Breastfeeding stories, tips, any advice

[ziggymarl]

Hi lovelies!

I just wanted to gather some information in a thread regarding breastfeeding. I'd really appreciate your time!

I'm currently expecting, almost 7 weeks and while I try not to go crazy until my scan, I've started thinking about breastfeeding.

Would love to hear from mummies, mummy-to-be's and anyone else on their thoughts?

Was it easy? What happens when you can't produce milk? What kind of support is available? Does it hurt? are there enough good videos or online blogs about it?

and lastly what would you ladies love to see more of from bloggers, brands like mothercare etc on their online presence? Personally I find that I'm having to read lots of long pages full of info that I'm not taking it all in so would loveee some form of videos on youtube or something!

What do you guys think? XxX

Don't have time for big reply but a tiny tiny percentage of women actually can't produce milk, about 2% or similar.

Hi @ziggymarl I'm due in 2 weeks and I'm thinking the same thing. I'm panicking that I won't be able to do it because I really want to! A lot of mums say it can be hard work and draining and also painful but once you e established it it's the easiest thing ever. I think it's down to the individual more and there is breastfeeding support out there if we need it X

Buy some nipple shields and put them in your hospital bag, just in case you need them. If your baby has trouble latching on the midwives will recommend you try them, so buy some just in case , and it may come in handy if you get sore nipples! X

Thanks for the replies guys!

@dede124 aww hope everything goes well for you! I'm so early on with my first that I can't be much help with advice but I think the best thing I read was don't give up, fight through it as much as you can but worse case you can't anymore, don't feel ashamed because not being able to does not reflect on your ability to be the best mother! I'm sure you will have enough support too and if you don't be be afraid to ask for it xx

Nipple cream, lots of it. No one mentioned it to me until Ds was around a four days old. If I'd known it was a thing I'd have taken a bucket to hospital with me.

As for easy I think it varies hugely on each mum/baby pairing. It was easy for me and ds despite a less than perfect birth experience plus a NICU stay although I hated it (but that's a different story).

If there is a breastfeeding peer support group going along before the baby arrives to meet people including other breastfeeding mums might be useful. Your health visitor/midwife should be able to point you in the right direction.

Hi ladies, I breastfed my daughter until she was about 14 months. She stopped around the time I found out I was pregnant again. I'm not going to lie, in the beginning I found it very difficult to get her to latch. The midwives on the ward had very little time for me (could have been timing as we didn't get up there until 8pm at Christmas ) struggled through the night but managed.

Once home we had a breastfeeding support worker come the very next day who was a godsend and also my midwife who came out. The biggest thing I've learnt is baby feeding loads is normal! As long as baby is getting plenty of wet and dirty nappies and is putting on weight things are going in the right direction. My milk didn't come in until day 3 again is normal.

Once we got the latch right we were on a roll. My midwife said to me if it hurts unlatch and start again. Also don't give up on a bad day. I had lots of bad days (and nights) I also didn't love it all the time, in fact some days the thought of her being on me made my skin crawl but it passes, it must do as I'm planning on breastfeeding the next one.

Please don't beat yourself up if you decide not to or stop, you don't win any medals in parenting. Hth

Buy lansinoh nipple cream and some nipple Shields as back up.

The professionals all say "if it hurts your doing it wrong" but I'm yet to meet one woman who didn't experience pain /cracked nappies during the first few weeks.
If you persevere it becomes the easiest thing ever!

Congratulations on your pregnancy

Lansinoh for sure!! Slather it on both nips every time baby finishes feeding, even if they only feed on the one side for any feed. Fenugreek is great to help with milk supply, Solgar do a good capsule version. I never had leaky boobs til I started taking it. Also grape juice helps. Tastes a bit like wine but minus the alcohol.
It's hard going- they don't tell you that at antenatal classes, it's all sunshine and roses to them lol!!
Be prepared for cluster feeding - basically baby will be stuck to a boob for what seems like hours! But it does get better, and when you are sat in bathroom crying at 4am cos baby won't stop feeding just remember you are not alone. And you are not a shit mum for locking yourself in for 5 min. (Like I did)

