mothers who breastfeed?

Question

i am 18 weeks pregnant and was wondering if there are anyways to get your breasts ready to breastfeed?

is there something you wish you had done to prepare?
was there anything you do did do that you feel has helped to you?

thanks in qadvance ;-)

Answer 1

You don't need to get your breasts ready to nurse. They are doing that themselves, even if you don't see/feel anything. *Nothing* you can do now will help.

The only exception (and this is controversial) is if you have flat or inverted nipples. To check if you have protruding nipples, place your thumb and one finger on opposite sides of the breast about an inch (2.5 cm.) away from the base of one nipple. Press them together. Is your nipple now pointing *out* or did it move outwards from the breast? If so, there's no problem. If your nipple is completely flat *when you compress the breast*, you have a flat nipple. If it moves inward (towards the chest wall), you have an inverted nipple. Check the other one; they will not always be the same.

*Some* experts recommend treating flat or inverted nipples during pregnancy; others note that most often, they will fix themselves (and baby can usually nurse anyway). There are various exercises you can do, preferably in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy, or you can leave them alone. If you want to try something, call a La Leche League Leader (see sources section below).

If you choose not to treat flat/inverted nipples in advance, your baby will still be able to nurse. A baby needs to *breast*feed, not *nipple*feed. Just be *absolutely* sure that nobody gives your baby any artificial nipple (bottle or pacifier); a baby that gets used to the feel of an artificial nipple in her/his will seldom be willing to nurse on flat or inverted nipples.

Do plan on attending a La Leche League meeting--or preferably several--before your baby is born. You'll get lots of basic information *and* if you need help afterwards, you won't be calling a total stranger.

Nursing shouldn't hurt!! If you have some discomfort early on, it may be normal, but (unless you are *very* sensitive to pain) if it is more than uncomfortable, there is a problem. Get help right away--it's easier to fix a problem when it's just starting than later on. Do *not* accept excuses from people who don't know how to help you ("Oh, everyone has excruciating pain; don't worry about it" or "Oh, bleeding from the nipples is normal").

Answer 2

Physically, there's really nothing you can do before you have the baby. Afterwards though, you should try to let your nipples air dry - basically walk around with the nursing flaps open on your bra for awhile after you've finished feeding the baby. Just remember to not do this when you have company! My sister, who was totally comfortable watching me nurse, once asked me 10 minutes after I'd set my son down to please cover up. (oops)

You can do some mental preparations though:

The best book that I've read so far is "So that's what they're for" by Janet Tamaro. It covered the how-to's but was also funny which made it easier to read.

After you've read the book (and assuming that the father is going to be an active part of family life) talk to him about why you're breastfeeding. There are a zillion reasons breast milk is better than formula, but try to focus on the ones that matter the most to him - higher IQ, less illness - meaning more time to play with Dad, etc. Having your husband/boyfriend support you will be a big factor in how long you can nurse.

One thing I wish I'd done is gone to an LLL meeting before I gave birth. I thought, quite incorrectly, that if I went to a meeting they'd try to force me to breastfeed until kindergarten and jump all over me if I did anything different than the right way to breastfeed. I was so wrong. I finally starting going when my son was 11 months old and the ladies were super nice and just really supportive. One mom had supply issues and supplemented with formula and no one said anything critical to her at all. They just gave advice on how to get her supply back up without being judgemental about it. Occaisionally pregnant women would come to our meetings and they always seemed to be reassured knowing they weren't the only BFing moms out there. That was probably one of the best things I got out of it too was seeing other moms that had made the same decision I did.

You also might want to find out if your hospital or birthing center has a lactation consultant on staff; if so definitely get her contact info and try to get her to come by while you're still in the hospital. I had 3 different nurses over my 3 day stay and 1 was awesome at helping me breastfeed, one was ok, and the other, frankly, sucked (pun not intended :) I should have asked about a lactation consiltant while I was there.

I really hope this helps and congrats on your pregnancy!

Answer 3

There is nothing you can do to get your breasts ready, but you can get your brain ready!
1 Look into breastfeeding classes - sometimes they are offered at child birth class centers or at hospitals.

2 Also, get a breastfeeding book and read it CLOSELY...

3 also, be prepared that when the baby comes, you will not have any clue what you are doing! Breastfeeding really IS rocket science. Have resources already available (ie know the number to the lactation consultant at the hospital you are delivering at and have the number of la leche league leaders in your area)

4 Ask for the lactation consultant to come and see you while you are still in the hospital after you deliver...try to see one EVERY DAY you are there if you can.

5 DONT be afraid to ask for help! The first few weeks can be really tough and a lot of women give up - but it is SO worth it for your baby and for you! So hang in there! Good luck!!

Answer 4

Great question....and awesome of you to plan ahead to Breastfeed!

When I was preparing for the birth of my first son, I was told jokingly to prepare for breastfeeding by "Wearing chip-clips on my nipples 12 times a day for 40 minutes" LOL! But seriously, your nipples will have to be 'conditioned', which is pretty much what happens during the first several weeks of nursing. They will become tougher.

