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

I pumped a lot and did get mastisis - felt so I'll

Just reading through the responses re pumping etc and just in my limited experience everyone I know who tried pumping ended up giving up- either giving up the pumping and going EBF only or giving up breastfeeding completely including pumping and moving onto formula.
The only woman I know who it worked for exclusively pumped from the get go.
I'm not saying combination feeding can't be done, it's just alot more hassle than picking one or the other. Tbh just don't stress over it, see how you feel. I never want to be one of those "breast is best" warriors as if FF works for someone then amazing but I couldn't be arsed with all the hassle of it. FF babies always throw their bottle up, and seem to suffer more with reflux. Nothing was easier for me than just whipping a boob out and DS has vomited in his entire life less times than I have fingers. Its entirely down to personal preference. As pp have said they didn't want to be tied down to the EBF limitations.
Just trust your instincts and take every single bit of advice including mine with a pinch of salt. Use what works and discard the rest.

Emily Norris has some great breastfeeding videos.

On YouTube!

I did a mini 1 hour course (sorry, I can't remember the name, but I did find it really helpful) rather than books or social media. There is lots of help out there though. The breastfeeding network and la leche league are both fantastic, though. Google IBCLC that's the official breastfeeding qualification you need. As PP have said most GPs/health visitors/ midwives etc have done less than a few hours training and give very poor advice so I would focus on the charities where you know the advice is correct.

There may be genuine reasons to pump, but I found most people who do give up feeding quicker because it puts so much pressure on you to keep your supply up and stop baby getting bottle preference. (There should be no expectation on you to express because others just fancy feeding baby - they're not a dolly!)

Best advice I was ever given is just offer for everything, you can't overfeed anyway, so just offer for every little cry, whinge or because you feel like it. Baby will tell you when they're done 😊

Another vote for The Positive Breastfeeding Book 😊 I read it when I was pregnant with my first daughter and after she was born I tended to refer to the La Leche League website and kellymom.com. I also found Lucy Webber Breastfeeding Support on Facebook really useful. All the best xx

Just read more of the comments on this thread 😐 can't even quote them all, but wow. Literally wow. So much scare mongering crap. OP please get off mumsnet and go on kellymom.com book a support group from the la leche league or add breastfeeding buddies on fb. There's so much advice out there from genuinely helpful people who won't try to terrify you about starving your baby. Mumsnet is clearly not one of these supportive places.

I hope you're okay x

Just a couple of things, unless you are looking after a premature baby in hospital or preparing for going back to work, don’t worry about pumping. If you are looking after a baby in SCBU/NICU don’t wait 6 weeks to pump

@User1706

Baby will tell you when they're done 😊

Ahhh that just brought it all back to me haha... glug glug glug then randomly out of no where they just literally go pop off the boob and they're done and asleep in a cute little milky haze

https://abm.me.uk/more-than-milk/

National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212

The advice to keep some formula at home and don't be afraid to top up is excellent.

We had terrible advice to just keep on EBFing (from the lactation consultant/infant feeding lead at the hospital and multiple midwives). Colostrum isn't enough if you get beyond day 3 without your milk coming in. My baby nearly suffered
brain damage because of this advice and the anti-formula attitude in U.K. hospitals.

I second this especially Olivia lactation consultant
She has been amazing

Kathryn Stagg is another excellent lactation consultant with an account on Instagram full of great advice.

Best little moments ever 🥰

I was given a lot of advice antenatally about BFing straight after birth (the golden hour), BFing on demand, BF throughout the cluster feeding etc. What nobody mentioned was that you can do everything 'right' and still your milk doesn't come in (mine took 8 weeks), that BFing has downsides and that it could harm my baby. Formula saved her life (she had to be readmitted and tube fed formula as she was so weak and had lost so much weight after 5 days of EBF). Don't be afraid of formula, it's a useful tool. Doesn't mean you can't BF longterm because of it. I BF my baby and then toddler for several years.

Look up local BFing support but be aware it's variable. My local NCT one was terrible for bullying which wasn't stopped by the lactation consultant leading it. Lactation consultants are in theory qualified experts but in practice variable. The qualification is called IBCLC. The NHS ones are free but under pressure to increase EBFing rates so may not give you the right advice (this is what happened to us). The private ones some are ok, others you can end up spending a fortune. Be wary of the amount of gimmicky stuff people will try and get you to buy if you do have problems (everything from supplements, teas, jewellery etc!).

The resources I found really helpful and which I wish I'd known about antenatally:
Risk factors for milk delay/low supply:
fedisbest.org/resources-for-parents/know-risks-delayed-onset-full-breast-milk-supply/

Feeding plan for the first week or so (we wouldn't have had any problems if we'd followed this!).
fedisbest.org/resources-for-parents/feeding-plan/

I had a really awful book antenatally by La Leche League "Womanly art of BFing" which I'd recommend avoiding. Written in a really annoying patronising style, no useful advice about BFing problems (doesn't even mention some of the ones we had!).
I later came across Clare Byam-Cook's "What to expect when you're BFing and what if you can't" which was far more sensible although it's a bit BF or formula and doesn't really acknowledge combi-feeding which saves many a BFing journey.

@RidingMyBike so sorry you had a hard time and glad everything went okay.

I think sometimes doing formula and breastfeeding in the beginning can have an impact on the milk supply. I've read it has with some mothers.

My son had tongue tie and did give him some formula till it got sorted then stopped. I didn't give him it all the time as I didn't want to risk my supply. Mostly breastfed. Was excruciating but soldiered on.

With this baba hoping to just breastfeed and pump with no formula.

This is probably another stupid question but if baby did more milk would it be an option to use a Hakka on the other breast and then top them up with that? Or is that just a bit pointless

That would be fine to do 😊 I'm tempted to get a Hakka too

Also If they don't need anymore milk stick it in the freezer

Great I think that’s what I might try and do it feels comforting to have some sort of back up

Hakka pump definitely worth it in my opinion! Great little thing. Anything left over I stick in the freezer

Not stupid at all. The hakkaa is what I used as basically when baby was on one boob my other boob would leak uncontrollably at the same time, i said to the midwife I feel like it's such a waste so she told me about the hakkaa. I tried collecting the excess but could never really get to grips with the storage and preparation and DS just wasn't feeling being given a bottle so I gave up on that in the end. Might try and freeze some this time around see If i have any more joy.

You asked for books OP, I really rated the La Leche League ones despite their cringe titles, the womanly art of breastfeeding is good and so is their one on sleep.

When did pumping become the norm? I don't know anyone who did this (babies born between 1990 and 2010).
Seems there are lots of tips here, but I didn't think about it that much - fed til didn't want anymore and as long as gaining/growing everything was fine. Stopped when I went back to work with first at five months, second gradually stopped when she turned one.

Hard to know for sure. Some women think they're great, but they don't work for everyone. They're not active pumping, they just catch what comes out the other breast when you're feeding on the first, and that doesn't happen for everyone.

I never leaked and pumping didn't work at all for me (tried it to increase supply but was just loads of extra hassle and no increase) so it would have been pointless.

It's worth asking around if you've got friends who've had babies who may be prepared to lend some of this stuff as it saves spending loads on things that may not work.