How to succeed with breastfeeding second time around

[bluechameleon]

With my DS (now 3) breastfeeding did not work out. I think it was a combination of factors including the hospital pushing frequent bottle feeds due to DS's low blood sugar, possible lip and tongue tie, me not pumping often enough so my supply dried up around the 9 day mark...
I am 20 weeks pregnant and am keen to have more success this time around. Does anyone have any advice?

I was more persistent in asking for help from midwives and HV second time around. I also bought various rubber things for my nipples (lovely!) which made it easier for DD to latch on properly. I read some stuff on La Leche League website which helped once she was here - different positions etc.
I think I was generally more relaxed which made a big difference. Only managed to pump properly at seven months when I went back to work and that was using some strange hand pump thing my SIL told me about.
Good luck!

See if you can go to a La Leche League meet or local breastfeeding group before the baby's born, chat to the more experienced mums and get tips as well as just seeing women feeding in a relaxed environment!

You could see if you can hand express some colostrum before baby's born, keep it in the freezer and then you might be able to use that if they're concerned about his/her blood sugars. Don't stress too much about pumping if it's getting in the way of actively nursing - lots of skin-to-skin time and offering the breast at the slightest murmur from the baby is more important than getting on the pump. If there are concerns about weight loss, talk about options for avoiding formula - sometimes it's needed, but if expressed milk (ideally from a cup/spoon/syringe) is an option, it will reduce the chance of supply issues.

Expect it to be HARD. Expect that the baby will want to feed what feels like ALL the time. Obviously you need to keep an eye on weight and nappy output, but if those are ok, then frequent feeding is totally normal and does not mean that your supply isn't enough. Once it's established though, it's generally much easier and less faffy. Good luck!