Any top tips on Breast feeding / what you wish you had known beforehand ?

[EnchantingRaven]

Hi all

I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant and hoping to ebf my LO and she’ll be our first baby.

I’m sure this is normal but I feel like I have absolutely no idea what to expect / how I’m going to cope! I’ve been reading a lot online and watched some videos on YouTube which there seems to be a lot of focus on the ‘latch’ & ensuring it’s right.

Does anybody have tips or advice of what you found useful when you just started breast feeding / getting the latch right? Is it clear you can hear the baby sucking and then swallowing? (Sorry if that’s a stupid question)

Does it hurt? I’ve read conflicting info some say it’s toe curling others not so much, is this more so down to everyone being different?

I’m also hoping to express milk so my DP can bond with her too and I can have precious sleep too!, I understand you shouldn’t really do this for a few weeks which is fine but again, any tips on how to cope with feeding on demand? Is it literally whenever she needs it so there’s no limit I can feed her? My HV came around at 28 weeks and told me it will literally feel like I’m BF all day for 8 weeks! (I’ve bought nipple cream and nipple shields incase they become sore.) I wish I asked my HV more questions but I’ve had HG throughout this pregnancy and wasn’t particularly feeling great when she was here so I’m kicking myself now.

I’m really excited to meet her but I’m really worried I’m not going to be able to get the breast feeding right! Any other tips / advice would be great too

TIA

[Celebelly]

Back to the original topic, I wish I'd been more prepared for a baby who physically couldn't latch. I hadn't considered the possibility that despite good milk supply, hours of time with midwives in hospital, the health visitor, an independent lactation consultant, I would have a baby who just was unable to latch. She's six weeks now and finally is able to latch on and feed but it's been six weeks of relentless pumping round the clock to keep my supply up, and soul-destroying trying her on breast every day with huge blisters on my nipples and a hysterical baby who wants to feed but can't manage, and then crying while I give her a bottle instead.

It's been tough but today I breastfed her in public for the first time and I felt so proud of us both. For me it was worth persevering but it can be very difficult and without my DP's support I would have switched to formula fairly quickly I think, and I completely understand and empathise with those who do as this shit is not easy.

[Celebelly]

On the alcohol topic, a glass of wine will most likely make your milk contain less alcohol content than orange juice...

evolutionaryparenting.com/guest-post-breastfeeding-and-alcohol-consumption/

This is interesting if you can get over the repeated use of the word 'mamas'

[Zippetydoodahzippetyay]

Congrats @Celebelly you did so well to push through. Hopefully you have a smoother experience from here on.

[Smotheroffive]

Yeah, rather than be specific about all the different foods, I just used the expression 'weird' as in any stuff that I didn't eat during pregnancies, would cause upset if consumed during BF, and sometimes refusal, like a pp mentioned.

There's supposed to be a link between eating foods during pregnancy and whilst whilstfor baby to get accustomed to.

[Smotheroffive]

*whilst BF (not whilst whilst!)

[BeHereNowx32]

@EnchantingRaven just struggled to get baby to latch on. So, thought I would lay her across me to check her nappy first. And she just latched on all by herself when I was even paying attention! Looks like things can get easier 😊

Hope you’re keeping ok

[NotLikeThis]

Remember it's BREASTfeeding, not NIPPLEfeeding. So much of your boob should be in the mouth too, not just your nipple. I lived breastfeeding so much, it was just one of the best parts of having a baby and I was gutted when I stopped. Enjoy every second.

[herethereandeverywhere]

Don't try too hard, if it's not working out just ff and move on. I wasted precious weeks/months and fucked up my mental health by joining in with the bf obsession. Really wish I hadn't.

[BertieBotts]

Everyone should make their own choice WRT alcohol. I do think it's beneficial to make it clear that alcohol is not a significant danger. Alcohol has a cultural role and many people feel that in moderation it is a normal part of life. If women feel that breastfeeding precludes them from having the occasional drink, and therefore serves to exclude them from what they feel is "normal life", they might be more inclined to give up breastfeeding. So it's most important that they have the evidence based info, not someone's opinion. Obviously, also, it's fine to decide breastfeeding is not for you or that you only want to do it for a particular amount of time, but it doesn't make sense to make that decision based on misinformation.

How can you remember exactly every food you have eaten during pregnancy? I've never ever heard this idea before that you must have eaten something during pregnancy to make it palatable to a baby during breastfeeding - it sounds like made up rubbish. The idea that fair haired people have a more painful time breastfeeding has been debunked in research as well - I was ignoring that one but since you singled me out specifically.

[roley]

Hydrogel breast discs from amazon.. not cheap but they honestly made the difference between me stopping and persevering.. though I appeared to have an allergy to lanolin so couldn't use Lansinoh.. I know that works for most ladies

[fiadhflower]

Reading this while breastfeeding my 12 week old. I had heard so many horror stories about breastfeeding before she was born. But it’s been (mostly) lovely for us, despite a rocky start.

She couldn’t latch at first and that was stressful. We were kept in hospital for a couple of days so getting great breastfeeding support but everyone was giving the official advice about latching. Then one nursery nurse came by and got me to squeeze the areola into a shape that would fit in my baby’s mouth and then shove it in. It was a gamecharger - my daughter was able to clamp on.

In the following days, some midwives etc told me off for doing this, but it worked for us. And we didn’t have to do it for long because she got bigger and figured out how to latch herself.

I had to use different holds for each boob for the first month because she found it harder to latch on to one compared to the other. So don’t stress if that happens to you.

