Breastfed successfully? What helped? What hindered?

[Sabire]

In my case......
What helped: DH knew as little about breastfeeding as me (ie - nothing!) with dd1, but had the wisdom to tell me to take one day at a time, was kind and loving, and NEVER suggested throwing in the towel, which would have really shaken my confidence. It took me 5 weeks to get to grips with it but I went on to breastfeed for 18 months.

What hindered: Err... knowing NOTHING, dd's tiny mouth which made latching on really hard, and DH's best friend's wife, who in trying to be helpful kept saying 'you've done really well, don't feel guilty if you stop now'. She'd stopped bf with her first at 6 weeks and never bf at all with her second. She meant well, but I think her advice was more about what was going on in her own heart than about what I needed to hear.

edam no I'm in the western bit of the midlands . I would hope that things are slightly better now at the hospital in question as they have now started the baby friendly process..but from the stories that are told at the local LLL group it doesn't look like much has changed .....they seem to have spent more money on a shiny new building rather than staff training

things that helped me with DC1 -
no-pressure approach : i'll do this for as long as it works, not if it doesnt (I went on to feed him for 10mo, and his 2 younger siblings for longer)
family members who had done it (mum and sister)
sister showing up with cake...and saying "every time you feed the baby, you have to have a drink and eat cake". what wonderful advice!!
soothing chill-out music. They still respond to the music i bf'd them to. Awwww.
did baby massage course. puts you and baby beautifully in tune with each other
Relax. no hurry, and no worries. everything else in the world must wait. it is your time with your baby.

Hindered : midwives. yes really! hopeless, the lot of them.
hospital wanting to ff my baby because he was 'jittery'/jaundiced/"not feeding for long enough"(all bu11sht)
very sore boobs with #1
blocked ducts with #2 and #3
PND and doctors saying i had to give up bf and get medication for my depression. (not true - my GP found one that i could take whilst bf)