Do you NEED someone to show you how to BF?

[LittleBairn]

I've still a while to go in this pregnacy but this might be an issue I need to address sooner rather than later.

I really want to BF, I have done since my aunt I rarely saw BF her baby in front of me when I was 8. She was the only person I ever saw BF my entire childhood. No one else in my family has ever BF.

But I don't like people touching my breasts (can't even go for bra fittings) or even others looking at them up close or inspecting them.
Yet every time I read a BF artical or watch YouTube videos the 'teacher' is always touching and pulling at the breasts of the mother.

I really won't react well to someone trying to do this to me.

Can a mother and baby learn to BF successfully with being taught, or do you really need guidance?

LittleBairn, I'm so sorry about your dc1. I lost my daughter to SIDS so know that pain xx

I was shown how to feed ds1 without anyone ever touching me. Ds1's head was manoevred a couple of times but he didn't seem to mind so long as he got latched on.
The only person who did touch me was my Mum. Ds1 was feeding and feeding and she was wondering if I had enough milk. So she LIFTED my breast and said "Well, you seem to have plenty!" She made me feel like a piece of livestock!

I found bfing very easy so was lucky. I really hope it all goes well for you. If you have any issues with it, keep posting here. Tiktok is the oracle of bfing!

I was the same as you and always very keen to breast feed when I tried at the hospital they all said what a natural I was, later that night at home I found I had a massive love bite to the left if my nipple and ds wasn't latched at all! It was fiddly trying to do it on my own and about 4 days in with very sore nipples the midwife had just inspected my tear and I guess I was in a why the hell not kind if mood, I asked her to help. It was seconds of her touching and the latch was so much better, well worth it, still at it nearly 3 years later! There are also wonderful breastfeeding support groups around which I would highly recommend.

horatia

glorious lol I think we might have watched the same videos it was very specific on finger positions. I was thinking I might need to take notes.

love I'm so sorry about your daughter. As bad as loosing DS was I can't imagine the pain loosing a baby to SIDS must have been.
I'm rather glad my mum didnt BF as that's the sort of thing she would do. The only person I know who has is my MIL but she's a much more delicate person.

root that's the sort of issue I'm worried about being too fierce about protecting my space I get left too it but actually put myself in a worse position.
I hope like you I can let go and just accept its only a quick experience its for DC after all.

horatia I will look into pumps too. I'm high risk of premature labour (which I know will then throw up a whole host of other problems) so could end up pumping.
I suppose worse case scenario if I can't BF I can at least pump.

Worth a try - I know it sounds weird but I'm far more comfortable with a machine prodding at me than a hand.

Do you know anyone with a little baby that could show you? NCT groups can be good for this. Your local branch might be able to find an obliging demonstrator too.

Mw touched my breast but she asked first, and I'd specifically asked for help because I wasn't sure if I was getting ds latched on properly - he kept thrusting my breast out with his tongue. They had tried doing a hands off approach to start with, but I was getting more worried that he hadn't eaten, and just wanted him on, so when the mw offered to help hands-on I said yes and let her basically stuff by boob into ds's mouth. For ds that was all it took - once he figured that was the way to get fed there was no going back :D but it was totally my choice to be touched. Just make sure you ask for what you want, and feel confident to refuse anything you don't.

No it just worked. However I do realise I was in the minority.

I promise that no notes on finger positioning are usually required! I found The Food of Love a really helpful book for imparting information in a way that instills confidence. It looks a bit silly but there's a lot of good information there. The Womanly Art book mentioned earlier is useful, I've got it out of the library atm for info on feeding a toddler so I know what to expect, but it is long and detailed and has a fair bit of non breastfeeding info in it, so has quite a different feel. Both would be ideal or pick whichever speaks to you more