Best tips for establishing breastfeeding?

[tisonlymeagain]

I know I am worrying about this early (only just 10 weeks pregnant) but I never breastfed my DCs (first, I just couldn't get the hang of it, I was in hospital for a week afterwards and there was ZERO support, second, i had a very small age gap and I just felt FF was easier).

I now have a new partner and we've discussed it and he's expressed that he'd at least like me to have a go, which I am happy to do. This is going to be my last child. I'm much older now and more confident and feel like it is something I would like to at least attempt. I'm not going to be devastated if it doesn't work out but I want to know I've given it a good shot.

Can you share your tips and tricks and words of wisdom/advice? Is there anything I can do to prepare before the birth? As in reading up on anything, buying anything I might need to make life comfortable etc. How do you get support on breastfeeding if not through the hospital or health visitor?

Thanks in advance! I'm really interested in learning as much as possible.

1. Put baby on boob OFTEN in the first few days/weeks
2. Watch videos of what a good latch looks like on YouTube beforehand
3. Have a poke around the Kellymom website to have some idea of what to expect
4. Look up whether there is a certified lactation consultant in your area and have their number ready in case you hit any snags. The first few weeks can be tough and getting proper support SOON is invaluable. Midwives and health visitors aren't always great at providing advice and support (and in my experience, helplines can be a bit "preachy" rather than offering practical advice).
5. Most importantly: don't stress about it. It's awesome if it works out, but it's no big deal if it doesn't.

Good luck!

Agree with the above and would add.

1. Eat a lot and drink a lot of water. The milk has to come from somewhere. Have a glass of water with every feed.
2. Be prepared that milk might not come in for a few days. This is normal.
3. It is normal for bf babies to lose up to 10% of birthweight so be prepared for this. If it happens to you try not to stress! I felt like a complete failure even though it’s normal.
4. Kelly mom is great. This saved me when I kept getting blocked ducts.
5. Find out now where breast feeding support meetings are in your area eg the la leche league
6. Children’s centres usually have a breast feeding drop in day. Find out now when that is.
7. Get some lanisoh cream - apply it to your nipples after every feed in the early days.
8. NCT helpline is great.
9. Discuss with dh how he can help (bringing you food and water, bringing you baby, moral support - not to be underestimated)

10. Not knowing how much baby is getting can be hard to deal with - if baby is settled, producing wet nappies and gaining weight they are good indicators it’s going well.

Good luck OP. It is hard for the first 6 weeks I’d say but the benefits are great in the longer run. The feeds speed up and your nipples will recover!

There's no such thing as feeding too much in the early days. Just put the baby on the boob at every opportunity. I remember taking my newborn to see DH family for the day and they were all formula feeders. I was there for about 4 hours and had to feed DS at least 4 or 5 times. They were all saying, he's obviously not getting enough it's not normal to feed that many times. But it is! The more you feed, the more milk you'll produce. You may feel like your baby is constantly attached to you for the first few months but it's completely normal. It's normal for the baby to lose weight after birth. Try not to worry. Mine actually both put on weight. Also don't worry about feeding to sleep. Just do it. I'm sure you've heard of cluster feeding too. For those days just get some snacks, put a box set on and enjoy the cuddles. Good luck!

I echo much of the above advice. I FF my first (DD15) but am 14 weeks into BF DS. I found that topping up DD was what ultimately led to me failing (milk never really came in) so this time I was determined that no formula would be used until I was ready to finish feeding him.
You WILL have days where you cry at totally random things (I cried because he wouldn’t let me have a bath without wanting another feed, because every time I laid him down he’d cry for more, etc) Plan ahead, stock up on snacks you can eat one handed, sports-cap drinks bottles (again one handed), find out about support groups. Try and attend support groups before baby arrives (I’ve had amazing support from our local LLL group and they have a trained leader, lending library of BF books etc) Scout out suitable places to feed in privacy/comfort while out and about, eg. drop-ins, large department stores (our John Lewis has one with comfy chairs and a water dispenser), shopping precincts. (Mothercare also have great facilities) Accept that you’ll be handing over your life to an adorable miniature dictator for the first few weeks 😂. Lansinoh will be your nipples’ new best friend. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, from experts, or family and friends. When DS was newborn I set myself up on the sofa with the tv remotes, my phone, squash, biscuits and cushions and just ‘nested’. Above all, remember ‘fed is best’ and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I’d also add that you might be told “if it hurts you’re doing it wrong / the latch isn’t right” It’s always worth getting latch checked but ime bf does hurt a bit at the start. More so with dd1 than dd2 but I think people often think they’re doing it wrong When they’re not cos of the statement “if it hurts, you’re doing it wrong”

Also the phrases “tummy to mummy” and “nose to nipple” helped me with positioning.

And finally when dd1 was a tiny newborn and I was struggling with positioning I used to wonder how the hell i’d manage when she was a chunky 6 month oId. But by then she just did it all herself so it was all v easy.

