Breastfeeding class - worth it?

[xoguineas]

Have a NHS breastfeeding workshop booked for tomorrow morning so was just wondering if anyone has been to one recently? What happens and is it worth attending?

Planning on going with my boyfriend so we can learn together (he's been loving the other antenatal classes), just not sure what to expect

Things to know are cluster feeding (normal and constant) sleep- broken by constant feeding! Go, it'll be information if nothing else. Breastfed babies feed practically constantly for 6-8 weeks. Doesn't mean you don't have enough milk. Milk poured out of me by the gallon (I ended up collecting it for the milk bank!) But baby still fed for hours and hours. I didn't get a break of more than 90 minutes for 4 months.

I would - it's not as simple as you think! It's also not what you think. Social media has helped normalise bf more in the last 5 years since I had my son but you don't realise how little you know about it till a class and you start doing it. Support After is really useful and hopefully they will tell you about this too.

Take every help offered. Bfing can be hardwork at first.

Go it can't hurt can it. My experience of breastfeeding was nothing like dailymail's though so don't assume there is one set of right answers / one way all babies behave. Hopefully it was signal some common behaviours / techniques and provide sign posts for support should you need it.

Every baby is different though! My experience was different to mails- had a night mare for 3 months though he'd feed quickly (lots of refusal and terrible wind, tongue tie etc) but he'd have good gaps between feeds. For a while I could only feed if I lay down - he just couldn't latch well and got very cross. Then around 4-5 months it became lovely.

"Tummy to mummy, nose to nipple" is pretty much all I remember from mine!

Worth going though, you might remember a few things in the newborn fog!

Definitely go, knowledge is power.
Another saying don't be scared off by what Dailymail says, all babies are different. My DS is only a week old, so it'll all change I'm sure, but at the moment he feeds for about 20-30 minutes and the gap between feeds is between 2 and 4 hours. He only lost 1.9% of his birth weight by day 3 is now gaining well.

I found ours really useful. Lots of stuff I didn’t know despite having done a fair amount of reading before. Also they told us about sources of support in the local area once we left hospital, which was v useful. The leader of the course - a feeding specialist midwife- aimed to see all the new mums when they were on the postnatal ward and it was nice to see a familiar face.

Ask about the importance of the first 12 hours. That knowledge set me up brilliantly with dd2.

Thanks for the replies & tips! Hoping to get lots of good info x

These are the absolute best videos you should definitely watch:

globalhealthmedia.org/videos/breastfeeding/

I wish I had gone to one.

Theres the -
Lip tie
Tongue tie,
Mastitis
Bleeding
Pain
Soreness,
One works better than the other
Positions
Latch
Medication allowed (I had a spine fracture)
The list is endless, I think I have forgotten loads of other things that effected me. I did it for 2 years though.

You may as well go for the information but keep an open mind. I found them way too rigid in their views and had I felt I had to go along with the ‘on demand’ ‘cluster feeding’ POV that they gave as THE way to do it I would have surely failed. Both my DDs have been fed to a routine like with a bottle, in a totally different position to any shown to us, because it worked for me. Just remember it’s whatever works for you.

How far along is the best time to go to a group? I'm 30 weeks and haven't booked in for one yet, not sure if I've left it too late.

I wish I’d have gone to one before my first

I wasn't saying it to scare the OP. I've successfully fed for 2 years, but several people I know with experiences like mine gave up breastfeeding because they thought it meant something was wrong. What I'm saying is that it can and is normal for babies to feed constantly, it doesn't mean something is wrong or you need to give formula (unless of course you want to).

beaky later the better,more chance of retaining the info.

@Beakyplinders I'm 37 weeks and the other women there were further along than me!

Back from the class now, it was informative but also just nice to meet other mums to be who were as clueless as me!

I didn't realise babies fed so much, midwife said around 8-10 feeds a day - gives me a reason to rest up now to 'preserve the energy'

I think...if you can go, go. It will only be useful and prepare you somewhat for what may be to come. However, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go. There is so much available on the web - just a matter of sifting through it all. The talk will just give you a nice direct, summarised overview presumably with the opportunity to have any questions answered there and then. Whatever you decide, what’s important to remember is that every mother’s experience of breastfeeding is so different. Take what people say to you with a pinch of salt, and do whatever works for you and your baby. Whether that means breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Whoops - just saw that you’d been. Good for you! Yes, babies can feed rather a lot! Mine is 8 months today, and still likes to feed every couple of hours (but she can be distacted if we’re out and about).

Yep my baby fed constant. On average it was 11 feeds but they lasted so long. I'm so so glad i persevered with breast feeding. There was so many times I almost gave up but great midwife support and an incredibly supportive DH kept me going. I combination fed at first because I had a haemorrhage so I was so sensitive. I could only feed from one side until he was about 10 days. Then i ended up in hospital with mastitis and was treated for sepsis. My story is pretty bad but what I'm getting at is despite all that I'm glad i carried on! I'm not against formula at all (I dream feed with formula). Just take it all in your side and download plenty of good box sets. X

Wish I'd gone to one. My baby had feeding issues anyway but fed for hours in the first month or so. I

Wish I'd gone to one. My baby had feeding issues anyway but fed for hours in the first month or so. I

I went to a private one, it was really informative and I came away feeling empowered. In the fog after birth by EMCS the things i learnt came flooding back to me. DS is now 7 weeks, ebf, feeds 10.mins every 2hrs and is a whopping 14lbs. Being able to feed without getting out of bed at night is wonderful and means we both get lots of sleep.