any books u recommend on the subject also
2006-10-13 23:18:44 · 10 answers · asked by confused mom 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Ignore anything the WTE books say about breastfeeding.
Instead, read:
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
and
So THAT'S What They're For by Janet Tamero (sp?)
Go to some LLL meetings BEFORE your baby is born and get to know the Leaders so you'll feel comfortable calling them if you have questions once baby is here. You'll learn a lot from listening to the experiences of the other mothers in the group. Having supportive people around you is important.
See the Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) while you are in the hospital. Have her check you latch.
Get some breastpads (for leaks), get fitted for a nursing bra in your 3rd trimester and get some Lansinoh cream to put on your nipples. This will help to prevent having sore, dry, cracked nipples. If your nipples do get damaged, it will also help to heal them.
Breastfeeding SHOULD NOT hurt. It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but true PAIN is a sign that something isn't right. If you have pain, call an IBCLC or a LLL Leader for help. Keep this in mind - when you use your body in a new way, it takes a bit for your body to adapt and this may cause some discomfort. For example, the first time you shovel the drive in the winter is HARD and it makes your hands, arms and back ache. As your body gets used to this new job, it is easier. Breastfeeding is the same way. As your body learns it's new job, there may be discomfort, but soon it will go away.
Bags of frozen peas make great ice packs if your breasts get uncomfortably engorged.
Check out these links:
http://www.lalecheleague.org
and
http://www.kellymom.com
2006-10-14 04:31:29 · answer #1 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The best advice for breastfeeding is to relax and take it slow. It is a natural process for the baby and they will instinctively know how to do it. Unfortunately it's more complicated for the mother. When your baby is born the nurses at the hospital you deliver at will guide you through the entire process. They will even show you different positions that you can nurse in so you can find the one that works best for you. The have breastfeeding counselors staffed at the hospital to answer any questions you may have and then to answer questions you didn't even know to ask!! Don't worry about it, you will do great. Just remember, your baby already knows how to breastfeed. Congratulations on your pregnancy and I applaud you for deciding to breastfeed your child.
2006-10-14 03:15:22 · answer #2 · answered by Laura D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perserverence. Breast feeding is a skill that needs to be learnt by both you and baby. People come up against all sorts of problems - but if you perservere - most of these will pass by the end of the first month and you and bubs will have a happy bf relationship going on. I, like you, wanted bf to work. We were sort of getting there and learning how to do it when, at 5 days old, he was readmitted to hospital with jaundice. The doctor insisted I supplement with bottles. 3 days later when we got back home my milk supply had all but dried up and my son was use to the easiness of bottles. I tried and tried to get him to take from the breast - but there wasn't enough milk and he wanted a bottle. I relentlessly expressed - and by the time my milk supply was back (about 3 wks) my son wasn't interested at all. I spent weeks in tears that I couldn't bf. In hindsight I should have said no to bottles in the hospital. I should have got bf established, got my milk supply working, and taught him how to latch on. I feel cheated that we missed out and will definitely try bf with #2. So, please perservere with it - it'll def be worth it.
2006-10-13 23:47:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
o.k. my little bean is about 1 month old, so i have lots to say about this and it's pretty fresh to me since i've been learning everyday!! (sorry, it's so long)
what helped me....
as soon as the baby is born have a nurse (don't be afraid to ask) help you get the baby latched on. no matter how much i read, it didn't really compare to having someone there guiding me through it the first time.
latching on was the most difficult part for me b/c i have larger breasts and i have sort of flat nipples. so, i had to flatten my areola and make it like a flat cheeseburger for him to latch onto, then i had to be sure i kept a finger there so it didn't block his nose!
now, that we are both better at nursing i have found a good position where i can let go once he latches on and his nose is clear.
also, with bresatfeeding you will be your baby's buddy about 100% of the time. i quickly realized that i was the only one who could really console him when he was fussy or hungry and that i really had NO time to myself...at all. i'm not necessarily complaining, it was a just a bit of an eye opener. all of his feedings were MY responsibility....my husband didn't get to share the sleeplessness,etc.
now, my baby wasn't gaining weight right away, so i got an electric pump from the hospital to try and pump and boost my milk supply. also, it helped pull my nipples out, so that helped too!
