breastfeeding questions?

Question

when does your milk start to come in
when it starts to leak and stuff.

was breastfeeding hard?
im a new mom and ive never done it before
i have about 3 more months til the baby comes.

when did you stop breastfeeding your child?

where did you learn how to do it

Answer 1

You can start leaking colostrum like halfway through your pregnancy. . . but its only little tiny amounts. (but if you go braless....watch out. ha.)

Your MILK actually comes in 48-96 hours (2-4 days) after baby is born. Trust me, you'll know...your breasts get engorged.

Yeah, breast feeding can be hard. It doesn't hurt right away, but if you let the baby latch poorly (just the tip of the nipple) than it makes them crack/sore after a couple days. If done properly, it doesn't hurt much.

The hospital will teach you a lot about it-- thats the only place I learned. I did it successfully for a few days but then I decided to get a breast pump and just do bottles. You get all the benefits (except the "bonding" if you feel that bf'ing is important to you) and its easier. My baby was nearly 10 lbs with a big appetite, and she'd get frustrated if I wasn't doing things correctly! She was very pleased with the bottle. ha.

She's 5 weeks now and still on the bottle with breast milk, with an occasional formula bottle starting at 4 weeks, when she started to outpace me.

Answer 2

I was engorged the day after I had my son. Although, it can take up to 10 days for some womens milk to come in.

It was pretty easy and natural for us. I didn't really have any pain until the first growth spurt, but for some it takes alot of work. The best thing is to learn as much as you can. Latch the baby on ASAP after birth (even before the apgars and cleanup and all that... they can wait) and to not allow anyone to give your baby a bottle. Make that CLEAR to all the nurses. If you need to supplement for some reason (like, say you get an emergency c-sec and can't be with the baby right away) make sure they use an alternative feeding method... cup, syringe, or finger feeding.

I haven't stopped. My son is 17 months.

We learned together. He was a pro from the start and I had a good support group online to answer all my silly questions!


Seriously, find a support group, read up as much as you can, and if you run into problems, remember that it is YOUR baby and the doctors and nurses work for YOU. Don't let them talk you into anything you don't want.

Knowlage is your best friend when it comes to nursing, many women simply do not have the right information and when a problem arises, they are given bad advice.

Also, I have heard that an epidural can delay the babies ability to latch. Wait as long as humanly possible before getting one.

Check out these sites:
http://www.kellymom.com/
http://www.askdrsears.com/
http://www.drjacknewman.com/

And the LLL "the womanly art of breastfeeding" and Dr Sears "the breastfeeding book" are both great resources.

Answer 3

The milk comes in a day or 2 after the baby is born. It hurts like hell the first few weeks. you'll swear the baby is twisting you nipples. Once the baby learns how to latch on correctly to get the mot milk it stops hurting. When attaching the baby make sure it's mouth is open very wide so it can take as much of the areola as possible. Just sucking the nipple hurts. I stopped breastfeeding my first a 20 months and I'm nursing my second now and he's almost 1.

The hospital will bombard you with all sorts of nursing info so learning it won't be a problem. They'll make sure you have the hang of it before you leave and give you numbers to call if you have problems.

Answer 4

Hi there,

Breastfeeding is like a lot of other things, you should try to learn as much about it before you nurse and it sometimes takes practice. When you go to your birth class you will also have the option of taking a breastfeeding class--DO IT! You will learn a lot and it will help you.

Your milk will come in between 1 and 5 days after you have the baby.

If it hurts, you're doing it WRONG and need help.

Breastfeeding my first was challenging, I had to talk to a lactation consultant, but after the first 3 weeks, it was easy. At the hospital, when you have the baby, they will have someone come around to help you out. If they don't, you can ASK for someone to help you. Both you and the baby will have to learn how, you just have be strong enough to make it work.

Check out this book, The Nursing Mother's Companion Guide. You can find it at the library or at the bookstore. If you read it now you will be prepared for the baby. That book really helped me learn how to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding works best when you are determined to make it happen. It's the absolute best possible food for your baby, you make the perfect food. There is no formula that can take the place of it.

The best thing to do is to set a goal for yourself. I told myself that we would go until the baby was at least 12 months old. That's the minimum length of time the doctors say you should go. There is a lot of scientific research that says that the longer you nurse the better it is for both you and the baby.

Your baby will be smarter the longer she nurses. Your risk for breast and ovarian cancers will go down the longer you nurse. That's why I chose to nurse my first baby until he was 2.5 years old. I wanted him to be smarter and healthier, and he is. He is now 3.5 years old and has never had an ear infection. I am now nursing my second baby, it's easier than my first.

Good luck! Read as much as possible and make a goal for yourself. You CAN do it, your body was made to do it. God made you that way and you can absolutely be great at breastfeeding.

