make a note of all this stuff.

And be prepared to have a baby permenantly attatched to me! I shall keep that in mind (we did go through 2 weeks with ds having to wake him every hour to feed, if it's anything like that I can survive and will look back in 5 years amazed that I never throttled him joking obviously )

traandhobnobs it's nice to know it can be done even with a rocky start. And you're right this time I am very determined hopefully that will see me through the hard times!

sigarandsprite just seen the comment about the dog poor thing must have been terrified

I would say the most important things that made it work for me were:

1. Feeding on demand
2. Not expressing or mix feeding for first 6 months- makes sure supply exactly matches demand (although some people express without causing problems you do have to be careful of not causing oversupply if you want/ need to do this early on)
3. Determination in the first 4 weeks (I love the count to 10 rule)
4. Willingness to do night feeds on demand and to be glued to baby day & night for the first 4 or 5 months.
5. Learning to bf lying down and co sleeping were lifesavers for us. Google safe co sleeping if not sure...

If used to ffing you will find you need to feed much more frequently than with formula as they drink less in one go and it's very fast and easy for them to digest. Routines are really not likely to work and you may have to night feed for longer (although not necessarily) good luck! And contact a bf helpline or go to bf groups if you need to. Bf groups are lovely in fact even if you don't need any help. I go just for the tea and chat

And eventually, after the first month, it becomes such a sweet, easy, happy, cuddly thing which just gets better and better. My DS currently likes to stop and give me conspiratorial smiles and tell me things in baby babble between gulps. He will surmount any obstacles to get to my boobs and they can provide instant comfort if he is scared or upset or hurt. It has been worth the initial pain and exhaustion hundreds of times over

Thanks ladies, brain has shut down so will re-read your advice tomo and reply!

Hello, I have fed 2 dcs until age 2, with the odd bit of difficulty. What helped me was:

sheer bloody-mindedness. Never doubt for a second that you can feed your baby without any formula.

Don't take a baby that wants to feed every 20 minutes as automatically meaning something's not working. it's quite often just what they do.

feed all the sodding time. as soon as that baby starts to move, pick it up and feed it. Know the proper hunger cues, ie finger sucking, sticking out of tongue, opening mouth randomly, turning head to the side. even in sleep, they are the first signs of hunger, so feed then. don't wait till the babe's screaming for food.

don't time it. feed it when it wants it. stop when it's had enough. turn all the clocks to the wall. let your baby tell you what's right, not the clock, not anyone else.

sleep near your baby. I bed shared, I know that's not for everyone, and know your SIDS guidelines if you're thinking about it. consider a bed side cot otherwise.

hold your baby lots and lots. give it easy and constant access to the breast

Have BF friends (or family) around. if you don't know anyone, join BNF, la leche league, whoever runs groups near you. it makes it so much easier.

If it's hard or painful, get some help and remember that it gets better eventually.

enjoy it.