what can you do if it just doesn't seem to be clicking

[Carriel]

A final book request.
I may end up amalgamating this with b/feeding tips for the pregnancy book - but if folks have any additional words of wisdom on cracking b/feeding problems (no pun intended) please feel free to post here too

Trust in your body's ability to do it. If you are having trouble, ask a breastfeeding counsellor for help (can't remember the number for the NCT breasfeeding hotline!). Don't ask your midwife - go to someone who's specifically trained in helping people breastfeed. My post natal midwife told me categorically I would not be able to exclusively breastfeed my 10lb 1oz son and would have to top him up with formula. I persevered and he regularly put on between 0.1 to 1lb per week.

However, if it's not working, the counsellors can't help and it's making you miserable then look at the alternatives (mixed feeding can work). It's just as important for your baby to have a happy mother.

I found watching someone else breastfeeding close up very very useful. Of course it needs to be someone you are comfortable with, but having a demo with a real live person with a real live baby (rather than plastic tits and dolls) is invaluable.

second Soupdragon's comments - I gave up B/F in the second week as it was so painful and man did I feel like the worst mother ever. I didn't realise mixed feeding was possible. After a few days my nipples healed and b/f was so beautifully painfree. So don't beat yourself up - if it's too hard then take a short break and try again a few days later. It takes longer than this for your supply to dry up and you should be able to reestablish B/F (if you want to)

Get enough rest - sound obvious but without enough rest you won't produce enough milk and your baby will be hungry and consequently feeding very frequently - don't be afraid to let your partner do the night feeds too (formula or EBM).

Don't feel any pressure to do housework - it doesn't matter that your SIL cooked a sunday roast for all the day she gave birth, you need to rest until you have cracked the b/f issue, then you can try to be supermom.

Stay in your nightclothes for the first two weeks - people are less inclined to expect you to do things if you still appear to be recovering.

so basically if you are finding things hard - rest and give yourself a break. Don't let yourself feel guilty if you end up bottlefeeding.

Message withdrawn

take it one feed at a time and be realistic about what you want. If you hate it stop and don't feel guilty. If it hurts but you want to continue get help. The NCT help line were great for me. Remember your own needs as well as the baby's, hard though that is in the early days.

Try and see beyond the first few weeks when I t may hurt or seem to take up all your time, odds are you will do all the bottle feeds anyway... so dont think that everyone will help out.