Breastfeeding

[user1487776842]

Hi ladies, I'm 35+4 now and plan on feeding dd myself when she arrives, anyone have and tips that may make it a little easier? I also have a 4 and a 2 year old and on my own majority of the time as my Mr works away. Thank you :)

One thing that would definitely help is getting a decent sling and learning to feed the baby while they are in it. The sling will also help with naps and freeing your hands up generally for playing etc.

Yes make sure you read up about it a lot beforehand so you don't get freaked out by normal behaviours like cluster feeding. BF babies feed a LOT both day and night.

Thanks ladies, I have bought a wrap that can also be used as a sling :) I haven't been able to find a great deal of information online hence posting on here, I have a midwife appointment next week so may speak to her about it all . She may have some leaflets or something I can have a read through :)

I would get all the details you can for breastfeeding support - cafes, lactation consultants, nct helpline. Hopefully your midwife can help.

Also, if you have any close friends or family members who fed their baby, they might be happy to help in the early days. My sister was a great help.

A water bottle - I was ridiculously thirsty and it was easier to keep a bottle with me. Also, snacks. Stock up!

Someone also suggested that I put together baskets of activities/ books for my DS to play with to keep him occupied when #2 arrives and I am tied up feeding.

If you're on Facebook join 'can I breastfeed in it' and the cibii off-topic group for great support and advice.

Invest in dvds or suitable TV channels to have bf time as snuggle on the sofa time for all dc together!! Worked when I had 3 under 3!!

I think the difficulty you might have is being able to breast feed with your othe children around as they are very little still. I managed because my older son was 3/4 and eas quite happy to use his tablet whilst I fed.

I meant to add that being able to feed the baby in a sling does sound like a very good idea.

Just keep offering the breast, if baby starts to cry it means they are REALLY hungry and can be harder to get a good latch. Look for feeding cues like pouting, opening their mouth, and respond asap. Baby might feed for an hour or five minutes. Only way to know they are getting enough is wet nappies! Hope that helps a little. Oh and lansinoh, apply before and after feeds to save your nips.

I second the sling. Also, one tip for biggish boobs if you have them: I really struggled with positioning as DD1 seemed so small in comparison to my giant norks and midwives and HV didn't really help much with this but we completely struck gold when I held the boob and nipple to baby's mouth rather and held it to support it than let her find and keep the latch herself as she struggled against it a bit I think. We got the hang of it pretty quickly after that thank goodness.

The womanly art of breastfeeding - la leche league is the best breastfeeding book I have found. I devoured it whilst pregnant and was well prepared.

If your baby struggles to latch on and it isn't because of tongue tie or positioning, try using nipple shields to get baby started. I struggled for three days to get DD to drink, with the shields she did it straight away, then after a few days we didn't need to use them any more. Feeding consultants can be a bit down on them but it really helped me.

The can i breastfeed in it Facebook groups are great, as is The kellymom website - that's my go to resource to kind of fact check stuff, see if something is normal etc

Good luck, hope it goes well for you

Congrats! It shouldn't hurt but will feel "for curling" to start with. If you're having pain or anything feels off then join Facebook group tongue tie babies support group and seek help immediately as it can cause serious problems withfeedig for you and baby and is easily resolved.

Lansinoh definitely to keep nipples moist (sorry, hate that word but the only one appropriate!!).

Baby will feed a lot so don't worry about gem not getting enough, just feed feed feed an they will increase your supply. Don't worry about topping up withformula as this can be a viscious circle leading to low supply (obvs unless you have medical advice
To the contrary but again Poor supply can be down to tongue tie).

Lots of snacks nearby and water as you'll be so thirsty.

Things to entertain your other children and try to involve them so they don't feel baby gets all attention.

Great about the wrap, just make sure you are happy with carrying first (would recommend the group Mumaroo online tutorials as they are silent so you c an watch during night feeds!) and feeding separately before you try to combine carrying and feeding. It can be a bit overwhelming.

Lots of growth spurts so just roll with it and feed on demand. Even if baby just finished feeding. Boobs boobs boobs!!

Good luck x

Get lots of Lansinoh and coat your nips even before they get sore. It will start to hurt after about 3 days and it will hurt you for about 3 weeks. Then it will be fine. Wish somebody had told me how much the first 3 weeks would hurt and that it was NORMAL. Not a latching problem, not tongue tie, not anything other than virgin nips toughening up!

Defo be prepared for the cluster feeds, think they are at 3 days and then 7 days so right when you might start suffering baby blues. Not a good combination so make sure your partner can be there to encourage you and love you a bit more. That really helps.

Good luck with it and whatever you manage to do, see it as a success. I have exclusively breastfed for 18 months with one, and managed less than a week with another.

I second offer the breast all the time while you are getting used to recognising feeding cues as it is so much easier to practice latching before they are worked up. Read as much as you can about it, but don't let all the possible problems get you down and don't go in with any expectations (can be hard) of how you think it will go, just take it as it comes. Nipple cream as a preventative not just when you're already sore. Oh and optional but I found it a life saver for when it was really painful and I needed a break, even just for one feed, a good electric breast pump.

When I started I ended up with mastitis (blocked duct). I had the shivers and a fever. Not trying to scare you by the way, just went to the doc and got some antibiotics and I was fine within a couple of days. But the antibiotics killed the good bacteria as well resulting in nipple thrush which is gut wrenchingly painful. Got some Meds from good ol doc and was fine.

I'm really not trying to scare you, with Meds it was all sorted out and DS is 5 months old now and I'm still going.

Not enough is spoken about what can go wrong and it should be. Don't suffer in silence if something doesn't feel right. If something feels wrong to you speak to midwife , doc or health visitor and don't be afraid to question the crap out of them, they will also give you advice on positioning and attachment etc.

Also when the growth spirts start happening it's normal for baby to feed pretty much constantly, don't let anyone tell you there's something wrong with your supply or that little one needs solids. I got that alot from people at 3 months onwards. Be prepared to fight your corner.

Sorry I'm rambling but one last thing. I bought a nursing chair for DS room. Best thing I ever did! Allowed me to get a few extra hours shut eye during teething. Poor mite didn't want to sleep alone and wanted to constantly be held. Got it 2nd hand on Gumtree and was worth its weight in gold.

Congratulations and I hope it all goes awesome for you!
Xx