preparing to make a success of breast feeding, ideas?

[sedgiebaby]

Any ideas please or books, videos, online resources? I'm a first time mum and 30 wks, I really want to make a go of breast feeding and I hear so many who have difficulty and ultimately fail. .

I really feel I need a step by step guide and detail on what to expect, common problems etc.

(I've tried searching on youtube and OMG @ the search results)

bestfeeding by renfrew.

kellymom.com

any posts by tiktok on here

Does your local area have any sort of breast feeding support groups? They're usually run by volunteer peer supporters. Your MW should know. If yes pay them a visit before you have baby so you know where to find them when you're knackered with a new baby.

I found my local groups to be a lifeline when I was struggling in the early days.

Good luck. It may be straight forward for you. Not everyone has problems.

The Food of Love by Kate Evans is a good book - I've just bought a copy for a friend.

Agree with attending a peer supporter support group pre-birth if you can

my top tip is to get a support contact before you even have your baby

search google for
baby cafe
la leche league gb
breastfeeding cafes

you're bound to find something in your area, and they are welcoming to pregnant mums as well as women who are already breastfeeding
that way, if you meet any problems in the early days you already have a place to go and a phone number for someone who can offer tip top advice

what really helped me was using the MWs in the hospital (I had to stay in for a while) to help me everytime I did a feed, and then also asking the Health Visitor when they visit too.
La Leche league and NCT also helpful. Buy some nipple cream in advance too!

best of luck

The Politics of Breastfeeding doesn't give any practical advice but it makes you so enraged about how breastfeeding is undermined and how women have lost faith that they are capable of bf that it makes you more confident in your ability to be sucessful. It really helped me after struggling with my first 2 I succeeded with my 3rd in less than perfect circs (emcs/drugged up/baby very ill in scbu/didn't try to feed until day 6)

Having a RL local person to help is great

Lansinoh nipple cream is great.

Accept that you may well spend much of the first few weeks simply feeding your baby

This is your job in the early days so don't get hung up on getting your baby into a 3 hourly routine or whatever just feed, feed feed ...

It is tiring, and can be actually exhausting but it is amazing

DD is 9 months and i am still feeding in spite of being back at work FT ...

Ip used MN a lot and it was invaluable and had plenty of wonderful advice and encrouagement

Agree with Food of Love and Politics of Breastfeeding as a good reads too

One important thing to know is that to begin with it is perfectly normal for the baby to feed very often indeed. I think this is why so many people think their baby isn't getting enough as they are expecting a longer break between feeds.

Also that what you express is not a sign of how much milk you are producing.

Someone on here also said once that your breast milk flows like a river (so you never run out of milk) rather than being a bucket that can be emptied. I expect they said it rather more elegantly than that though, but you get my drift.

I think a common issue or problem is expectations

That your baby will feed and sleep and that will be it and get into a routine ...

BF can initially seem like a harder choice because it can take a while for supply to become established etc but onc everything is working it is so easy and convenient

My advice, if you do have supply issues (and there's no reason why you would, but some do) is to invest in buying or renting an electric pump. Don't bother with hand pumps. Get real life, decent help as soon as possible if you are struggling and don't be afraid to ask for help, even after you have left hospital and gone home.

the food of love and MN
don't watch the clock, don't stress because it's only been 20 minutes since the last feed, if the baby is crying for no obvious other reason, try a feed. You can't overfeed him, you aren't spoiling him. You're meeting his needs in the best way possible.

It seems like the most common problems involve not enough milk (which can be to do with teh expectations women have of feeding for 20 minutes every 3 hours or something along those lines) and cracked/sore nipples, which you should get help with.

x post with ruby and HC about expectations - exactly! Read loads of stuff on here and then you will most likely be pleasantly surprised
where abouts in the country are you?

oh and if you think co sleeping might be for you, give it a go - it has saved my sanity this time round.

My local NCT have breastfeeding counsellors and the national NCT have a breastfeeding helpline. I'm planning to have their numbers pinned to the fridge!

'Bestfeeding' book as ruddynorah said.

Some childrens centres have baby cafe/breastfeeding dropin groups and you can go before baby is born, ask any questions and get to recognise a few faces.

And kellymom.com is fab for lots of good, reliable breastfeeding info.

Expect to fed very very very often at first, and get some advice early if you need any help.

It gets a lot easier, you and the baby learn how to do it together

I agree that the politics of bfeeding is a good read, it made me determined to breastfeed - and I had 3 months where I had to have pain relief to do so.

A baby cafe is a good place.

Get lots of DVDs and watch with subtitles on.

Do not allow yourself to get sore cracked nipples.

Use Laninosh.

Ruby I am so impressed with you bf while being in FT employment - can you give me some tips as to how you do it?

yy to co-sleeping

I kicked DH out and put the baby on top of the duvet. No pillows except for the small one I used.

