Breastfeeding

[Lcw29]

I really want to breastfeed this time around I was too Ill with my first . Any tips you have picked up that you wished you had known before?

For the first month or so, I had to hold my daughter in one hand and use the other hand to squish my boob and make my nipple a size/shape that would fit in her mouth. She couldn't latch/suck otherwise and this was a break through moment for us! Also, I was under the impression that bf is natural and easy. It wasn't for me and best advice I was given was to persevere. I said to myself I'd go until she was 6 weeks old and then switch to formula and she was ebf by 4 weeks. One of the hardest and most rewarding things I've ever done. Good luck!

That if baby wants to feed constantly at the beginning it’s totally normal. They’re upping your supply and letting your body know how much milk to make.

Your nipples will hurt but it gets better after a few weeks.

Bf babies lose more weight than ff ones, so don’t panic if the weight loss is more than your firstborn.

Watch youtube videos on how to get a correct latch.

Find your nearest breastfeeding consultant and breastfeeding group to get support if you need it.

Bf babies feed lots at night because that’s when your body makes the most prolactin- the hormone that tells your boobs to make milk. This doesn’t last forever but it is tiring, so you need family/dh support until your supply is regulated.

Bf babies tend to poo a lot less, anything up to 14 days in between is normal one they’re around 2/3 months old, so don’t worry!

Eats and drink LOADS in the beginning. Keeping well fed and well hydrated will ensure you have a good supply.

Soft breasts don’t mean you don’t have any milk, some people get engorged, some don’t, some feel letdown, some don’t. All normal!

If baby is weeing/pooing regularly, is gaining weight and is alert when awake they are eating enough.

Bf babies don’t feed to a schedule, they eat little and often usually because breast milk is digested quicker. It doesn’t mean they’re starving or you’re not making enough milk.

www.kellymom.com/ - this is a great website for research and any issues you may come across. Good luck!

The womanly art of breastfeeding is a great read if you are determined to do it (and a lot of the time it feels like you have to be determined because it can be so so hard!)

When I brought my first son home from hospital, we spent a day on the settee together learning how to breastfeed. He didn't know, I didn't know, but we worked it out together. Fed all three of mine successfully after that.

That it will be tough for the first 6 weeks but it really does get easier.
They feed far more often than ff babies and often just snack.
They will have growth spurts every 6 weeks or so where they do nothing but feed and cry. They are just trying to up your supply which takes a day or 2. It is not because you are doing anything wrong or not producing enough milk. You do not need to top them up with a bottle (however tempting it is) as this means your supply won't increase.
Just go with the flow and feed when they are hungry.

Hi OP,
I just wish I’d known it wasn’t going to be easy. Struggled with DD1 and got very overwhelmed and felt like there was some big secret I hadn’t been told. Struggled with DC2 as well but wasn’t nearly as upset as by then I’d fighured out that it’s normal to struggle. I found it helped to bargain with myself e.g. ‘another week and then we’ll reconsider introducing the bottle etc...’ DC1 was breastfed till 15months and DC2 is currently 7 months and we’re still going.

Also nipple cream and breast shells were really helpful in the early days. Have some in your hospital bag.

Good luck OP

It’s HARD but so worthwhile.
Never, ever quit on a bad day. I always promised myself “if I feel like this at the end of the week, then I’ll stop” and funnily enough, that day never came! I successfully fed DS1 for 18 months 😊 despite cmpa, reflux etc. I do believe you have to want to do it though.
Also, invest in some lansinoh nipple cream. It’s expensive but it’s amazing! I used it before and after every feed to start off with and slowly reduced until I didn’t need it anymore, I never had cracked or sore nipples (apart from the general pain of feeding in the early days of course)
Good luck!! ❤️

Get as much support in place as possible , know numbers of lactation consultants , local groups , ask for as much advice as possible when in hospital . Also helpline numbers , breast feeding network is great.

