👣 Due Nov/Dec 👣 it's the 20 week scans! 👣

[ChampooPapi]

Half may mark approaching or even completed for some of us 🙌

Hey ladies.
Congrats on all the scans. So glad everyone's baby is fit and healthy.

Strange one, I was speaking to a friend who has breastfed before and we were discussing that I was going to attempt breast feeding this time.
Although this is my third child, it will be the first time, I didn't even attempt it with my first 2.
She has told me I need to start preparing my nipples.
When I asked what this meant she said with a scrubbing brush in the shower/ bath. She said her mum. Told her to do it and as far she knkws it's common practice.....
Is this true, do you need to prepare your nipples and if so how, because I can hardly touch mine just now, let alone run a scrubbing brush over them.

@ChampooPapi ❤️ Total relieve sorry miss your comment on previous posts. Haha this thread is so speedy!

@kkr168 I am the same with the brushing teeth. My sickness has been all the way through and bruising teeth makes it worse. So annoying.
Trying to be positive by thinking sickness means a healthy baby haha xx

@Pe4nutsmum I think that's just vintage advice? It's definitely not in any current guidelines that I've seen.

@Kpm7 @kkr168 as a fellow sickness sufferer- children’s strawberry toothpaste can be more palatable and also a child size toothbrush helpful for avoiding heaving... maybe worth a try xx

@Snowwhite2020 thank you gotta try it. Xx

@Pe4nutsmum oh my god do NOT do this! Not that you were going to but Jesus that is like some old wives tale, it would do far more harm then any good. As a breast feeder of my last two babies, one up till 18 months, one up to one year, let me tell you you do not need to do any kind of 'preparation' yes sure, there's all these creams and oils and what not on the market, but you'd be best leaving the nipples alone until the onslaught of the initial cluster feeding of the first two weeks. The poor things will get enough of a hammering over that time, but I can definitely reassure you that you will get through that first stage and you will find breast feeding utterly brilliant once you get going. No worry about quantities or sterilisation, just a nappy in the bag and your boobs are attached so it makes being out and about a total breeze, especially as you've got the other two children as well.

@Pe4nutsmum although buy lanolin.....lots of lanolin 🙏

@Pe4nutsmum and grab a couple of nipple shields, my friend still uses them and is feeding her 9 month old, they can be a life saver (read 'nipple saver') if you have any issues with cracking or blistering. Honestly i knew exactly how to attach my last but she still mangled my nipples into such a state and I just pushed through the pain barrier for that first month like it was part of the norm. When I saw these shields I was amazed! My friend basically had the same thing as me but she was far wiser and a week in got them and never had to put a babies mouth over a blistered nipple ever again. Now I know about them I'd definitely get them in just in case you suffer the same fate, a lot of women don't get any kind of soreness or bleeding ect so don't worry as you'll probably be on of the lucky ones, but if not they meant my friend didn't give up and they would have meant I was in a world of less pain then I forced myself to go through 🤦

@ChampooPapi
Sounds like great advice. What nipple shields have you tried.

Just looking at them now. Didn’t know they were a thing 😂

@Kpm7 I never tried them in the end because by the time.i saw my friend with them I was well into the breastfeeding and did them anymore. But she has ones that are silicone round the edge, I'm not sure if they all have this? I think any brand would do though of you get those blisters I could definitely see them making the difference between women giving up or carrying on. I know midwives can be funny about them because of nipple confusion ect but my god I would have killed for them a couple of years back!

My mum has bought me shields and Lansinoh after her own poor breastfeeding experience.

I used the unflavoured toothpaste this morning without gagging or being sick, so it worked, yay!!
It doesn't leave my mouth feeling as fresh as mint but its much better then half brushed teeth.

@ChampooPapi I was a fellow sore/cracked/bleeding nipple sufferer, it was the reason I stopped breast feeding after 1 week. I will get some nipple shields & cream in ahead of time, so that i'm we'll prepared this time.
Did anyone use any type of cover to protect your modesty whilst feeding? I don't think my teenage son or stepsons would appreciate me whipping my boobs out constantly

@ChampooPapi thank you for such great advice.. I'll take that on board..
I must have spend over an hour reading crazy stuff about preparing your nipples.

I had no intention of running a scrubbing brush along them lol. 😂 Even the thought of it brings tears.

I will definitely be purshasing nipple. Savers xxx

I'm not sure what the norm for breastfeeding is as I'm a FTM so it's nice to hear all of your tips and tricks! I'm a little worried about breastfeeding in public and where I will be able to do it if I'm out on a walk and baby needs feeding or I'm in town etc. I hope I will be super uncaring of other people's views when the time comes 😨

Great advice @ChampooPapi thanks! 💙 @kkr168 that’s great you had success with the flavourless. Funny what we can and can’t tolerate isn’t it!? Xx

@Amyyy1 I'm the same but after a few weeks baby should have settled into a feeding routine, I just won't leave the house until then lol. Once a routines established I'll know the baby will need feeding at x time, so I'll find a quiet corner in a cafe for example

Exactly what @kkr168 said
@Amyyy1, with both babies I didn't actually go 'out' with them, i.e to cafes ect, until they were about a month old so by then they are feeding like every 2 and a half 3 hours. So you can feed before you leave and often not till you get home anyway. Or just find a quiet spot. As it's winter it's easier to wear a shawl over, though I have to say i have up with those very fast, litrally NO ONE is actually looking at your breasts and you figure that out pretty fast