I really second surrounding yourself with others who are breastfeeding. If you are able to, find an antenatal group of a nice alternative sort, such as pregnancy yoga or hypno-birthing or similar, where you might be more likely to find aspiring breastfeeders. I made some amazing friends in a group like this, and it gave me a peer group in which breastfeeding was the norm, and we could just hang out together, 'getting' each others' breastfeeding journeys, and feel more at ease breastfeeding in cafés as we were together. We all went on to breastfeed for a year or more (averaging something like 2-3 years per child now that we've moved on to DCs 2 and 3 )
Look out for local breastfeeding support groups who may be doing breastfeeding coffee mornings, your midwife will probably be able to signpost you in the right direction. Go along before baby comes, just to see how other new mothers manage.
Have stuff ready in case you run into difficulty, Lansinoh nipple cream, nipple shields, a basic breast pump in case you get a twinge of mastitis; just have everything set up so you don't have to panic in case you hit a glitch.
Finally, I would say that getting your family firmly on side is such an advantage, especially your partner. Of course you can breastfeed without a supportive partner, but it is a lot easier if they are educated about breastfeeding and why you are making the choice.
Good luck!

I had very few issues with pain in the early days, my left nipple bled for a bit so I spoke to a consultant (invaluable, use them!) and she said to pump while it heals.
It is hard. Very very few women have supply issues and the best way to up your supply is to keep your baby feeding !
The hardest part for me was cluster feeding. You always think you're doing something wrong because they will literally be on the boob for hours but that doesn't mean you have low supply, babies just do that! Also my baby fed every half hour pretty much, she loves milk 😂
Allow bf to be a good thing for you, not just baby otherwise I think you will feel more guilty if you can't bf!
-bf releases a calming hormone that helps you to deal with the stress of a crying baby
-bf is calming for your baby and so EVERY TIME they even moan or cry you can put them on the boob. My baby honestly didn't cry at all for the first six months.
-you can co-sleep, I haven't ever had a sleepless night and my DD is 11 months now! (Just make sure you follow safe sleep guidelines)
-you don't need to stress about making up / sterilising bottles or packing bottles if you go out.

I loved bf but it doesn't work for everyone.

It's all in the latch. It's ALLL about the latch. Get the latch right or it may hurt, get the latch right and it's a wonderful experience :-) make sure they open their mouth so you can position the nipple correctly. Also don't worry when they're wanting boob all the time, it's because it digests much faster than formula. Also its supply and demand so when you think you're not making enough... just let them keep trying and you make more and more every time! Good luck!

Hi

I breastfed my son for 15 months and look forward to doing it again soon with DC2. Contrary to the belief, breastfeeding doesn't have to be painful/difficult in the beginning. For me, it wasn't. I did have some itching in the nipples, from the sucking- not painful, just itchy. Lansinoh cream definitely helped with that.

BF is wonderful and even if the beginning is hard, hang on- once you both get the hang of it, its a most wonderful experience.

Apparently being relaxed helps you produce more milk so remember to relax and keep calm.

Here are my tips:

Start as soon as possible after the birth. Baby is usually very alert then and its so wonderful. It'll help you get your milk supply started.

Feed on demand during the early days. Baby's stomach is tiny so they will need feeding often. This will help you get your milk supply established.

Engorgement can be really painful- just when you were starting to get the hang of things... The best thing to do is keep feeding and express if you need it- but just enough so you feel comfortable, not more or you'll just produce even more milk.

Wear a good supportive bra and get good nursing pads- Lansinoh are best in my opinion. You'll be surprised at the showers you can get at the beginning. It will settle as your milk supply becomes established.

At around 6 weeks or so, once your milk supply has adjusted to baby's demand, you might feel your breasts are empty. This isn't true- you've just got enough. Don't think this is a sign your baby is going to starve, so no need to bring out the formula just yet!

Babies go through growth spurts when they want to nurse all day. This is usually when they need more so the frequent nursing boosts your milk supply. Its really draining and you might feel like you want to give up. Just be kind to yourself, put your feet up, let the housework slide and let someone else take care of whatever needs doing. In a day or two, your milk supply will have adjusted.

If you need help, don't be afraid to ask! Most children's centres have drop-in breastfeeding advice with lactation consultants/midwives. They can be extremely useful so make use of it. You can also call La leche League or the BF network, their advisors might also be able to help.

Most of all, keep in mind that once things settle- and they will- breastfeeding will be the most enjoyable experience for you and your baby.

Best of luck with the pregnancy!

Thank you to everybody for your replies!! I really appreciate it!

I think it is a good idea to be prepared with lanisoh cream and nipple shields etc, but you may not actually need it. Before giving birth, I'd only ever heard of people having problems with bf, so I was really surprised that breastfeeding just worked and my baby automatically knew how to latch (I didn't have a clue).

My advice is definitely feed regularly or pump if your baby sleeps through. I got mastitis once when I was feeling too lazy to pump one night and it was the very worst pain I've ever experienced!! Good luck