new mummy to be wanting advice on breastfeeding.....

[butterfly1986]

Hey..

New mum to be, and really would love to breastfeed my baby, as I do believe its the best start for her...
I just keep thinking of how other mummys cope when your out with the baby? Maybe no facilities to breastfeed?

I have brought a breast pump, so hopefully could organise an expressed NUK bottle.... but as ive never dealt with this - I have no clue!

Im also thinking of when im returning back to work, around 6/7 months? I was hoping to have established a nice routine of a mixture of blitzed up veg/food and a milk to start and end the day?!

I know all babies are totally different, and some people may read this whilst giggling... but id love everyones advice / opinons

Thanks Girls

When you're out with your baby you find a comfy place to sit and you feed it. Take a muslin or scarf if you're shy.
Don't worry too much about weaning just now, you can think more about that nearer the time.

You don't need facilities to breast feed, you just feed them wherever you are. At 6/7 months the main food should still be milk so if you're back at work then you'll need to express some for the day or give formula.

Best thing about breastfeeding is that you can do it anywhere, just wear clothes that allow you to do it discreetly if you feel a bit shy about it. Just take it one day at a time and see how you go on when the baby arrives.

Hi Butterfly, you don't need facilities to bf, you just go ahead wherever you are. Once you get he hang of it it's easy to do discreetly and nobody will know (or if they do, they Re unlikely to see anything or be in any way bothered). In the early days, if you are more comfortable in private then lots if places like John Lewis have a feeding room.

Mother and baby groups , baby cafe etc are also very friendly places to feed.

Re going back to work, at 6 months your Baby will still need milk during the day as you will be in the early days of weaning. So you will need to either express or give formula I would think.

Re expressing, before you go back to work there is no need to unless you want or plan to leave your baby with someone else. Best of luck!

I found expressing a faff and just fed wherever. I used a muslin with a corner wrapped around my bra strap for modesty until I got more confident. No problems from anyone. Dd wouldn't take a bottle so when I went back to work at 8 months she had an am feed, one when I picked her up and a bedtime one with solids in between.
Good luck.

I didn't think I would be comfortable feeding in public but its fine I do it wherever now but if you don't then there are quite often good facilities john lewis near us has a feeding room and m and a normally have an area too. You could try breastfeeding support groups too I've never used them but heard good things.
Think the main thing is see how you go I worried before I had my dd about how I would go to groups, go shopping etc but I found my feet gradually and as I got more into the swing of feeding its second nature you don't even think about what your doing most of the time :)
Congratulations

I would recommend reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

Agree, lots of women are a little worried about bfing in public at first. One thing that helped me was Togo to a baby cafe first. Feeding in a room of other women made me realise that actually, you couldn't see anything and more often than not, it just looked like the mums were just cuddling their baby.

Also agree that by 6 or 7 months your babies main source of nutrition will still be milk with solids being offered twice a day at most so you will need to look at replacing the bfs while you are at work with either ebm or ff. A BFC will be able to talk to you about this nearer the time though

If you wait until 6 months before you start to introduce solids, there us no need to do purees, as long as you watch the salt and sugar levels you can feed them pretty much what you are eating. The Mn weaning section has some great info

Also recommend reading the womanly art of bfing and have a read of this

I thought I would never breastfeeding outside of the house but 5 months in I have done it in a doctors waiting room (post vaccination hysterics), in numerous pubs and restaurants and even in front of my dad and uncle! Always discreetly with a scarf thing. The odd expressing session gets quite laborious once the supply has settled to a level to perfectly match baby's needs. I even find myself getting quite militant at the thought of someone voicing their disgust and think things like go on, I dare you to say something if I get a doubletake from somebody. Nobody has ever done this and I've only ever had polite smiles.

I have a five week old, so just getting to grips with these things myself for real. I would say the most important thing is to try and find a local breastfeeding support group nearby. Most are happy for you to come along and say hello before you have baby which makes it feel less daunting to turn up with baby in tow. I second the comment someone made about feeding baby with other breastfeeding mums for the first time. Thats what I did, and it made me feel so relaxed about the whole thing because no-one else batted an eyelid. A support group may also be a lifesaver if you have an problems (fingers crossed you don't!) or just for advice and reassurance.

