What do you think about breastfeeding?

[youngmummyb]

I know that they say breast is best, and it's also supposedly good for jumping back to pre-pregnancy weight; but i just don't know if i can handle it. It's not the breastfeeding as such, it's more that i'd be a bit uncomfortable with the baby sucking. Any opinions? I'm a first time mum to be and scared lol!!

I didn't think about it, just figured it was how you fed babies, unless for some drastic reason you couldn't, then you used bottles.

Had my first daughter at 35-6 weeks and was a struggle in the early weeks some days feeding on and off for 18 hours out of 24 but it worked out and 2-1/2 years on still doing it. I think the fact that she was early and small made me more determined to give her the good stuff and the closeness of never being put down and basically just being strapped to me, on and off the breast all day.

It shaped how I mothered her and still do.

It does have its downsides -- for me, it was that it was connected to sleep and after about 18 months it was getting me down that I was doing long feeding-to-sleep settling and resettling through the night. But we stuck with it, didn't want to sever the link as I was returning to part time work, leaving her with my husband. Wanted the continuity. Now, I don't breastfeed to sleep anymore and apart from the pain of feeding while pregnant.

It also stopped my period for 2 years. A bonus for some but I was wanting to try for another child

Weight? I lost 3 stone of the 4 stone I put on very very quickly -- partly having had a section, you sometimes lose your appetite, but I think the feeding made me hang on to the remainder and I only lost the last stone when I got pregnant again and I've stayed 8.10 stone for the whole six months.

Now, if you'd told me (yes, I used to say 'bitty' if I saw toddlers feeding) 3 years ago I'd be feeding a 2-1/2 year old, while 6 months pregnant, planning on tandeming, I'd have laughed long and hard. I'd have been really surprised.

So don't second guess how you'll feel about it. It's I guess a bit 'strange' for about, erm, 30 seconds, then you're so bloody anxious it's going right or wrong, you don't care!

Oh, and I hope I don't sound too judgey but I'd really try at least to give the colostrum even if you don't 'enjoy' it. It's worth the effort.

1. Once you get the hang of it, it can be much easier than formula feeding (no bottles to prepare, sterilise etc).
2. It's great for bonding with baby because only you can feed him/her
3. If you have a good diet it's a good idea, but I honestly think some people should formula feed if they aren't eating a varied and well balanced diet - controversial, but breast isn't always best.
4. I don't know anyone who has lost weight breast feeding. I didn't put on so much baby weight but went up a dress size and I went back to my pre-pregnancy size once I stopped after both DD1 and DD2.
5. Definitely worth a try and worth the effort, but it doesn't work for everyone and it also depends on the support you get and how you find it yourself. Whatever you decide, don't ever be made to feel inadequate by anyone else - it's all about making the right decision for you and your baby

"If you have a good diet it's a good idea"

Can I just dispel this myth? This isn't true. The quality and the quantity of the milk is not affected by diet. You'd have to be starving, really starving, for it to compromise supply. Even so, since breastfeeding can deplete YOUR system you might as well eat well. But then you might as well eat well for a thousand other reasons.

Please visit Bottle and Breastfeeding and read the posts of one of the helpful counsellor there, Titok,

Common myths dispelled:

It can knacker your breasts. Well, not really. Pregnancy and weight gain can do that

You have to eat a certain way. No you don't

You can't drink. Yes you can (if you want to)

Expressing is easy. Not for everyone and certainly NO indicator of supply.

Leaking and engorgement is inevitable. No it's not inevitable at all.

talking about diet.. dont necessarily agree you have to eat nothing but greens, but i do think that what mummy eats does come through the milk and isnt a myth My experience was that certain foods i ate would aggravate tummy and colic problems... so is that not associated to diet?

I can't speak for certain foods, my obstetrician friend says it is so negligible as to usually being down to coincidence.

What I meant to counter was that you can feed effectively while living on a diet of Poptarts and water. The nutrients come from YOU, not directly from your food. You don't have to eat salad to get the nutrients into the milk. You can not eat for days and still breastfeed. Nutritionally compromised (to a degree, of course there's a limit) women in developing countries feed without it affecting quality and supply.

pubmed is a good source for this.