Breastfeeding books

[ChateauProvence]

Hi, first time mum to be and I’m really hoping to be able to breastfeed when baby arrives. Did anyone read any helpful books for dummies? I’m struggling to get my head around everything - like when to pump, how you know baby has had enough, how to store pumped milk. Sorry I know i sound stupid I just feel a bit overwhelmed

@PenguinRainbows
Please do some research on how many babies in the UK end up in hospitals due to lack of breastmilk. Not everyone can breastfeed and not everyone has endless supply.
Your attitude is the reason why 2 of my friends were too scared to use formula and babies went under 2 percentile!!!!
Most countries in Europe use formula in the first months- it does not effect supply! Some babies are hungrier than others- it's not necessary means you will have more milk to.
It's 2023. Shoking to me how many babies are starving for no reason!

Please do some research on how many babies in the UK end up in hospitals due to lack of breastmilk. Not everyone can breastfeed and not everyone has endless supply.
And how many of them have missed out on breastmilk because their mothers were scared by HVs into giving top-ups and pumping and because of that disrupting normal milk production? Making up formula and pumping all takes time and can easily create a viscious circle where the baby ends up being offered the breast far less than they should so supply doesn't get established so more top ups are needed etc.

Ok. So everyone around a world is doing it wrong, and only in the UK is right...

Op, ask your friends around. Here on mumsnet everyone will say not to pump and never use formula.
Not everyone has to exclusively feed from the breast: some of us wants to have a socal life, go back to work or let the husband also to bond over feeding.

You can still have a social life and pump with breastfeeding. And some women prefer to go natural than use formula which is fair enough. It's what our boobs are for.

Plus there's other ways to bond. Yes I'm pumping because I want the dad to be able to feed her but wouldn't be the end of the world if it didn't happen. He's doing it so I can get some sleep and because he wants to @Katherina02837

4 babies no books they know and you will know tbh

Just to stick my two penn'orth in here - it was suggested I top up with formula when I had my first and we never got a good routine and ultimately it led to a very unsuccessful breastfeeding journey which ended at 5 months.
What I'm doing this time round is taking the time to breastfeed rather than bowing to pressure, trying to carry on with normal life and cram feeding in as an afterthought.
I'm still very resentful about the bad advice I was given by HV and others

Thanks all really interesting to read all the different views! Hopefully we will middle through and all will be ok x

Ok, so there is a misunderstanding in what I'm saying.
I'm not saying not to breastfeed. I did! What I don't understand is why some posters saying to op not to pump. It is a personal choice and I see a lot of benefit from it.
I also don't understand why it is so crazy to top up with formula IF the breastfeeding doesn't work and the baby is hungry. I'm not saying use formula! I'm saying use formula IF you can't manage to breastfeed ( which more often happens than people think, women are just too ashamed to talk about it - exactly because women who are lucky enough to breastfeed attack them).

@Cowlover89

Again, I am not saying not the breastfeed!
I breastfed during the day and my husband fed from the bottle (pumped milk) during nights. We and the baby loved this rutine!

Good luck! It’s the most amazing journey.

Please don’t be afraid to reach out for professionally qualified help from lactation consultants if you need it.

You can safely ignore the stuff @Katherina02837 has been coming out with. Best not to engage.

@PenguinRainbows thank you - it all just feels a hit overwhelming atm I’ve never even changed a nappy 😂 but I am sure will learn and it’ll all be fine - I really am just so grateful to be pregnant I just want her here safely now

Ahh fair enough! I don't see any issues with it either tbf.

I've been doing some reading and a lot of women have pumped and breastfed before the 6 week mark and been fine. @Katherina02837

Don’t worry, neither had I!

There were no babies or children in either of our families so we had absolutely no experience with them 😂 DD1 was in NICU and when we asked how to change her nappy the nurse looked and us and said “you just do it” and walked off 😂

You could have all the knowledge in the world but when you have your own children it’s an experience like no other. All children are so different. Pretty much everyone is winging it even if they don’t look like it!

@Katherina02837 I agree with your posts. I breastfed and pumped from as soon as my milk came in and I have not ended up super-engorged or with mastitis. Simply wanted the choice of breastfeeding or expressing as at the time, I wasn't overly sure of how much of either one I wanted to do going forward. And it's something I still do (only expressing once a day though).

If the OP wants to combi breastfeed and pump then that should be her choice. If she only wants to breastfeed then just breastfeed! I loved having the freedom of a bag of milk being in the fridge and my partner being able to help, and I could head out for an hour without worrying about baby being fed.