finally, i stopped watching the clock and started to watch my baby. that's when we decided he needed more than what i could give him and we feed him about 2 formula feedings a day.
tips:
-don't watch the clock, watch your baby. there are various kinds of eaters out there, so watch your baby for feeding cues, not the clock. what i mean is that a breastfed baby will eat about eery 2 hours. so, if he starts eating at 8am and finishes at 8:45 he'll probably be hungry again around 10am. not much time to nap for me!! also, my guy has slept through the night from day one. i kept waking him up to eat throughout the night b/c eveyone had me worried about him eating etc.
once i stopped watching the clock and watching him, i realized that he would tell me when he was hungry. we give him formula before bed and he sleeps all night. about 6hours-ish. he is almost a month old.
some people would not agree with this, however, he is gaining weight well and that's all that matters to the doctors!!! i agree that waking him up to eat at first was important since he wasn't gaining weight, though.
--it will hurt for awhile, it;s o.k. we all go through it. get some tubes of lanolin (lansinoh is a good brand) to keep on your nipples after each feeding. also, breast pads are good too. oh, and get at least 4 or 5 nursing bras. i found some at wal-mart that are just fine for me:) oh, and while i'm mentioning products...get a boppy pillow. love ours and target.com has a cover that is good for tummy time too. it has tabs on it to hang toys off of. really nice!
--try to relax as much as possible. it;s just better all around if you are calm and relaxed. i'd pick a place to nurse and stick with it for awhile until you get the hang of it then, you can switch up locales.
--don't be upset if you feel that sometimes you just need a break....it's o.k. and a few feedings of formula, once your milk supply is eestblished won't hurt anything.
read the "what to expect the firts year" book now. it has TONS of info in there. what i said was my experiences, i hope some of it may help!
take care and everything will be fine. you will figure it out as you go along!
2006-10-14 00:24:07 · answer #4 · answered by joey322 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
whilst i finished breastfeeding, I slowly stopped and that i fed my son whilst my breasts felt engorged and injury. at last, my physique did no longer make milk as oftentimes and the discomfort went away. via basically feeding him breast milk whilst my breasts injury, i finished up feeding him approximately two times an afternoon, then as quickly as an afternoon, then as quickly as each 3 days and finally it become right down to no breast milk. The chilly turkey ingredient is very painful and not needed. in the journey that your nipples are sore, you may pump whilst your breasts are sore extremely of nursing to get the swelling down.
2016-10-19 09:17:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi there
i breast fed both mine one now 4 the other nearly 2. she still occassionally feeds. the internet is the best place for info aswell as talking to others. try to feed your baby as soon as its born. i couldnt straight away as i had c sections but as soon as you can. baby will have a 'rooting' instinct and turn to your breast. you just have to sit comfortably with baby across you. you can guide your nipple into the babies mouth. they may not latch on right away but be patient baby is learning to. aim to get most of your nipple and areoli into the babies mouth. sometimes baby will just suck on the nipple that can become sore. once you and baby get the hang of it is is so rewarding. a bonding and closeness only you will feel.
any questions please ask.
ps always do equal feeds on both breasts
good luck
gloria
2006-10-13 23:29:52 · answer #6 · answered by glow 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Contact the La Leche League. I think they are in most cities. Other ideas are the local midwife agencies, HMOs, community education, and the local college.
2006-10-13 23:23:13 · answer #7 · answered by Scott K 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you have much to worry about even on the day you have your child if you are unsure the nurse will show you it always seems to me like their eager to show the mom's.
2006-10-14 01:38:48 · answer #8 · answered by fluttergirl76 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just understand that the 1st 2 weeks are real hard and then you will be in the routine of things.
DO NOT HAVE BOTTLES IN THE HOUSE...it is self-defeating. Also....get a Boppy...they are wonderful
2006-10-14 06:23:46 · answer #9 · answered by Alicia B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't worry,, it comes naturally, at first its kinda painful so do buy nipple cream,, but after a while you just get use to it,, the nurses will help you after u deliver your baby,, so don't worry about it right now,, you probably got a ton of other things to worry about,,lol,,,,
2006-10-13 23:35:12 · answer #10 · answered by bebe 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