What info would you want to see on a display about breastfeeding

[LilMatchGirlInVictorianSqualor]

Have to do a display next week.

It's taken from researching several things for myself rather than one website. I looked up how much alcohol is in OJ and how much alcohol is in the blood when over the limit and when unconcious.

VS, that's sad about Medela as they're only there for breastfeeding, you'd have to really go out of your way to buy one of their bottles if you wasn't using them for EBM. Their marbles though are unmarked so if you take them out the bag you wouldn't know they'd come from there.

Carrying on with the idea of waiting 4 hours, why not write an adults food diary to show that we snack, have drinks and eat through out the day and rarely go for four hours or more? You could have a babies food diary too and just juxtapose it without an explanation, just "Mum's food diary" "Baby's food diary"

moondog, in the NNU they did space feeds four hourly, but I guess it's because they give a set amount that's worked out for the baby.

I have a picture of an upside down toddler, well we're in bed and she's kneeling by my head, but it's not very flattering so I won't share

SamJamsMum, it's not because we are BfN that we may not put all the numbers up, but more because we are trying to encourage breastfeeding in our children's centre etc. We will def consider it though.

The best bit of info I was given in the first few hours was - it does hurt when they first latch but if the toe curling pain lasts longer than a count of 10 you need to check your latch. The walnut thingie worked amazingly at our group. We asked loads of new mums to draw how big they thought a newborns stomach was then we showed them the walnut. We used their piccies on the boards at on end the the great ............ and a picture of the walnut.

How big do people think the newborn stomach is? I was always told that a persons stomach is about the size of a fist, which is bigger than the marble, but I'm sure some people think it must be bigger than that.

how bad was that last line of posting?? 'at one end then the great ..... and a picture of a walnut at the other end.

Most people drew a circle the size of the bottom of a thin tall baby bottle (not avent size).

meant to say -my last posting - lordy I need to go to bed!

Thought of something else - GROWTH SPURTS! If you don't know about these you assume you don't have enough milk and give up.

"it does hurt when they first latch but if the toe curling pain lasts longer than a count of 10 you need to check your latch."

I think that's good advice. It also lets mothers know that in the early days/weeks it can still be toe-curlingly painful even when the latch is correct and it's not that they are doing anything wrong.

juule - that makes a lot more sense than the endless 'it shouldn't hurt' vs 'it may hurt' 'oh no it shouldn't' 'oh yes it could'... advice on what sort of pain means go to your GP would also be useful.

Growth spurts - and simply getting rid of the lie that bf babies feed every 3 hours 'or maybe a bit more often at first' - wanting feeding every hour or all evening can be perfectly normal and doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.

Details of kit that may help, like Lansinoh cream, flat cushions that strap round your waist (for people who find V-shaped or ordinary pillows are too rounded where the baby needs to be), breast shells/pads, etc.

Oh yes - growth spurts - I'm sure not knowing about that led to my SIL thinking her milk was no good and eventually giving up bfing.

I get cross with professionals (especially my trainer who hasn't had children) who say breastfeeding doesn't hurt. Would you expect to go to the gym for the first time and not come away with your muscles feeling that not been used in awhile feeling? If you come away from the gym in agony you know you've done something wrong, but you wouldn't expect to feel nothing, right?

I must say the most helpful piece of advice I got was on day 3.

My milk hadn't come in yet, and the nurse who came on duty for the night shift said that this was going to be a difficult night because ds would be pretty hungry, but there was still only colostrum for him.

Because of this, I pretty much had him latched on all night doing skin to skin and he was fine. But, if I hadn't been told about this, I would have wondered what on earth was wrong with ds and possibly have ended up giving him formula.

Looking back, it was a wonderful night alone with ds for the first time (I had the ward to myself) and when my milk came in the next day, there was no burning, tingling, bursting boobs feeling and I can't help thinking that the two are linked.

Admit it is not easy! Information about Baby Cafe - an excellent organisation that really helped me learn to breast feed my son.