How do I start breastfeeding?

[movingmelly]

Baby is one week old. We've formula fed him until this point but it's becoming such a chore I regret not bfeeding.
Can I start breastfeeding at least at night now?
How does one go about this? Is it even possible? Thankyou!

Could you contact an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant)? They are amazing and will have the most accurate advice x

You just offer him your breast. At 1 week he will still have the reflexes and desire needed. Contact your local hospital’s breastfeeding support team if you need help, or nct’s breastfeeding support line.

Have you tried just putting your baby to your breast? Have a Google of a video of what a good latch looks like. I would think that your milk would only just be coming in around now anyway, and if you give it a go, you’ll probably get there.

It is waaaaay more convenient than bottle feeding! And I was surprised not to have any issues with both my DDs, given all I’d read on here about all the possible problems!

The Kelly Mom website isa really good source of evidence-based info about breastfeeding, including lots of helpful stuff about what’s normal.

To get your supply up, you’ll need to offer the breast as often as possible - that will stimulate your supply and soon you should be producing plenty, hopefully.

It's absolutely possible- my DS was formula fed initially as I was ill then mixed fed for another week.

Three years later I'm still BFing to sleep as he won't give up the magic boobie 😂

I second getting the help of an IBCLC consultant.

Look up some different positions for BF and find what feels comfortable for you to help with latching.
Try hand expressing, again look up techniques online. This helps to stimulate the milk coming in.
Don't be disheartened if you don't feel or see milk flowing or breasts getting heavy - it takes time for the milk factory to get up and running.
I mixed fed from birth and started BF in earnest really from 5-6 weeks so it is possible to start "late".
Congrats and enjoy your baby.

You can. At its simplest the idea is just to put baby to breast as often as you.
The booklet below has loads of info and ideas so might be worthwhile grabbing while you get into see an IBCLC
shop.breastfeeding.asn.au/?s=Induced&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1

Other people have mentioned some good links, I just wanted to offer the thought that if your can perhaps try to combination feed. Boobs are very physically convenient and it's nice not having the bottle admin, but having formulas fed one child and breast fed the other, overall I found brest feeding much, much harder personally.

When bottle feeding, I literally only did every other night, as I fully shared the job with my husband, so I was getting 7 hours unbroken sleep every other night from birth. With my breastfed baby, she's 2, still feeding and I'm yet to have a full night sleep. I've dragged myself out of bed multiple times a night with raging cold, fever, v&d, uti's, you name it, because it's all on me. She (like many other babies I know) refused bottles, hence why I couldn't combination feed her.

I'm not saying don't breastfed, far from it, if you have a desire to, that's great, and go for it. But don't do it because you want an easier life. If you've got a decent involved partner then you have the wonderful advantage of being able to share the job, have a night out with friends, have some unbroken sleep.