I had my hen night last night and had to spill the beans that I'm pregnant

I got a lot of hints and tips and congrats, and someone piped up about breastfeeding and have I started preparing for it yet - preparing in what way, I asked - apparently there is some kind of cream or lotion or potion you can get to put on your nipples to get them prepped for breastfeeding so that they don't chafe or crack so easily. Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Congrats!!!

I have never heard of any cream/potion to prepare for breastfeeding - sure it would be a goodseller if there was one!!

~Best preparation - just mental preparation for giving all your time to breastfeeding as it does take a lot of hard work in the early weeks/months - if you give it all your time and let LO feed all the time they want then you will come out successful in the end

I've heard that scrubbing your nipples everyday in the shower with a rough rag is suppose to help (friend told me that) never tried it though.
Lanoslin (sp?) nipple cream is a must have. But you use that when you start feeding. Put it on before and after feedings to help with cracked nipples and the pain. It was a life saver for me the first week of breatfeeding.
Hot rags over them in the shower really helped heal them up and take the pain away too.
Never heard of a cream before breastfeeding though.
Best thing you can do is mentally prepare yourself, and know that breastfeeding is hard and for most women hurts in the begining but it does get better. I personally only had pain the first week and my nipples toughened up. Had no supply or latching problems. Also be prepared that you will spend the first couple weeks stuck to the couch nursing but it does get more spreaded out a few weeks later. It is hard but very rewarding and gets so much easier!
Besides mentally preparing, you can save up for a good pump if you want one. You can get you some nipple cream for your hospital bag, and some breast pads.
The best way to treat cracked nipples is rubbing in your milk around that area and let it air dry, nipple cream, and (for me) the hot wet rag over them in the shower. (this also helps when your milk comes in and your engourged. Just put the hot rag over and massage your breast and squeeze some out for relief.

Congratulations!

I think the best preparation would just be researching proper latching and positioning and knowing that its going to hurt but if you can hold out long enough and get past the pain its the most wonderful thing ever!

If I could go back to when I was pregnant, learning about the proper latch may have saved me weeks of pain.. I researched and read everything about pregnancy but forgot about the BFing part, guess I thought it would have been easier than it initially was!

Good luck!

I agree with PP. If you have the correct latch and LO has no tongue tie then you won't get sore.

I suggest finding a La Leche League in your area and attending a few meetings in your last few weeks of pregnancy. Get to know one of the leaders and get their number so that if you do run into problems during the first few days you have someone you can call who will come to your house and help you out. I know from experience that the sooner you get help if you need it the better things will go for both of you.

Yep def look into getting the latch right and to be aware of possible probs such as tongue tie just so you're aware and can deal with these IF they arise.

I've not heard of a cream to apply while preg but I reckon your pal was referring to , Lansinoh nipple cream, as a pp said this is a godsend in the first week or so of feeding and can be applied directly to the nipples after each feed, no need to remove at next feed as it is safe for baby. At around a tenna it seems pricey, but when you consider a tub of formula lasts about a week and costs about the same, it is worth every penny! Just my personal experience .

Congrats on your pregnancy and enjoy it! Xxx

I second the advice to look for breastfeeding support BEFORE you need it. It makes it so much easier to call when you already know who to turn to. Many breastfeeding support groups will welcome pregnant ladies, so you could ask all your questions you'll inevitably have.

The toughening up nipples thing is an old wife's tale though!

The toughening up nipples by scrubbing them is very old fashioned, doesn't work and can cause tissue damage or irritation, in some countries formula companies still advise this in their advertising thinly veiled as a guide how to BF because it makes BF sound like a faff and also that you have to do something painful and unpleasant sounding in order to BF successfully. There is also no need and no proven benefit to use Lansinoh in pregnancy either xx

Congrats! There are so many good advises from PP already! Persoanlly I wish I was more prepared mentally for breastfeeding. Being the only food source to an infant means you could be feeding baby every hour, and that can be very tiring and could cause your nipples a lot of pain! It does get easier as the baby grow, but it takes time and a lot of work. Having a supportive partner is a big help; my hubby would take the baby and sooth her when I was feeling frustrated or tired. I also asked the nurses for advises on breastfeeding techniques during my hospital stay. The biggest lesson I learned was not to give into the temptation of supplementing with formula when baby does not seem to be satisfied with breastfeeding alone. The sucking action of your infant is going to help your body produces milk, and the baby will eventually be taking longer breaks between feeds once your milk has come!

Good luck with breastfeeding!

I hope you didnt take what I said about scrubbing them as me telling you too try it. I was just mentioning that was the only thing I heard of people doing during pregnancy. Inever did that as I did not see a need in doing something so harsh to your nipples. Should of explained that better, but its difficult sometimes cause I usually have a baby attatched and feeding while I type.