It's hard going , read as much as possible in advance about it so you are aware of common issues . Also learn about different positions .

Take it a day at a time . Never give up on a bad day.

Stock up and prepare a breastfeeding kit - wee box of cream , snacks, a water bottle etc .

Set aside things you want to watch whilst cluster feeding . Box sets are your friend .

Baby needs to be close to you . Don't bombard yourself with visitors . Hard to get confident when you don't get space .

Sleep when baby sleeps you need your energy .

I didn't realise that I needed to give the opportunity to feed at every whimper. Dd stirred but slept through much of the first night. Oops. Didn't help her developing jaundice. Also there's a knack to sort of squeezing your boob and shoving it in their mouth in the early days - ask for help as much as you need. Wish I'd known how much it would hurt to feed in stabbing uterus pains for about the first week. And finally it's offer ten minutes on one side then ten on the other (or was it five minutes each?) then get prepared eg go for a wee, make sure you have water to drink, and rest until the next time, which should be no later than two? Three? hours after.
It's not rocket science but expect to not be offered any practical advice beyond how to get a good latch.

@MustardScreams wish I'd have read your response when I started feeding my DD 3 weeks ago! She was born at 38 weeks and had jaundice, I had to have help getting her to latch but we're there now - however I had so many worries (especially about pooing - she's 1 in 4/5 days!) and the midwives and HV's I saw only worried me more!

I gave up after 6 weeks with my first and now ebf my nearly 5 month olds.

Things that helped me;

• DH taking 2 week paternity leave and then 2 weeks holiday. It’s takes lots of time for you and baby to learn how to feed and to up your supply.
• watch YouTube flipple technique videos
• try feeding in rugby ball
• use a it lots of normal pillows to support you and baby when feeding
• you will need to drink at least 3 litres of water a day
• if your more comfortable feeding on the sofa during the night then do it
• lookup safe cosleeping
• get a good latch
• this is not for everyone but I got stressed when DD got too hangry to latch so I would give her some formula, 1/2 oz max so we could calm down and latch.
• get the community midwives to come out daily to help with latch

That is brilliant advice from all of you thank you. I will no doubt t come back to keep re reading it

In the early days it made me so hungry I felt sick in the middle of the night feeds. DH kept a tupperware box of trail mix topped up next to the bed so I could snack when I was feeding at 3am and it was a life saver!

I've breast fed six babies with varying degrees of success and found that eating and drinking loads really helps with supply and not worrying about weighing your baby too much once they have begun to gain weight after the initial drop. I worried endlessly about my first as he just did not gain weight as he was 'supposed' to. He is now 26 and 6'4".

The nurse told me to squeeze my boob into a shape "like a burger" and bring dd's mouth really close - instead of holding her about a mile away in fear of suffocating her which is what I had been doing and that was very painful! Once I learned that she could be really close and that I didn't need to worry about her not being able to breathe we did fine. I needed to drink lots of water though, got very dehydrated and kept a bottle of water with me at all times. I fed her whenever she wanted it, which was quite a lot but seemed to work. And bf babies don't always poo every day and that's nothing to worry about.

Oh and the uterus pain, I imagined that was my stomach shrinking back to pre baby size and it helped me get over the pain.

I gave birth to DD2 two weeks ago. I breast fed DS1 until he was one and I went in to this one smugly thinking I was a pro....ha! but my daughter is completely different. She takes a looong time to feed and I have to be very patient. I feel like we are both learning and starting from scratch. It hasn’t been easy but we are getting there.
My point is that each baby is different and it’s bloomin hard going so if you feel like giving up (like I did a few days ago) try to power through if you can. It’s not for everyone so you do what is right for you.
And one thing I did remember from last time is don’t get stranded when you feed. Before you sit down make sure you have your phone, drink and the tv remote. Nothing worse than having them out of reach!
Good luck! xxxx

Oh and buy Lansinoh nipple cream...it will become your best friend 👍🏻