How can I prepare myself for breast feeding? I'm 28 wks pregnant now.?

Question

I'm terrified of getting mastitis, and i've heard that breast-feeding can be painful - any tips to overcome there things?

Answer 1

Initially it can be uncomfortable, painful occurs when your baby is not latched on to your breast in the correct position. This is why the first few days are critical in getting things established properly, and they are hard work, but well worth it in the long run. Check out your local hospital to see if they run any antenata breastfeeding workshops and discuss it with your midwife too. A lot of very good books are available now on the subject of breastfeeding, they're all geared for different levels of experience, ie: first time feeders, professional, etc. Mastitis is actually less rare than you might think. In my professional experience in supporting breastfeeding mums I've only encountered it a handful of time. Yes it is horrible, basically you feel like you've got a really bad dose of the flu and have a very sore part of your breast(s) to boot. The good news is if your baby is feeding well you are unlikely to develop mastitis, because it is generally caused by milk not being removed properly from the breast and becoming stagnant and then the breast tissue becomes inflamed.

On the plus side, you have about 3 month unless your baby decides it wants to break free earlier, so there's plenty of time for you to read up and find out about breastfeeding. There are loads of fantastic websites that can give info and also run classes (you will have to pay for them though). The other bonuses are that for every day you do manage to feed you will give yourself protection against some cancers and your baby protection against numerous diseases too.

There is nothing really that you can do to prepare your breasts for feeding, so don't be worrying about spending a fortune on lotions and potions - they don't work and I'm sure with a baby on the way you have plenty to spend your money on (I know we have - no 2 is due in a week).

www.abm.me.uk/ (association of breastfeeding mothers)
www.lalecheleague.org/ (la leche league)
www.nct.pregnancyandbabycare.com/ (national childbirth trust)

Answer 2

You may never get mastitis. I didn't get it for the first time until I had been breastfeeding for over 3 years! And I caught the symptoms early so I was able to get over it pretty quickly.

Breastfeeding SHOULD NOT be painful. There may be a little discomfort early on, but it should NOT be toe-curling pain and if it is that is a sign that something is WRONG and you need HELP from a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) or a La Leche League Leader.

There is a bit of discomfort at first, at that's normal. Think of it this way - the first time you shovel the driveway in the winter is HARD. Your hands get sore and your back hurts. It's work you haven't done with your body for a long time! Your body has to adjust to the new job you've given it. Breastfeeding is the same way. After you've been at it for a bit and your body learns it's new job, it shouldn't hurt.

I'd suggest you get some good books on breastfeeding now and visit your local La Leche League group. If you get to know your Leader now, before baby arrives, you'll be more comfortable calling her if you have questions or problems after the birth. She'll help you for FREE and may be available to visit you at home, especially for a mom with a newborn. (She's a trained volunteer, so her own home situation plays into what she can and can't manage doing.) You'll also develop a support system from the moms in the group and learn A LOT before baby arrives!

I'd suggest you read:
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LLL
So THAT'S What They're For by Janet Tamero
prior to baby's arrival.

Other than getting information and support, there really isn't much to do to prepare. DO NOT "rough up your nipples" with anything as you could damage them and cause yourself problems. You might want to buy some breast pads, a couple of nursing bras (get measured in your last trimester) and some Lansinoh cream. Put the cream on your nipples after each nursing and it will help keep you from getting sore or dried out. If you do have any cracking or anything, it will help that heal as well.

Answer 3

Mastitis is caused by engorgement, eg feeding from one breast and forgetting about the other. Yes mastitis was painful, but antibiotics and cabbage leaves work great. Don't worry about breast feeding is the only advice I can offer. When I was in hospital, all the breast feeding mums were put together and evryone thought I made it look easy. Basically I was brought up in africa were breast feeding is the norm, I just did what i saw. I sat cross legged on the bed and fed the way I felt comfortable, I had all these so called specialists coming round shoving my nipples in the correct way and telling me to sit up and shove loads of pillows around me. Its all bullshit (sorry) breastfeeding is the most natural way you can feed your baby and the more you think about it and stress about it, the more complicated you make it.
I'm no mother earth type, by all means. I just don't like people telling me what to do.
You don't need to prepare your body in any way, its doing it already. Just relax and do what feels right. Its instinct and you'll know when it happens.

Answer 4

I definitely recommend reading "SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE FOR!" by Janet Tamero.
It has a lot of info but is also funny! Good for you to read, also for the baby's Dad/Gran or whoever else is going to be helping you out, so they understand what you are trying to do!

The advice about talking to la leche league or anyone suitable in your country (we are all assuming that it's the UK so far) - it is good to have someone you can ask questions, when you need to.

If you hold the baby's body facing you - tummy to tummy - and get him to take a big mouthful (not just the nipple), that's good. If you squeeze out a drop or two of breastmilk after a feed and use it like a lotion on your nipples, it helps heal them if they are getting sore. Some people do use Lansinoh cream.

