Breastfeeding Tips!!

[Sinead543]

Any breastfeeding tips for a first time mum??

Due early next year and feeling anxious that I won’t get as much help in hospital as you usually would because of COVID

Ask your local midwife, health visitor or La Leche League for information about local antenatal breastfeeding classes.

Some stuff that you need to know is 'information' e.g. how often to make sure baby feeds, when your milk will come in etc which you can get off websites or books, but some stuff I think you need to watch on Youtube e.g. getting a newborn to latch.

My tips would be:

• Expect it to hurt a bit at first. It is certainly easier to bottle feed than breastfeed for the first 4 weeks or so BUT then after that once you have cracked it, breastfeeding is SO much easier and cheaper and more convenient than bottles. So whatever you do, try to keep going through that first tough period

• Don't be tempted to skip feeds for formula in the first few weeks to get a break/let dad help out etc. The first 6 weeks are crucial for establishing your supply and any missed feeds will cause your supply to be lowered which may then lead you to thinking that you don't have enough milk for your baby, which then leads you to give more formula, which then lessens your supply even more, etc. It is a really common misconception to think that you can't make enough milk for baby and the above is one of the main reasons why. Also people mistake cluster feeding/feeding very frequently for not having enough milk and resort to formula to 'top up' which then becomes self-fulfilling because your supply will drop and also baby may develop a bottle preference since it's easier and quicker to get milk that way. There are actually very few women who cannot make enough milk but almost everyone I speak to who started breastfeeding but gave up sooner than they wanted to said it was because they couldn't make enough milk for baby.

• Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your choice to breastfeed and make sure your DP is on board. Some people (e.g. my MIL ), for reasons that are unclear to me, choose to make disparaging comments/remarks or offer unsolicited 'advice' about how much better/easier formula is and how it will make them sleep better/talk sooner/bond more with dad/be more independent (all bullshit). Hopefully you won't get any, but don't stand for any nonsense. Your baby, your choice.

@bananallamas
Thank you so much! I’ve already had a few comments from people saying “you won’t be able to do it” and I’ve shut them down straight away and made it clear that this is what I want to do so just support me.

@questionss
I’ve looked online for antenatal classes and due to Covid a lot of classes in my area have been cancelled

There's someone called Pip the Midwife (or it might be Midwife Pip) on Instagram and she runs online antenatal classes, they might be useful?

My biggest thing would be to be relaxed about it! I wasnt bothered about it with my first, thought I'd just try, and it worked really well. I've known so many people that its the be all and end all for, theyve got really stressed about it and it hasnt worked out.

I found this video quite good for understanding how to get a good latch.

globalhealthmedia.org/portfolio-items/attaching-your-baby-at-the-breast/?portfolioCats=191%2C94%2C13%2C23%2C65

I paid for a lactation consultant visit at around 2.5 weeks though as despite all the reading/videos etc I still had cracked agonising nipples. The midwives kept saying the latch was good but it was still so painful - they were wrong. If it hurts, seek help. If it still hurts, they haven't sorted the problem, so try getting help elsewhere.

Now 12 weeks in and feeding is easy, much easier than formula feeding my first. The lactation consultant was £90 for her visit & ongoing phone support (I sent her whatsapp videos of the latch!) Which may seem expensive but it's a lot cheaper than 1yr + of formula. She came to my home too even during covid, which was a lot better for me than via video chat.

In my areas there are bf support groups which are all zoom based at the moment so worth googling that in advance. What you dont want is to get into a crisis situation over a bank holiday or something and not have any support and give up before you want to (that's what happened to me with number 1). The bf support groups will be happy to have you join them before baby arrives too, at least the ones in my area are.

There should be online/zoom antenatal classes. Definitely ask, it's not always easy to find on Google.

La Leche are running classes

I've heard that The Positive Breastfedding Book is good.

I also read The Positive Birth Book which was excellent.