@kkr168 also I can't sympathize enough about the blistered nipples, it is the most exquisite pain isn't it? Midwives can be very unfeeling about it as well. I genuinely think if they said more often 'it's like fire! You poor thing but it will get better!' more women would keep on with it potentially. Often they just say 'oh the latch is wrong, your doing it wrong if it hurts'. Er, not helpful! What women need is understanding and empathy and lots of encouragement. And a hell of a lot of lansinoh, it's the ONLY one that actually provides a barrier I find. And no bras for the first three or four weeks quite frankly, baps out in the air as much as possible so they heal and get the fresh air rather then being stuck under a 'breast feeding top' or into a bra, god that feeling of any chafing can be like razer blades, just so you look 'presentable' to visitors and the like 🙄

Quite honestly I know lots and lots of women who didn't get the bad nipple times so also don't fear first time mums, it likely not to happen, but if it does let's those boobs free, the air is what they need. Obviously helps with mastitis as well though sometimes that can't be avoided. I can't recommend cotton wool kept in a water and witch hazel solution and then refrigerated enough. After a feed in those early weeks, my partner used to go and get two and lay their beautiful coldness on each breast, it was practically orgasmic 😆. Such a relief as they get so hot as well with all the production going on.

It's amazing because it can go from being and feeling like the hardest thing you've ever had to do, then one day it's just easy and fine and second nature. It flips so quickly, I'd say it's around the 4 week mark that it starts to turn, and by 6 weeks you've forgotten (nearly!) the struggle and pain.

Obviously I und that it is not straight for for so many women, and there are issues like tongue tie that make it impossible, as well as other personal and physical issues to the mother.

I will really miss the ease of breast feeding, I will lament it but twinning it this time round I just think bottle mixed feeding is the way to go. I will be pumping as soon as they are out though to get my supply up 🤞

Hi ladies, I'm new here, I have been lurking a little but had my 20 week scan today and the little one is looking pretty perfect so the anxiety has subsided a bit. I'm due on 13th Dec, and this is my first. Also, I found out today it's a boy which totally shocked me as was so convinced it was a girl..

Welcome @jalu47 💙💙

I had a really traumatic birth with my DS1 and was to weak to breastfeed the first few days so he was straight on the bottle. I would like my new little bean to have breast milk but I have really bad anxiety and I feel like a bit of PTSD (from not being able to do it before) about him feeding straight from the boob! So was thinking of doing half and half and expressing.
I love this idea of this breast pump that you can put under your clothes but it's so expensive! Has anyone got any recommendations?

Hey this is a 15 percent discount code off your first order with Aden and Anais if anyone wants to use it, it works on their sale things too I'm pretty sure. Its

WP87FPYZKZ6IWO

@jalu47 welcome to the thread and congratulations on your baby boy! 🥰

@nearlyamummyof2boys I have to say, I think only someone who hasn't breast fed would potentially love the idea of this, no offence at all meant. In very specific circumstances it could be good I guess, maybe if you were disabled and had no arms or something! But honestly a hand held or electric pump will feel no different from this one so if it's the feeling that your worrying about then a twenty quid manual one will do the same. I can't see it's other features but these sorts of things will kind of play to your anxieties and previous PTSD , that's my experience anyway.

You can do it this time, you will try and try and if you don't succeed you will pump and try that, and if you can't manage you can bottle feed formula and that is ok. I believe in you, you have the tools attached to you, you have the strength to try this, you don't need a gadget, what you need money can't buy, it's called support 💞.

Explain to your partner how you feel about the feeding element, make sure he is completely on board with that support, whether it's getting you through the early days where you want to give up by constant encouragement, love and cups of tea, and positivity (trust me that's what you need!) or physically putting timers on for pumping to running daily baths post birth for the first two weeks so your breasts get a good warm soaking every morning and every evening. God they help!.

I can't seem to feed without holding the breast I'm feeding from, I find it feels too weird otherwise for me, never seen anyone else do that! But lots of women have ways or tricks that have allowed us to breast feed. Those nipple shields might be the perfect thing for you for instance too.

All any of us can do is try with anything, but you are built for doing this so your more then likely to succeed if you get the support you need at home. Pumping really is so easy as well, so much easier then breast feeding, you just pump! It doesn't feel like anything really and is incredibly satisfying once your breasts are full and milk comes in.

I do have the medela swing electric one but they are pricey, I got it with my last and only used it twice but I have a feeling it'll be working overtime this time around 😬

I am not going to buy any pump equipment until I’ve worked out whether I’m getting to grips with breastfeeding when baby is actually here or if I’ll end up switching to formula. £249 is so much money! I think it’s easy to be marketed miracle equipment as a vulnerable pregnant mum, especially with so much choice online it actually is overwhelming at times.

@peachypetite all true. Though I would say a basic, even second hand, hand-held one knocking around can be very useful to give the nipples a break, or you a break to snooze while dad does a few bottles. Though some babies like my last are complete bottle refusers which is why mine was never used in the end! more importantly I didn't have to return to work or anything so didn't need to actually do any pumping. I was like 'why do I even have this contraption when I have breasts attached to me and I'm hardly going anywhere!'

Did loads with my first baby, it was a life saver, so it is really really different for every baby and every woman, or every circumstance.

Manual second hand ones can of course be sterilised so you could literally get one for under a tenner, but obviously with Amazon prime you can always do a next day or get you man to run out of your in need somewhere. There's always some boots open isn't there even over Christmas!

@ChampooPapi yeh it makes sense. We have prime and a huge Tesco within walking distance so I’m not too worried. My poor mum was in such a state due to no support or help that she had given up breastfeeding by the time she left hospital (obviously in her day mums were kept in for longer) which is sad and think is why she’s already bought me shields that she said she wished she had known about and been really honest with me about the reality of the early days. Thanks so much for the discount code, I’ve been hankering after their muslins, going to try now and report back.