I don't know that there is much physical preparation you can do that I KNOW to be beneficial. Some breast and nipple massage maybe, as you will be feeling some breast tingling, aching, and heaviness as your pregnancy progresses and those mammary glands gear up for action. Take a Breastfeeding class at your local hospital (most offer it in conjunction with Childbirthing classes). Also look into visiting some meetings of your local LaLecheLeague. Those meetings are for Pregnant and Nursing moms. It was a GREAT support and incredibly informative.

Most of the preparation you will have to do is MENTAL. I was thrown for a loop when I started breastfeeding my first baby and realized how incredibly TIME CONSUMING it was. I was the milk-maid. That is all I existed for, was to produce milk. It seemed as soon as one nursing session was over, it was time to begin again. For a first timer, it is such a change.
Now, with my second child, it was NO SWEAT. It came naturally, and didn't seem so time consuming. I think it was because I knew what I was committing to. Now she is almost a year old. :o)

Good luck to you. You are making the BEST decision for your baby!!

Answer 5

Really besides reading or going to speak with a lactation specialist, there is not much to prepare for. Get really good bras, disposable breast pads, nipple balm (try to find one you dont have to wash of before feeding baby, Try Gerber). Get you some nursing shirts, that allow you to easily feed and keep some privacy. Also a good breast feeding pillow. I would suggest the Breastfriend Pillow, I liked it better than the boppie pillows gave more support. Using a breast pump is not the worst idea because baby will not eat alot at first, and your breast may fill fast, so to get some relief you can pump. But pumping is also good so if you ever want some you time, baby can have milk while you are away. And you will want some you time sooner or later. Your local WIC office can also give you alot of helpful lactaion advise. Most importantly dont stimulate your nipples it can give you contractions and that can be harmful to baby Goodluck.

Answer 6

There are a few things you can do... check the hospital/birthing center where you're planning on having the baby for breastfeeding classes or ask if they have any pamphlets on the subject.
The birthing center I had my son at had free classes.
You can also check out the La Leche (sp) League--they specialize in breastfeeding.
You can also subscribe to Parenting magazines (Parenting, American Baby etc) they sometimes have really good articles on breastfeeding and how to start preparing.

I could only breastfeed my son for about 3 months. I wish I could've breastfed him longer.--he was a biter. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 7

You don't need to prepare your breasts, but you DO need to prepare your mind. Breastfeeding takes a while to get used to. It will be painful, but it is soooo worth it. I think I'm closer to my children because I breastfed. You will also need to prepare you significant other because he WILL feel left out. My husband was all for me breastfeeding, but he did get jealous because that's ALL you do in the beginning, and he was jealous of the bond the baby and I had. So read a lot on the subject, talk to other moms around you for help when the baby arrives, and take classes if they're available to you!! Most of all DON"T GIVE UP! It's totally amazing that your body can sustain this tiny little person!! Good luck!

Answer 8

You need to continue to eat right and take prenatal vitamins even after the baby is born. As a matter of fact you should continue doing that for a while after you stop breast feeding also...but particularly at least while you are still breast feeding. Other than that, it is a really good idea to talk to your doctor's office. They can refer you to local centers/hospitals/etc who offer classes, can let you borrow video's or will give you books/brochures to help you learn positions, the proper foods to eat and avoid, ways to help when your baby is not latching, ways to cure painful breasts, etc etc. The only thing I wish I'd of done is known more and had the creams on hand to ease the pain when my breasts became sore or when they had sores from latching on improperly. Actually it is also a good idea depending on how long you have in mind to breast feed to stock up on "pads" to put in your bra washable or use and toss ones they all work the same. It's much easier to keep up on the throw away versions tho. Also be sure you have a few at least three breast feeding bra's, where there is a latch or hook and just the breast covering part comes down, this way you don't have to remove your entire bra, etc. Now they also have shirts, that make it particularly easy to breast feed in public also, the shirts lift up, etc I've heard they're nice but I never had one. So I can't say from experience on that part. Make sure you have extra pillows people can live without in your house also, to stack to lay the baby on depending on which position you may use (it's good to alternate positions) or get one of those types of boppy pillow deals. Keep in mind eating healthy mostly! Good luck!! :)

Answer 9

It is a natural thing that you have to work at to be successful. You can request a lactation nurse to help you after the baby is born. I guess after having 2 children my advice would be to expect there to be some difficult times and be ready for the leaks. I used cloth diapers because the pads did not work very well. When my friend had her first baby she was on the phone with me every 5 minutes with nursing questions. It is tough, but well worth it so hang in there and work through all of the rough patches. Good Luck.

Answer 10

I'm 39 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby. I have been using nipple stimulation as a way to naturally induce labor, but all it has done is cause me to lactate, a lot! So later on in pregnancy it may be used to jump start your milk suppy, but I'll know how affective that method is after I have this baby. I had a hard time breastfeeding my first one for the first few weeks, but I did it successfully for about 13 months without any preperation. Make sure you continue to take your prenantal vitamins while nursing and take care of yourself physically and mentally. Your stress CAN be transmitted through your breastmilk in the form of hormones and can cause a fussy baby.
Good luck and congratulations!