Yes to plenty of skin to skin. Your partner can be so helpful in getting you food and drinks etc as in the early days it feels like you're feeding all the time!

It does get easier though! I'm still feeding my 8 month old and I loved it!

Feed feed feed feed feed! As often as the baby wants. Cluster feeding is normal - it is not an indication of poor supply, bf babies don't need to go 3-4 hours between feeds and it's perfectly natural for baby to want to bf to sleep and for comfort as well as nourishment. The only real indicators of good supply are wet/dirty nappies and weight gain. Nothing else! Fussiness at the breast, not feeling let-downs, boobs feeling less full after the first few weeks etc. are all normal. You may also want to research safe co-sleeping just in case you find the epic cluster feeds easier to cope with in bed. The initial few weeks are a tough slog to be honest - I'd advise stocking up on box sets, easy to eat snacks and nipple cream so you can settle in with baby and focus on bf-ing. Things do improve though and once supply is established and things settle down it is lovely. Finally, if it doesn't work out - don't beat yourself up!

All good advice so far. Just remember that baby feeding all the time does not mean you don't have any milk! It's bub's way of building your supply. Just be prepared to sit in the sofa with them, with water an snacks! Go to a support group if you can, they will welcome you in pregnancy too!

Ask your midwife about what support is available. Do you have Home Start in your area? They sent me volunteers to my house to help with positioning and ran weekly breast feeding support groups. If you have a children's centre they may be able to tell you where to get support. Good luck

Excellent advice so far.
From 37 weeks you can collect collostrum (sp?) which can help your milk production.

Best of luck. It can be hard to start with but I loved it later on as I never had to take bottles/ worry about how many oz they were taking and it was free!

When people say if it hurts you're doing it wrong, they're lying. Sometimes it just hurts for 6 weeks.

Nipple shields to give your nipples a bit of a rest (don't use every feed).

Haakka pump while cluster feeding. Pump other side and immediately decant into bottle and feed to give yourself a short break.

Hot water bottle since it's not your first, afterpains will take your mind off of the nipples.

Emily Norris breastfeeding tips on YouTube - lots of good info!

When I was pregnant I read breastfeeding for dummies and it was pretty good.

Boots nipple compresses are expensive but a life saver in the early days (a free alternative to pain relief in the early days is to get your partner to wring a flannel under hot water - the hotter the better - then pass it straight to you so you can hold it on your boob for ten secs or so just before a feed).

My fiancé and I attended a breastfeeding information class for parents to be, it was run by a breastfeeding counsellor at a local support group. It may be worth researching if there's anything similar in your area.

Less is more with nipple cream - the skin needs to breathe! I spent the first week or so of my life as a mum with my boobs out loads! Only used the cream is nipples were cracked or extremely sore.

Good luck!

Go to a lactation consultant a few days after birth! Worth every penny I went one month in wish I had gone earlier.

I was so tired after having my first in hospital and a lovely midwife showed me how to breastfeed lying down. This seemed so much more comfortable as I was sore sitting. So much easier when they are little. You just have to be careful you don't fall asleep.

Sorry but everything GummyGoddess said is just wrong - it may have worked for her but is unnecessarily complicated for someone just needing to get started off right. Watch the Global Health Media video on ‘attaching your baby at the breast’, get ANY pain checked out and always ask if you are not sure things are going well.

Following....

No advice to share myself as it didn't work out for my last time but very keen to BF this time around. The Hakka manual pump has been highly recommended to me and is very reasonable price wise and great for catching letdown whilst feeding apparently 👍🏻

Good luck!!

I second the recommendation for a haakaa pump. I just recommended it by at least 3 friends and it’s fab! It collects the let down from the opposite breast you’re feeding from. I’m 8 weeks pp and I have a great stash of milk in the freezer ready for when I need it without having to sit there and pump. X

Make sure you're eating enough and drinking loads, oats are really good for helping supply (you shouldn't need them, but wouldn't hurt); look for breastfeeding support groups in your area, quite often they will have Facebook groups. It might be an idea to head to one before the birth, as everything can feel so overwhelming when baby is here, at least you won't also have the worry of the new; as much skin to skin as you can, this is lovely when you're trying to heal anyway; don't be afraid to question health professionals, my LO lost 8% of their birth weight and I was scared into switching to formula, I have since found out that this weight loss can be normal; be prepared for baby to want to be on the breast a lot in the first few weeks, but make the most of it and watch some box sets; the hospital should hopefully have someone who can help with your latch, if not, ask if they can recommend anywhere.

All the best for the rest of your pregnancy, BF can be harder than it seems and the messages from HV etc I have found to be mixed, so wish I had done what you're doing and researched it more myself.

Sorry all, just come back to say thank you so much for all you tips. Now 20 weeks pregnant and doing as much reading and research as possible ahead of time!