In the first few weeks babies feed a lot. Look up cluster feeding. They might feed for an hour and then immediately seem hungry again. This is them building your supply and does not mean they are unsatisfied or not "getting enough" and does not mean you have a milk supply problem. Topping up with formula reduces your milk supply - look up the "top up trap".
Basically just feed your baby whenever they want and for as long as they want. as long as they're gaining weight and doing wet and dirty nappies it's all good.

In the first few weeks babies feed a lot. Look up cluster feeding. They might feed for an hour and then immediately seem hungry again. This is them building your supply and does not mean they are unsatisfied or not "getting enough" and does not mean you have a milk supply problem. Topping up with formula reduces your milk supply - look up the "top up trap".
Basically just feed your baby whenever they want and for as long as they want. as long as they're gaining weight and doing wet and dirty nappies it's all good.

This is so important to remember. There are loads of threads from women worried they aren't supplying enough milk because their baby is feeding so often and it isn't the case at all.

Also that when your milk first comes in your breasts do get very full and uncomfortable but as soon as supply is established they will be soft again all the time. It's another common misconception that of your breasts never feel full that again you arent making enough milk and that's not true either. I only ever felt full 3 times; first day milk came in, first time I left DS for a few hours with some bottles of expressed milk and first time he slept through.

Hello, I'm a FTM and I've been breastfeeding my baby for 8 weeks now. My advice would be to be confident that you'll be able to bf. I found when I was pregnant there's alot of confusing information about breastfeeding which makes it sound much more complicated than it is. Don't think you need to be pumping or eating lactation cookies or anything like that! It can take some work in the beginning but once you get going it's as simple as just putting your baby on your boob. Where I live there's a local breastfeeding support group who do an online antenatal course so it might be worth looking for similar in your area. Be sure to make the most of the support available while you're in hospital. Even if you don't have a straight forward delivery don't think that you can't breastfeed, I had an emergency section and we still managed. I would also read about clogged milk ducts and how to prevent and treat them as I had no clue about these but they seem to happen to most women when breastfeeding. Above all just believe in yourself that you can feed your baby and they will grow and thrive :)

Also for someone to say you won't be able to breastfeed when you haven't even had your baby yet is completely ridiculous, as if they would know...

There's a really good (but really awfully titled) book by the LLL- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I read it whilst pregnant with my first and it prepared me so much for what was to come. It's a little cheesy in places, but full of invaluable information and guidance. Also the website KellyMom.

1. sometimes your baby will be on you 24/7 and that’s ok, feed lying down and nap or get your phone out/tv and watch some good series.

2. can hurt at first whilst they get the milk flowing THIS DOES NOT LAST

3. screw swanky breastfeeding tops, just flop around in a large men’s t shirt and use vest too under clothes when out. I bought 2 XL men’s t shirts from Asda for £5 and it’s lush just having easy access see point one above that’s comfy round the house!

4. join the local breastfeeding group, support is a god send.

5. enjoy it, seeing them so close up growing and changing makes me cry regularly, they’re so damn cute!

Ive breastfed all four of my children and this is the advice I wish I'd had at the beginning -

Breastfed babies don't have a 'schedule'. They feed on demand, as much or as little as they like. It could be five times in an hour, or once in three hours. Some days it does feel constant. Ignore anyone who makes comments like ' baby can't possibly be hungry again' etc.

They don't breastfeed just for food. They like to suckle at the breast as it makes them feel really safe and secure, and they love being close to mum. When my children were babies putting them to the breast always calmed them almost instantly. Google the fourth trimester, it explains alot of this.

It can be slightly painful in the early days. I almost gave up, but my mum encouraged me to persevere and I'm really glad I did.

I co slept with my babies, which meant I didn't need to get up through the night, i could just lie and doze while they fed, which was great as I had older children to look after the next day and needed all the rest i could get. They all seemed to sleep really well snuggled in beside me. They all transitioned to their own bed at age 1 really well too. If you follow the guidelines on co sleeping it can really help you get lots of rest during the night.