Mothercare and Mamas & Papas do nursing tops with a crossover bit which means you can fish out some boob for LO without yoinking your breast over the neckline, or exposing a wobbly post-pregnancy belly to all and sundry while you're still getting the hang of technique. It made me feel so much more confident about feeding in public, especially the first few times when you are sure that EVERYONE in the coffee shop is staring at you (they're not). There is quite a range available online.

I also really recommend The Food of Love by Kate Evans. A fantastic book, and if your brain is too addled from lack of sleep it has pictures!

If you do want to express and give an occasional bottle, I believe it's recommended not to do so until around six weeks so that breastfeeding is well established to reduce the possibility of nipple confusion.

Good luck!

Lovely post elle and congratulations

OP forgot to say, in all probability you won't experience any problems but its probably best to familiarise yourself with problems like tongue tie and to know what to expect in the early weeks

I always wear a vest with a loose top over it and pull the outer top up and the inner top down so I'm not exposing much, then I usually add a very lightweight scarf which I tuck in to my bra on one side and drape around the baby. Have had no funny looks or negative comments at all so far - I'm fairly sure most people don't even notice. It was definitely a psychological hurdle the first time I did it in public, but I do it wherever I need to now! Good luck OP - remember you have the right to feed your baby wherever it's safe and clean to do so.

I second The Food of Love by Kate Evans. Really good addition to the LLL book which is also good.

You've had loads of good advice. Feed anywhere you need to - you can be totally discreet. I haven't bothered with a muslin or scarf - I actually think it draws more attention but to each his own.

I've never has a negative look or comment. Only a few positive ones, all from old ladies.

I'm with LouiseD - In the winter I wear 2 layers on top, either a breastfeeding vest top which is basically like a nursing bra and vest in one, or a nursing bra and stretchy vest PLUS a looser top or shirt / blouse over the top. In the summer it's just a nursing bra and loose top.

To feed when I'm out I then:

1. Go to a cafe (usually), get coffee and (optional) cake

1. Find a suitable seat - preferably comfy, where you can look out at everyone (watching everyone else will make you realise they are mainly only interested in themselves or cooing at your baby) - sofas are good - armchairs not so good as they might restrict your elbow room / baby might be too long

1. Undo bra / feeding vest clip from underneath loose top ( nothing on show), lift up loose top and latch baby on, then everything covered by baby's head and loose top.

1. Drink coffee and eat cake.

I have some feeding tops and dresses with various designs but haven't found any as good as the two tops method.

The breastfeeding vests I got were from jojo maman bebe, not too expensive as they are bra and vest in one.

I found this book really useful: Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers
www.amazon.co.uk/Breastfeeding-Made-Simple-Natural-Nursing/dp/1572248610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384867820&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+laws+breastfeeding

The Kellymom website and mumsnet are invaluable too.
All the best.

I would also try breastfeeding lying down - it's great for a mid afternoon snooze!

I have a 3 month old and was really nervous about bf in public. I first did it at a bf group which gave me some confidence and made me realise you don't see anything when other people do it. The strappy top underneath with a t-shirt over the top means you can keep warm and not feel exposed. I bought breast feeding tops but never use them now as I found them a bit of a faff. It's so easy now, I go for coffee with mums who ff and they have to sit with a screaming hungry baby waiting for milk to heat up/cool down etc it's a lot easier for me!

I would say though be prepared for a few tough weeks while baby gets the hang of things I was surprised how it didn't come naturally at all and it's HARD to start with but worth it now.

Also I would advise buying a pump and bottle with something to sterilise so if baby won't/can't latch as happened to me at 2am day 3 you have at least got a way of feeding the hungry mite!!

If you get sore - get help that day as it takes no time for nipples to crack and a lot of time for them to heal!

good luck :)

Really don't bother with blitzing fruit and veg - when your baby is approaching 6 months, google baby led weaning!
Everyone else is right... you don't need facilities to breastfeed. A comfy chair and somewhere to change the baby is ideal though :)

Anna's right - the best thing you can have to improve your confidence for bf out and about are friends who are also bf - worked wonders for me. if there were 2 of us doing it I would feel bold enough to bf anywhere!