I definitely recommend expressing colostrum in the last few weeks of pregnancy and storing it in the freezer, it was great to be able to give it to baby in those first few days. The hand expressing also helped prepare my nipples and I didn't have much pain and zero cracking/dryness. And for the record I didn't have my baby latch until day 3 and our breastfeeding journey has gone really well. I know it's not that easy for everyone so would recommend getting baby latched as soon after birth as possible. Good luck!

I also don't understand why it is so crazy to top up with formula IF the breastfeeding doesn't work and the baby is hungry. I'm not saying use formula! I'm saying use formula IF you can't manage to breastfeed
It's the IF that's the problem. Loads of women are told to top up because the baby is hungry rather than feeding more often. So then the top ups take the place of doing the feeds that stimulate milk so the formula has to become more and breastfeeding drops off. And yes, if that's what anyone wants to do that's fine, but it does happen very quickly and stop a lot of women being able to ebf as they want to.

@sommeliermama Expressing colostrum is such a good advice! I wish someone told me that before; I didn't realised that was an option. I will definitely do that with baby number 2.

@DappledThings my newborn was on my breast constanly but she was still hungry. My milk didn't came as fast enough for her, plus my tiny nipples didn't help the situation. I also received no help from the hospital as they were understaffed. For me, topping up with formula very helped. After 2 weeks I managed to have enough breastmilk and I could brestfeed fully. I agree, it's wrong to stop trying breastfeeding. However, for me personally, it was nice to have an option and not go insane due to my lack of breastmilk. It didn't effect my milk supply becouse every time when I give formula after breastfeeding, I pumped.

I was going to say OP I bet you are even more confused now with all the conflicting opinions 😂

Don't worry. There are so many breastfeeding journeys and they all look different. Most of the concrete "you must do this, you must never do that" are not really the full story, the most important thing is to suss out your support systems and use them when you need to.

A decent book, a support page online, a support group or supportive friend IRL.

You will be fine I'm sure.

Bless you, you will be fine! When my DD arrived I'd never changed a nappy or anything. The best advice I had for breastfeeding was: when you are in the hospital after the baby is born, ring the call bell for help every single time you attempt to breastfeed. The midwives who come when you ring will help you latch them on. It takes time and practice and neither of those things can you get from reading a book. You and your sweet baby will be in it together - you will figure it out.

Buy the book "baby led breastfeeding" by Gillian something (can't remember). It's on Amazon. I found it absolutely life changing and honestly feel like it made my bf journey a breeze. Milk making mama is a good account to follow on Instagram. Good luck and enjoy! It's magic!

@BertieBotts

If you're quite visual then Kate Evans' The food of love is lovely. It's done in a comic/large illustrated style. Great in paperback. Not so much as an e-book.

I LOVED this book and I cried because I wished I'd read it when I was pregnant! I found it at the library when DS was about 6 months old. There was an amazing cartoon of a woman with a newborn with basically the dishes and housework piled up behind her like it really doesn't matter and it really touched me.

I found the Kelly Mom and La Leche Leage websites really helpful.

As for my breastfeeding journey the lactation consultant in the hospital was great and I didn't need any further support after that. I didn't bother expressing tried it once just wasn't for me. It did mean that I was a round the clock milking machine and that DS couldn't be away from me for any length of time but that was fine.

I took a year off work and when I went back DS was fine drinking out a cup but when I'd collect him from my Mums he was literally pulling my top up haha!!!

Weaning was hard work it was giving up the boob to sleep that lasted longest and by the time we gave that when Ds was 2 i was pregnant with my 2nd. Breastfeeding is bloody hard work but I have no regrets it was great for me and my son and hopefully when the next one is out in a few weeks I have no issues.

All you need for the first few weeks is boobs and nappies. Best Wishes 👌

Was just looking up food of love link to check still in print and I see others have recommended it Food of Love, The amzn.eu/d/4aY3d3V

I read it when struggling to breast feed my new born son nearly 12 years ago now and I swear this and support from an excellent health visitor is the reason we turned the corner. On a practical note the book flops open nicely which makes reading one handed with a baby in the other very easy. It's a bit hippy dippy and I found some of the points on wider parenting a bit much for me, at least later on - it's very attachment parenting so could make you feel a bit guilty about wanting to do things like sleep train. However the advice around breastfeeding is excellent - all very evidence based & with nice images - so on balance it's def recommend it.

www.laleche.org.uk

Have you done an nct course?