If you want to introduce a bottle, do it early. With my second and fourth babies I didn't introduce a bottle until after 4 months, and they point blank refused. I couldn't ever get them to take one which was hard as j could never leave them with anyone. It was much easier with my other two babies who could be left with their dad or a family member for an hour here or there whilst I went to the dentist, got my hair cut etc. I introduced a bottle of expressed milk at 4 weeks old.

Dont be afraid to ask for help with other jobs while you are feeding the baby. Also, learning how to put baby in a wrap slimg can be really helpful as they can feed while you go about your business.

Good luck!

Also forgot to add FTM to 16 week old 😍 not a pro by any means

P.s sorry for all the typos!

P.ps

I totally second everything
@bananallamas and @DappledThings said

The beginning is extremely difficult but keep going at do not stop even if you think you are not producing enough milk. You body will adjust

Support, support, support. Even if it's virtual.

Ask for help from anyone who is available- midwives, health visitors, other mums, breastfeeding support groups. I don't know what will be available then due to covid but I had my DS during the Beast from The East, had no health visitors etc and I managed to find telephone helplines that were a godsend.

Keep going- it hurts at first, you think you'll never get it, and well-meaning people will say "are you sure you don't just want me to get you a bottle?" And you will be so tempted but I really believe if you can stick it for 6 weeks, you can do it for ever.

Sorry but I'm going to be a bit negative - my tip would be to acknowledge that while with persistence and hard work early on, you will most likely be able to breast feed your baby easily, it's also possible that for whatever reason it won't work out like that, and that's ok, and it doesn't make you a failure as a mother.

I also have an 8 week old and despite a huge amount of effort and doing everything "by the book" she still failed to put on weight while we were ebfing so we've had to supplement. The supplementing is no huge deal to her, but the emotional impact on me (and by extension her) has been massive. So do go in to it with confidence, but don't treat it as the be all and end all, and remember success is partly down to knowledge and hard work, but also partly down to luck xx

Because of covid we had no visitors so I was basically topless 24/7. Made life super easy and I'm 7 months in now and still not a single cracked nipple or any other pain or anything!

I didn't realise it was what had made the difference until I went out for the first time and started chaffing on the nipple pads. So I'd say feed as much as possible and allow your nipples to air dry.

Also remember breast feeding isn't jusy about feeding. It does so many other wonderful things and can calm your baby quicker than anything else in those early months. Best tip I got off one of the hippy groups I joined on Facebook while pregnant - when in doubt offer breast. If nappy has been changed and baby has been burped but still isn't happy whip out the boob even if you think it's not time yet or whatever. Works a charm.

Baby is 7 months now and it no longer works but in the early days it was a dream!!

Also as long as you're seeing wet nappies don't worry. Breast fed babies sometimes poo less so be patient. I found that as soon as I realllly started worrying she went hahaha. Bicycle legs are your friend.
Your supply is enough jusy keep offering. Don't fall into the formula top up bollocks it's a trap and does not in any way shape or form support you in establishing supply.

Reduce dairy for a bit if it's what your baby needs. Make your life easier not harder.

Anyway hope that's helpful.

Lansinoh is your friend for cracked and sore nipples. For all three of my babies it hurt like hell when they first latched in the early days, but it does get better once your nipples have toughened up. Lansinoh really helps with this!

Sooo much great advice here!

I loved breastfeeding :)

I found the Jojo Breton-style striped nursing tops to be the best for going out and about and breastfeeding.
I could access things very subtly, and keep chatting in coffee shops etc
It’s good to have outfits you feel confident about feeding in when you’re not at home

(Some people like shirts for example, but I felt like once the buttons are open everything is on show! So yeah - google the jojo tops they’re about £25 and wash amazingly)

It they feed all the damn time glares at DD it's normal, block out the "oh well mine only feeds every 3 hours"

Bottles of water, everywhere

More than one tube of nipple cream (if you loose your only one and you need it you will cry)

Vest tops under normal tops if you can get away with it, so nice to have normal selections of clothes

Boobing in a carrier is the shit if you can work it