breastfeeding

cazziebo

My two are grown up now so a long past memory for me. You need very little to breast feed - very MSE!

What I do remember is not being prepared for the afterpains the second time around. Someone will be able to explain better but it's something to do with breastfeeding help the womb contract more quickly. It's more pronounced in second births. I don't even think I experienced it first time.

If that had been my first experience of breast feeding, I might have given up. I had to take pain killers, despite having gone through two natural births with no drugs at all. However, because I knew just how wonderfully convenient breastfeeding is, then I persevered. Seriously, it is well worth it. No bottles, no steriliser, never have to watch the clock, reason to sit with feet up for hours on end.... Fabulous! :T

Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy x

AmySquash

Hi there - Would highly recommend Lansinoh cream, no others come close! Use it often! I didn't bf my first two, but did (and still am) my third! I bought a feeding pillow but found it to be no good, so I just used loads of normal pillows in various positions (bought cheap from wilkinsons!) My best investment by far was Emma Jane Nursing bras from Boots, because I struggled to find a good fitting nursing bra. The Emma Jane ones are made of stretchy material and come in different sizes (s,m,l etc) and are great for fitting when your boobs are really full, and still fitting when not so full. I also struggled with various breast pads, but finally found the Lansinoh ones to suit me best, but it's different for each person, so maybe if you have any friends who are pregnant or had a baby, if they will let you have a couple to see which ones feel most comfortable for you? You will more than likely spend loads of time feeding at first, so make sure you have the tv remote or a book with you, and a drink - the minute the baby is latched on you develop an overwhelming thirst (or at least I did!). That's all I can think of for now. Feel free to message me if you have any questions! X

optimistic-mummy

Thanks again all. My partner and MIL and one aunt on my side of the family seem supportive of the idea. everyone else not so supportive the rest all bottle fed so dont understand why i would like to at least try and breastfeed i know there will be many that will say my milk isnt 'good enough' because breastfed babies take little often and feed more compared to formula fed babies. it will be a whole new experience for me the last thing you want is people discouraging you, hopefully i will stick to my guns ignore them and keep going.... if they have never done it then they obv dont know what they are talking about .... as far as i'm concerned breastfeeding and bottle feeding are two completely different things.
i've seen the emma jane bras i was going to get these save having to buy different sizes.

im a SAHM so think breastfeeding will work out better for me in the long run the good points compared to if i bottle fed would be :
1. milk on demand at perfect temp ... no hassle making up bottles
2. no sterilizing or extra washing up
3. no worrying on over feeding baby .... it will only take what it wants when it wants (someone please correct me if i'm wrong)
4. breast is best ...
5. no need to worry about running out of milk when out
6. helps with bonding
7. its free !! very MSE
8. helps baby fight infections
9. helps prevent asthma, SIDS etc
10. easier for baby to digest compared to formula

(please correct me if any of them are incorrect and feel free to add anymore if you can think of any other bonuses compared to formula feeding)

these are 10 things i will try and keep in mind when times get tough and i feel like giving up xxx

mucklebones

There are some good replies here that tell the truth about breastfeeding, at first it can be painful and exhausting as they seem to feed constantly day and night for about 6 weeks then they only slow down a little lol. I am certainly not trying to put you off but lots of mums worry they are not producing milk or something is not right because they have some discomfort as breastfed babies feed so much all of which are perfectly normal. The breastmilk is quickly absorbed which is why they seem constantly attached.

I would invest in a decent sling, some good nipple cream or gel pads (the soreness gets much better after about day 10.) Some good bras and easy access tops. I found a normal pillow was fine.

I would also say once you get past the difficult part the first week or two its actually a really wonderful feeling which is really worth the hard work to begin with. Good luck think perseverance

unschooler

Also, if you have help getting the latch right from the beginning it doesn't hurt at all. I got awful pain for a month or so the first time but by the time the second came along I knew how to avoid it and it was fine.

barbiedoll

Ooooh, well done for planning to BF your new baby, despite some family opposition! :j
It's brilliant that your partner is supportive too, he's the one who will be waking up to damp bedsheets when you're leaking, so it's good to get him onside!

Breastfeeding is one of those skills that you can't really grasp until you actually do it. Like learning to swim, or riding a bike, you can read books, watch videos and speak to others but you will only know what we're talking about with latching, positioning, sore nipples etc, when you experience it. Annoyingly, it's also one of those things that is staggeringly simple for some but a real faff for others. Some babies take to it straight away, some are not so quick. Some babies are greedy feeders from the first hour after birth, some take a few days to get in the swing of it.