Answer 5

As everyone else said 2-3 days after baby is born your milk will come in, in tubs at a time...as in engorgement! It'll be painful and it'll suck. But after roughly two weeks your supply will start dropping so that it's more bearable. And you will need to wear breast pads for up to 4-6 months after baby is born because you will continue to leak at the worst times! Yes breastfeeding is hard for a number of reasons. I will not lie about this, because if you are prepared for what is to come, then you will have a better chance at sticking with it!
1. It hurts for up to the first month. This is when both you and baby are learning how to cooperate with eachother. It may be natural, but just like walking it'll take practice! If it hurts longer, seek help.
2. It sucks to be the only one able to provide food for your little one. You might possibly resent the idea of nursing all together, but this is normal. Once you and baby get the hang you will no longer care.
3. Your little one might not nurse well with others in the room, so you have to go somewhere quiet and leave the conversation.
That's all I can think of for now, sorry.
I breastfed my first for 10 months, at which time she would have nothing more to do with it. I am currently breastfeeding my second and he is 13 months old. I had many issues with both, but I chose to endure through everything to go until the child no longer needs to nurse for nutrients or emotional needs. It seems it should get easier with a second child, but that is not always the case!
For my first I thought I didn't need a class and had no clue what to do at the hospital. The lactation consultant tried to help, but from what I know now, she was teraching me wrong (could be one of the reason my daughter stopped so soon). For my second I read "The Breastfeeding Book" by Dr Sears. I already had some idea of breastfeeding under my belt so I just stuck with the literature. HOwever at the hospital, I was having issues with my son being a lazy at latching on so I thought there was something wrong with him. They made me attend this one hour class before a lactation consultant would see me. It gave me a few new pieces of info, but not much. I suggest getting ahold of that book and reading it immediately, along with going to a class and seeking breastfeeding moms for a support group. Lack of support is the number one reason so many women quit! Good Luck!

Answer 6

I started leaking in my 2nd trimester

It was hard the first 2 or 3 weeks because jaundice made her really lethargic and had to keep waking her during feedings.

I stopped breastfeeding at around 13 months.

After I gave birth, a nurse came in to make sure that nursing was going well and that my baby was latching right. She said things were going fine. My only problems were are over-abundant milk supply for a couple of weeks, and a baby who kept falling asleep while eating, lol. After the first month, breastfeeding was a breeze. Certainly much easier than having to get up, heat water, and mix formula every friggin hour. Breastmilk is always ready to go! Talk about fast food, lol!

You should really do a lot of reading on this subject. The more prepared you are, the better. The duration of breastfeeding will affect your child for life, and even have an effect on YOUR health. Contact your local La Leche League when you need support. Here is some info to help you out along the way. We all want happy and healthy children right? So learn all you can about how to have the happiest and healthiest child possible.

A great online breastfeeding support group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/milkdrunk/
Great place to ask questions, get support, and share your own experiences with other moms who have been there too.

101 Reasons to breastfeed: http://www.promom.org/101/

What breastmilk has that formulas dont: http://www.drjen4kids.com/soap%20box/what%27s%20missing%20in%20formula.htm

The risks of infant formula feeding: http://www.breastfeedingtaskforla.org/ABMRisks.htm

What every parent should know about infant formula: http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/what_should_know_formula.html

The case for the virgin gut: http://breastfeed.com/resources/articles/virgingut.htm

Risks of artificial feeding: http://www.kellymom.com/newman/risks_of_formula_08-02.html

Extended Nursing, is it for you: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerbreastfeed/8496.html

FAQ's on Extended Nursing: http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBextended.html

Answer 7

usually about 3-4 days after baby is born you start getting milk, about 2-3 days if it isn't a first baby. The colostrum also called "first milk" is what will come in first before milk and even before baby is born. This is best for the baby. Breastfeeding is something you need to be determined to do, it can be hard in the beginning. My son weaned himself off the breast when he was 12 months. I had a nurse show me in the hospital and then I also went to a breastfeeding clinic. Good Luck!!!

Answer 8

Breastfeeding was fairly easy for me. Even though my kids were both tongue tied. I come from a family of breastfeeders and so it NEVER occured to me to not breastfeed. I just put the baby to my breast as soon as they were out and they latched on.

i would reccomend seeing a lactation consultant. The visit costs much less than all the fake milk and bottles that are the alternative. Also, try and find a LaLeche league meeting in your area. You can go before the baby is born and they can help put your mind at ease.

my milk came in on day 2 with my daughter, but not til day 5 with my son (c-section.) I refused all supplementation, knowing that it could RUIN our breastfeeding relationship and was confident that my colostrum could sustain him as nature intended it to.

my daughter, who is almost 11, nursed for 40 months and then self weaned. My son is 28 months and nurses several times a day.

Answer 9

read up on this honey!

breasts will first produce a thick liquid called colostrum for about 2-3 days after birth and then your full milk will come in

all baby needs is the colostrum after birth....they aren't even hungry!....the colostrum serves to give them a kick start in antibodies and clean out their digestive tract

breastfeeding CAN be tough at first....but you stick with it knowing that you'll get over the hump and from there it will be a breeze.....breastfeeding will make your life as a new mom much much easier

i ended up nursing my first born about 2 years and after that i used nursing(i had no milk) to control temper tantrums, soothe injuries and such

and the nurses in the hospital or birthing center will help you with breastfeeding, the hosptial SHOULD have a lactation consultant on hand and you can find a La Leche League support group in your area....La Leche is everywhere

and on top of that.....breastfeeding is natural....you almost don't need to "learn"....babies are born knowing how to do this

if you only have 3 more months then i suggest going to classes, reading and finding a support group NOW

and if you are here on the internet then there are TONS of great websites dedicated to breastfeeding

Answer 10

the colostrum/pre-milk starts to come in sometime in the 3rd trimester, but it does not always leak. It is all you baby needs for the first few days of life. 2-3 days after birth the real milk comes in, and your breasts will be swollen and full. It may be uncomfortable for while, but it gets easier as the weeks go by. Take advantage of your hospitals lactation nurse, they have classes you can take before birth to prepare for nursing, as well as a nurse who can help you after birth to get the baby latched on a nursing well. I nursed for alomst 2 yrs, and plan to do the same with this baby