Was great. I kept nappy changing stuff on the bed too so I didn't have to move at all in the night.

Find out where your local support groups are and if possible, attend before you have baby to chat to other BF mums and if they are ok with it, see how they latch on the baby.

Online resources - Dr Jack Newman has some video clips which helped me a lot. See website here: www.drjacknewman.com/default.asp

A decent breastfeeding cushion like a boppy is something I wish I'd had first time around.

I second what rubyslippers says about expecting to do nothing but feed. Small babies often cluster feed, popping on and off all evening and during growth spurts it can feel non-stop. BUT it really does get easier and it is just so much more convenient IMO.

I would have a look into safe co-sleeping as you may want to bring your baby into bed to feed at night. If you can learn to BF lying down and doze when the baby does, that really helps.

Good luck! :-)

after bf'ing my first dd for 3 yrs, then ds for 2 yrs i assumed dd2 (now 4 months after a 6yr baby gap!) would feed easily. i was wrong, it took a good 8 wks for her to settle in to a pattern and not bring feeds up, refuse them etc. she now feeds very well, co sleeping helps as she can latch herself on while i sleep/doze. It did take a while tho, and it would have been easy at the time to stop and give AF in a bottle but i am soo glad i did not as now she is very easy to satisfy. Good luck and ask for help from the midwives with positions and latch, it really helps!

snowdropzs i feed DD before i go to work, when i come home and at 10 pm

She doesn't take a bottle so I don't express

On the weekends when i am home she feeds more (maybe an afternoon feed) but when i am not there she seems fine

She eats very well as she is 9 months now

Also YY to co-sleeping.

All of the above plus...

Believe you can do it. Low supply is often cited as a reason for giving up or beginnig mixed feeding but is in actuality pretty rare (although it can happen). Ime it's often one of the first things mentioned by health professionals if things don't go to plan and can really worry new mums. So question and investigate any mention of low supply carefully.

And don't have bottles in 'just in case'. The friend who recommended I get bottles in case the bf didn't work out was the friend who fed her DS for a week. The other friend who said don't have bottles in, it could tempt you at a low moment, is the one who fed all 4 of her DCs to a year and beyond.

You can do it! The biggest factor in my bf success was my absolute determination to do it.

strongly recommend you research mastitis and its symptoms......if you have any suspicion you have it, get to the doctors....don't leave it....it can get very nasty and lead to an abscess, which could put an end to your BF relationship.
This happened to me and i really wish i had known more about mastitis before. You have the benefit of my hindsight.

I can't over-emphasise the importance of REST in the early weeks. Almost everyone I know who has had problems with breastfeeding has had a hectic round of baby groups, visitors and various other things that they felt they had to do, but in the early days, as you're getting established, rest and skin-to-skin contact with baby is vital. Accept that you will spend large chunks of your time snuggled up in bed/on the sofa. Set up camp with a jug of water, some good books and DVDs and the TV remote. It does feel interminable at times and it can get claustrophobic, especially during growth spurts and evening marathon feeds, but it does get easier - a lot easier! I found that it helped to remind myself that I wasn't alone, especially in the middle of the night when he was feeding and feeding: picturing all the other mums doing the same thing across the world really helped.

Also, soppy though this might sound, have faith in your boobs. There are all sorts of subtle ways in which doubt can creep in - I remember several medical people asking me if I was going to 'try' to breastfeed, for example. Remember that an awful lot of people have no problems whatsoever with breastfeeding - you just tend not to hear from them as much on forums etc, because they're just quietly getting on with it, so don't focus too much on posts you might read from people having difficulties. I really didn't think I was going to be able to breastfeed because of a previous abusive relationship that had left me unable to stand even the thought of my nipples being touched, but I surprised myself by being absolutely fine and having no problems whatsoever. You sound as if you're going into this with a good strong attitude and every intention of succeeding, and that will definitely stand you in good stead.

I fed my first for two years, now feeding my second who is four weeks.

My tips are to have someone help you with your first feed in hospital if you possibly can. Get the theory, but a little practical help is important. It's important to get it as right as possible from the word go because it's quite easy to damage your nipples with just one or two incorrectly latched feeds. Once your nipples are painful it can become tricky to recover as you are always feeding. Prevention is key.

Drink plenty of water, and try to rest in the afternoon coming up to the 5/6 pm mark when milk production is often slower. You need rest in order to make milk that's why you have much more in the morning.

Also, infacol is useful. I think it's rare for a baby not to have some degree of trapped wind issues in the evenings in the early days.

tbh Lastyearsmodel I had bottles in just in case, and am still feeding DS at 3!
I still have the just in case bottles, but am chucking them now DD is 9mo