Everyone agrees though, that it is very time-consuming in the first few weeks. This is why you can sometimes get negative comments from family members/friends and even partners, they don't like the fact that you are the one holding the baby all of the time. Nature is simply ensuring that you and your baby have lots of bonding time together, it also means that you are sitting and resting after a very tiring time (labour and birth). There's nothing wrong with that, as any of us BF mums will tell you!

I like your list of "positives", you may also know that BF is thought to protect you from some cancers (ovarian, breast, uterine) and that it will help you to lose any excess "baby" weight very fast. (Not that I'm advocating women getting back into their size 10's within a week, I think that most mums lose weight because they don't have time to eat properly!)
You'll also be setting a fine example to your son, if he grows up around women who BF, he's more likely to be encouraging towards his partner if she wishes to BF, when he's going to be a dad!

There's loads of help and support for breastfeeders out there, and it really is becoming the norm rather than the exception, thankfully. I wish you luck with your pregnancy and I hope you'll keep us up to date with your experiences.

pigpen

Opto.. the only one I'd argue with is number 4... breast is best... for MANY.. but not everyone.

But yeah.. that list is about right.

mysk_girl

Definitely agree with the afterpains - be prepared! I'm feeding number 3 at the moment and for the first week it was agony - nipples hardening up and the afterpains as well was not nice, but it does pass... Apparently it gets worse with each baby, I was fine with 1 and mildly annoying with 2 but 3 was something else..

Corelli

Loads of good advice here, but something I'd like to add is something I read quite recently. The fathers of exclusively breast fed babies have a very important job; to teach their babies that love can come without food. If your partner feels left out remind him of this.

Enjoy your baby OP, and the very special time together that BFing brings. I'd endorse the ease of it all. After the first couple of weeks are over and you are well and truly into the swing of it all it is so much easier and cheaper than bottles. Apart from any other benefit, of which I am totally convinced. No sterilising bottles, nothing to buy.

Oh, has anyone mentioned the intense thirst? Make sure you are well supplied with drinks before you settle down with bubba, learning how to walk about while BFing helps too - and a good sling can help here.

In the end I never bothered with nursing bras, just had soft non wired ones that pushed up easily but I daresay I will get corrected on this and that they can squash milk ducts or something.

If you do need support La Leche and the NCT have wonderful counsellors who will help. I think La Leche is 24 hours but wouldn't swear to it. My experience is that they were much better than NHS midwives but times have changed since my days of having babies.

Sid_Wolf

good luck my son's almost 5 weeks old and has been BF since birth

Personally I've not had any trouble feeding, except for 1-2 days where one nipple was sore, he was preferring to feed on the one side and didnt seem to be latching properly the other, we got around it by feeding in the rugby position on the dodgy breast for a day or 2 until my nipple had healed, since then we've not had any issues. I dont spend all day with a baby on my b00b and he's a very quick efficient feeder, we are very lucky though

I bought bottles (mam self sterilising ones, so didnt buy a steriliser), and a pump, but I didnt get on with the pump so if I want OH to do a feed I hand express.

I dont have actual nursing bras, I have soft, non-wired ones from primark, 2 for £5, they're not padded so I can just pull them down over my b00b Also primark have vest tops atm which have large arm holes, I wear a stretch vest and then one of these vests on top, the arm holes are large enough that I can pull it to the side over my b00b and pull the stretchy vest and my bra down, then i latch baby on and put the corner of a muslin through the straps of my tops and can cover any bare skin with that

Muslins are a must, im a leaker if my baby decides to pop off to have a look around I need to have a muslin close by that i can hold over my b00b until he's ready to go back on, otherwise things get soggy :rotfl: and as above, good for covering yourself up a bit

I personally like the johnsons breastpads, they're a nice shape and stay in place well, whatever ones you choose stock up in the baby events!

the best thing i've found so far - co-sleeping! We put baby to bed in his moses basket (right near my side of the bed) and when he wakes up I change him then pop him in our bed next to me and can feed him while dozing, often he'll fall asleep too and stays there till morning I would put him straight into our bed but I sleep lighter when he's beside me, and I like to have a few hours of deep sleep first!