Can I ask for some breastfeeding positives please.

[Lola247]

I am due my first baby in 5 weeks and plan to breastfeed. I think I am pretty armed with information and well aware it could be awfully painful/uncomfortable/tiring to begin with. I am doing it purely because I believe it is best thing for my baby but I am dreading it. Are there any other real positives other than the health benefits for my baby? ( that being the most important obviously)! Thanks

If you dislike your in-laws you can pretend you want to feed in private and go have a nap in peace

Hey there,
I loved breastfeeding a lot! I think it is very important for bonding but also for your babies health!
After about 5 months I used[[https://organicbaby.la/collections/hipp-formula organicbaby.la/collections/hipp-formula]] in addition as my husband decided to stay at home for a few months and I started teaching some private piano lessons and playing a few concerts again.
However don't be scared and stick to it.
Breastfeeding is also very nice as you don't have to carry around a lot of stuff with you all the time ;)
Yours,
Allissi

I am going to BF as it definitely best for baby and I want to give him the best start possible. I have heard loads of horror stories but I am staying positive and going for it! Loved reading all the positive stories on here x

Please don't worry too much about breastfeeding being hard before baby is even born. It isn't always. For me it's been the easiest part of looking after a baby. The biggest positive for me is that breastfeeding always seemed to soothe my baby instantly when they were upset.

Some lovely messages on here. I am late on here, and have only read 3/7 pages but I would like to add for OP:

-natural antibiotics - My DD only really got bad colds and coughs once I stopped BF - at 3.5 years. Before that, sniffles cleared up quickly and a squirt of milk into the nose or eyes or onto the skin helped a lot (sounds yuk but is really lovely) that means more sleep and less worries for you and less medicine needed (e.g. Antibiotics which then mess up baby tummies and natural bacteria).

• helps your womb and lady bits shrink back to size, meaning that there is less exercise/yoga/kegels to do because breastfeeding hormones do a lot of this for you. Whilst breastfeeding, during the first 6 months, I often felt light squeezing pains in my womb et al which my doctor said was the womb shrinking back. Very weird, and no one had ever told me about this, but nice to have it done, plastic surgery by nature. My toga teacher also told me that if you breastfeed then most likely you won't need "rebuilding gymnastics", which is what they prescribe here very often in Europe.
• apparently you are better protected from womb/ovarian breast cancers too.

doesn't always have to be painful/horrendous inconvenience! I had one (first one) that was always unsettled, feeding constantly, really tough. Second one was like falling off a log. Seriously, he was like the Gina Ford baby, but breastfed. 5-10min feed (never any pain), totally settled, latched on like a champ, got to 98th centile by 2 weeks (having been born early and on a pretty low centile), stuck there for the first year and literally never had a problem. After his 10min max feed he would zonk off for 3 hours you could even PUT HIM DOWN sleeping, even on the bloody carpet) then he would wake up gently creaking (never cried), time for another easy feed. Honestly he was like the greatest breastfeeding advert ever.
No idea why some are like this and sometimes it's really really tough. but it can work so well - and just be really enjoyable. you could love it! you can have a go, with an open mind, and see what you enjoy, what works for you. Best of luck hope the birth is fab and congrats with the baby!!
PS travel is really fantastic - planes, trains, anything. when it works well it can be such a lovely feeling. not for all mums but often you can get a really nice feeling, from the hormones in you (associated with the process of lactation). Just see what works!!

And also this as nice inspiration too,

www.theuphill.com/breastfeeding-cant-quit-yet/

When my baby got bronchiolitis, he breast fed for comfort which meant he was getting food as well. The doctors said that breastfeeding probably is what kept him from getting worse and dehydrated because they do it for comfort when ill!

You loose weight and get to eat chocolate!