If you feed OFTEN (sometimes you feel as if this is all you do in the first weeks - make sure someone else is doing the washing/cooking etc.!) when your milk is coming in (changing from colostrum to the white-looking milk) this can help to avoid getting engorged, and therefore mastitis.

OK, I'll stop, you can read this stuff in the books.
All the best with your baby!

Answer 5

You can do some preliminary reading beforehand, but above all - RELAX - and seek joy in the knowledge that what you are about to do for your baby and your body is the one of the most beneficial and and natural activities on the planet. Worrying about it, (especially at 28 weeks), is only going to serve to inhibit this activity. Prehistorically, women would take their child and breastfeed, (Yes there was no such a thing as SMA!!!), when they felt relaxed and safe from predators and lo and behold the milk would flow. If at any point, the woman felt unsafe or unrelaxed or insecure she would begin to produce Adrenalin. This would not only enable her to run from any any predator with her child but also acts as what is known as an Oxytocic Antagonist - that is, it inhibits one of the hormones responsible for successful breastfeeding. This was to ensure that there was no trail of breastmilk for any potential predator to folllow. Clever eh? Now; although there are no sabre toothed tigers padding down the Kings Road, that anxiety reflex is still there. So, the more relaxed and informed about B/F you are, the more successful you will be. Make sure you have skin to skin contact from the moment of birth and offer the breast almost immediately. These simple actions have been shown to increase the success of B/F and above all, use the midwives who will be on hand at the moment and until your baby is 4 weeks old. They really are a wealth of information and not just pretty faces - depending on your midwife I suppose!!!!!!!!! Good Luck. I'm sure you'll do well. You're already showing great signs of being a mother who is determined to do the absolute best for her baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

You'll get a lot of support from your midwife both at the hospital and during your aftercare.

Feeding can be painful sometimes - cracked nipples are one of the most common, but you can get a special gauze to put over them between feeds (your midwife should be able to provide this) or just vaseline, as long as you make sure to wipe it off before feeding.

Generally, if your nipples get really sore it's due to incorrect latching on by the baby - again, your midwife will be able to give you some help with correct positioning.

Mastitis is an inflamation of the milk ducts, and can apparently be really painful. I never suffered from this, luckily, but to help with the 'let-down' of milk put a warm flannel over your breast just before feeding. This will help the milk ducts to expand and blockages are less likely to occur.

These are all tips I picked up after the birth of my daughter, but I don't really have any pre-birth preparation I'm afraid.

Answer 7

Unless you have inverted nipples there's not anything you need to do physically to prepare. If you do have inverted nipples there are special shields you can use.

Read a few books about breastfeeding. The more you know, the better you'll feel about it. When your baby latches on it can be uncomfortable but - honestly - if you can relax it doesn't feel as bad. For me I was uncomfortable the first 20-30 seconds when my daughter latched on, the rest of the time was fine. This last 6 weeks, then I didn't have any discomfort.

Not every woman gets mastitis and if you do it can be treated easily.

Answer 8

I breast fed both my kids and I wasn't really sore at all, but if you go too long without feeding your breasts get very hard and painful and you start to leak so make sure you feed before that happens. Good luck it is the best for the baby and you ..You will have a bond that will last your whole life

Answer 9

The most painful thing is the hurt on the nips, so I'd agree with roughing them up a bit. One of my baby books suggests practicing squeezing some out, but I've never tried it. Also, run the tops of your fingernails down your boobs towards your nipple, it helps to stimulate flow...

I did nothing to prepare myself for breastfeeding, and the only thing that hurt was the nipples at first. However, if the baby's latched on properly it shouldn't hurt. make sure you get the midwife to show you the proper way to latch on, and make sure you're confident before leaving medical care. Also, get yourself a comfy bra top as your boobs will be feeling mental fir the first few days when your milk kicks in, and not even a bra will be comfy. Oh, and wait until your milk comes in before you buy a feeding bra, as you CANNOT predict how big they'll be. I went to bed as normal and woke up with Jordan-sized zeppelins! (D cup to FF, hahaha)

Good luck, breastfeeding is THE BEST and you'll love it :-)

Answer 10

Read books and, SEE A LACTATION CONSULTANT AT THE HOSPITAL. Most hospitals now have them on staff and their services are included in your stay. Have one there before you begin breastfeeding for the first time. There is nothing to do before, but you do need to learn how to put the baby's mouth on your breast - i.e., where on your breast, and how to hold the baby in different ways so that both of you are comfortable. And, the biggest myth about breastfeeding is that it hurts. WRONG - it only hurts if you are doing it wrong and all women I've seen who don't see a lactation consultant before breastfeeding do it wrong and get pain.