Also I have small boobs and had no problems doing side feeding. It’s about how you angle your body.

Nipple cream and multimam compresses are vital. I halved the compresses and just fixed them under a nursing vest while I went about my day.

I bought nursing bras but rarely use them. Inside I use nursing vests, which I find much, much easier. I spent a lot of time at the start going around with my nipples out at home, letting them dry and air out. Having the vest on meant I could be decent in seconds of someone came by etc. And I find them easier for feeding in public - stomach is always covered.

Get some soft tops/PJs. I often just wore a baggy tshirt without a vest or bra while at home or to bed. But if they weren’t really, really soft it hurt my nipples.

You’ve never experienced thirst until you breastfeed. Get a sports bottle and have it with you at all times.

Stocking up on healthy snacks is a great idea. I was starving all the time. (I was down below my pre-pregnancy weight within a week of my baby being born. But I’ve put back on some weight now)

Deal with blocked ducts ASAP. Get in the shower and massage, use a small hot water bottle on them and use your baby to unblock.

I have the odd drink. And breastfeeding in public has been fine.

I do express. This isn’t so the dad can bond, it’s so I can get a couple more hours of sleep. I don’t think my husband would say giving a bottle was a bonding experience - he’s far more likely to point to walks with the sling, skin to skin and just playing.

Despite the problems latching, blocked ducts and sore nipples, breastfeeding has been a far more positive experience than I could ever have imagined. I wanted to nurse for the nutritional/immune system benefits for the baby. But for me, the closeness of feeding has been a brilliant experience too.

Good luck. Hope it goes well for you.

[Smotheroffive]

I'm sorry you think I singled you out Bertie I didn't, I just responded to your comments on drinking during BF.

I said there were links as to effects of drugs/achohol use on developing brains and drugs/acoholism as teens.

Your pp didn't make mention of that.

Whether you've heard of the strange food theory or not, its what medics have said that have witnessed it, I didn't just magic it up, so please don't try to minimise what I've said, as this was the answer I was given personally.

Wrt the pale versus dark areaolas/nipples theory, that was based on our large group of friends/bfers. Those with the lighter ones didn't suffer more from cracked nipples etc. Was just a coincidence then if there is research that debunks it.

[Smotheroffive]

Hugely positive experiences here too.

[RoboticSealpup]

One word. LANSINOH NIPPLE CREAM

[AssassinatedBeauty]

(that's three words...)

[RoboticSealpup]

Ok that's not one word. But I honestly don't see how anyone could bf without it.

[RoboticSealpup]

@AssassinatedBeauty

No flies on you! 😉

[AssassinatedBeauty]

Sorry... couldn't stop myself... and yes, lansinoh is great. Even though it's expensive you use so little each time that the tube lasts for absolutely ages.

[BuggertheTabloids]

I found that the other boob leaked like mad when I was feeding mine. You can get these collecting cup things that fit over your nipple under your bra (came with the expressing pump) - I would fill up one or even need a second with each feed. Seemed a shame to waste it, especially as I found expressing difficult. And saved the sopping wet bras (I would soak through the pads very quickly)

[RoboticSealpup]

Agree about the leaking! I'll get those cups next time. Not that my bottle-refusing DD would've drunk it anyway...-

[Smotheroffive]

Nope, never used the cream, but I think its great to have some of these type thing in case, and I'd forgotten about the spraying from the other boob at when feeding! Yes, collect it in things that can go into freezer.

I used freezer bags with clips with measures on really useful.
When leaking there was nothing that held it in, no amount of breast pads, t'shirts, even dressing gown, all drenched but...it settles down once baby regulates supply.

[Kbarned]

My breastmilk is just coming in but baby falls asleep after 5 mins and nothing can be done to wake him. Ticking, blowing on his face, rubbing nose. Any suggestions as I'm waking up every 30 mins to feed?

[BertieBotts]

K if you're still under midwife care ask for help. It's crucial at this stage.

To encourage a sleepy newborn, breast compressions to increase the flow, plus change their nappy in the middle of a feed. Cruel but effective. Swapping sides will often wake them up a bit too. If they are generally too sleepy to feed you want to wake them up every 2-3 hours during the day and at least every 4 hours at night as they might not be signalling hunger. Get latch checked for milk transfer, keep an eye on weight gain. Sometimes it's appropriate to top up but this should be managed. Plenty of water for mum (not essential for milk production, but very helpful).

[le42]

@Kbarned

I had a sleepy baby too. Dropped a lot of weight and took a while to put back on. I just kept trying him little and often and as PP said, change his nappy to try and wake him up before.

He started to have more and more after the 3/4 week mark I'd say.

Do you think your latch is okay?

Good luck!

[cheesemumma]

Im pregnant with dd2. I combination fed dd1. I tried exclusively bf her until 6 week checkup where the Dr said he had serious concerns about her weight gain as I wasn't producing enough milk. And I honestly believe that unless anyone has tried to bf unsuccssfully until 2 months then their milk came in, that they should not be giving--keep going your milk will come bullshit. After the scary conversation with the Dr, I gave her regular top ups. Although I still have guilt about not being able to do it, I know 100% I did the right thing for my baby. I was Miserable for the first 6 weeks. To the point now I'm dreading the newborn phase with my second.

So what I'm trying to say is, like childbirth, we'd all love the perfect earth mother birth, however please be open to guilt free change. Don't setyour hearttoo much.

I hope it works out.

P. S. I loved combo feeding and breast fed up until 19 months