Help needed those first few B/F days

[jambot]

My first baby is due in March and I would very much like to try and breastfeed. However I am working myself into a bit of a state as to how to get started during the first day or two. Every book is telling me something different.
How long should baby be feeding during first days. If she only takes a bit from one breast, should I start the next feed on this breast again or change over, etc, etc? Some tips would put me more at ease.

OMG - that sounds AWFUL! Obviously I meant with my mammoth bosom whilst feeding and not really suffocating...blimey, is that the SS at my door?!

Good advice to try & find local support. Don't really think you can learn "how" to BF from a book, i.e. the technique. Much better to see a BF counsellor who can advise on latching on etc.

I did also experience some soreness in the first few weeks, nothing unbearable, but I persevered & still going 10 months later.

Also don;t forget your baby has to learn how to do it too, & some catch on quicker than others.

Oh, and DS has never fed from both sides, only one at a time, as he was a very sicky baby & couldn;t keep more than 1 boob's worth down!

Which just shows on amounts / frequency of feeds, especially in the early days, you do have to be guided a bit by your baby. I was advised 8 feeds in a 24 hour period was right for the first few weeks.

Hi jambot. I bought a great video about breastfeeding by Clare Byam Cook from Amazon, I don't know if it's available in S.A. but get it if you can. This video is brilliant on positioning at the breast which IME is the most important thing to get right, and not something you can get from a book. I ignored all her (and evryone else's) advice on timing feeds etc. as my dd2 just stuffed herself silly for about three months, I even managed to eat my dinner whilst breastfeeding otherwise I'd have starved! As for which side to feed from, well, my dd2 only likes my right boob and gave up on th eleft after about six weeks, the nearly a year of b/feeding later that I have one boob the size of a grapefruit and one like a watermelon! But it is sooooooooooo worth it!

Jambot - good info already on here about talking to people. La Leche League is in SA - go and see them

I recommend the Kellymom site too - very good information if I remember rightly. I think it can really help to see the breastfeeding counsellor if you are in hospital after the birth - lots of midwives and HVs will tell you the latch is right even if it isn't - not out of malice, they just aren't specialists. And if it starts to go pear shaped post on mumsnet pronto and try to get a breastfeeding counsellor out to see you. Don't expect to endure a lot of pain, or to have bleeding and cracked nipples - they aren't part of the deal IME. And don't panic! My ds found sucking so soothing that he often fell asleep after a few minutes feeding and I went to extraordinary lengths to try to wake him. Complete waste of time and emotional effort. He was gaining weight and fine and that's all that matters. Also everyone feels paranoid about not having enough milk at some point - it's normal.