Top tips for breastfeeding

[Reesie]

We all know that breastfeeding is hard work - I just thought we could share our 'top tips' mine are -

1. Learn to breasfeed on your side so you can do it in your sleep at night
2. Never make a decision on switching to ff when you are having a bad day - think 'I know I'm having a tough day with it - If I still feel like this tommorow night then fair enough!!!!' The next day never seems so bad...
3. Think every time you are breastfeeding - this milk is coming directly from the fat stores from around my hips...

Make a plan before the birth - helpline numbers, who to contact in rl if things are going wrong. What support are you going to have in terms of help with other children/housework/cooking to allow you to spend as much time just concentrating on yourself and your new baby. Get your dp prepared to have to pick up a lot of slack!

get sky+ or something similar. if you are going to be spending a lot of time on your backside you might as well have something good to watch!

Bear in mind that with the right information & support the majority of issues can be solved/prevented....so lots of "good" books like "best feeding" or "womanly art of bfing" and list of all abm, nct, lll & bfn national & local phone numbers, websites & kellymom in your faves lists on t'internet & start attending your local bfing support group(s) regularly - all done whilst pg is preferable.

A general baby feeding tip -

Have lots of gorgeous sandwich stuff in the fridge, for eating while feeding.

Bump!

have

1. the phone
2. the remote
3. a cup of tea and a biscuit right beside you

because

1. the phoen will ring
2. your favourtie prgramme will be on the other side
3. you are sitting down and might as well have a cuppa at the same time

Have something on hand to mop up the milk leaks
Have some tissues - nothing worse than your nose running and having nothing to wipe it with (other than your baby )
Find local bf sessions near you (SureStart etc) - I had one for almost all week days, that way if you're having a problem you can go to it (know that might not be easy, depending on where you live)

DONT SLOUCH
BRING baby to breast not breast to baby

god i miss breastfeedng

Dont look at the time in the early days.
Side feeding for bedtime.

Co sleep - that way everyone gets more rest.

Get a huge pile of good books and learn to feed one handed.

Think of it as your job - then you'll feel better about spending all day doing it and not getting anything else done. Well, I did anyway

If it's winter, and you want to sit up to do the night feeds, make sure you've got a shawl or a bed jacket handy.

Drink lots of water.

second the lying down tip in the OP .
Try holding your breast to give it support being told to do this turned feeding around for me and DD
'Best feeding' is a good book ... read it before you are sitting up at 3am with your baby.
Feed lots at the beginning

Massage your breasts in the shower at the first hint of a blocked duct. In fact I do it now anyway, just in case

My top tip would be that all breastfeeding mothers should be aware that sadly many health professionals know hee haw about breastfeeding and they should turn to one of the breastfeeding organisations for help and support.

Maybe one day my top tip will no longer be relevant....

1. Be prepared for it to hurt to start with, but grit your teeth and that'll pass quite quickly.

2. Buy some Lanisoh

3. To nailpolish's list, add a big bottle of water. I found I was incredibly thirsty, esp during the early months - I'd get through gallons every night.

1. Get one of these - it's the only way you can guarantee a hot drink, and the lid closes so you don't have to worry about spillage. Btw I owe this tip to the last one of these threads on here!

2. Go to your local bfing support group, even if it has only been a week!

3. It will probably hurt in the beginning, try savoy cabbage leaves fresh from the fridge to ease the pain.

4. It takes a lot out of you emotionally and physically, but keep reminding yourself that you don't have to wash up and sterilize bottles and you are saving money by not buying formula (use that money to treat yourself.

5. You need to be comfortable, at the height of the worst stage we bought a nursing glider chair from kiddicare - so worth the money!

dvd box sets. An episode was precisely the length of a feed plus burp for us. Time flew.

Get some brilliant books out of the library that you can only read at feeding times. Makes you look forward to the next instalment...!

in addition to all the other top tips..which are great and to emphasise some again

if it hurts your nipple...stick your finger in and unlatch and start again/reposition.

have water next to you...

and a watch...(all i said for weeks was 'get me a drink' and 'what time did i sit down?'...politely of course)

have something for other child/children to do,make sure they have been to loo and had their bum wiped before you start (i am assured that calls to wipe bottoms are frequent)

consciously keep your shoulders relaxed...i got bad headaches from being tense.

use a breast pump to syphon off the first couple of squirts...reducing pressure and making teh nipple a bit more manageable for littlie.

oh god and how could i forget...REMEMBER that your other boob will be silently soaking your baby if you are not prepared for it (HOW MANY TIMES DID I DO THAT?)

Ooh, and a kiddies cup with a lid and a straw then DH can feed you water while you have both hands occupied. Also v useful during labour and for drinking in the night without spilling water all down yourself!

I just biught lots of 'sports cap' bottles of mineral water. Had twelve pack under the bed my side

beansontoast

i got the other breast soaking the babies feet too

re: the drinking/incredible thirst thing...with ds my first,i would of course in theearly days be unable to spare one hand to meet my own needs during a feed...so dp would have to hold teh glass of water to my mouth...whereupon i had to signal with my eyebrows ''up up up' for more and 'down frown down' for ENOUGH!

i dont know if that quite counts as a breast feeding tip?

...and I have just discovered today that it is possible to bf a 6 month old baby whilst playing the playstation

Cazee - I have played games on the Wii whilst bfing my 2month old!!

Get a good bfing cushion and you can feed hands free! Makes eating/drinking/mumsnetting so much easier!

Gamecube best - wireless controlleer. Too many wild movements on Wii. Recommend Pikmin