Can you give me one piece of your valuable advice?

[c.m.c]

Hi ladies!!

I'm currently pregnant with baby 2!!!!

With my dd I started out in the hospital breast feeding and loved it then I got home and I didn't gave a clue, honestly I'd never even changed a nappy before,

I don't know anyone who bf ..... My mil kept saying....that child needs a bottle she's not getting enough and that she should feed every 4 hrs

Well low and behold I went for the bottle........I was re admitted to hospital and it made the decision even easier as I was quite ill, but I was devastated!., utterly devastated!!! It took me till I was weaning to forgive myself! I did the whole cloth nappy, natural route and I was so annoyed I gave up bf so easily!!

Anyways......I have a new chance and I want to bf sooooo much! I feel mentally mored prepared this time, ESP as I can change a nappy now even a cloth one

I would love some advice from you lovely ladies about those early days......good stories and bad!!



What's your one top bit of advice? ..,..I am prepared for a cluster feeding Marathon if I have to go all night...I will


Thanks in advance....any advice is soooo welcome

 

[CandyDay]

I would buy this book
https://www.amazon.ca/Womanly-Breastfeeding-Leche-League-International/dp/0345518446

It is great.

I would look at getting a wrap or a sling as well. You have another child to watch and play with. If you use a sling or a wrap you can have your new LO close to you and be able to BF while having hands free. Makes it easier to play and do things for your other child.

Look for La Leche League close to you and go to a couple meets before you give birth. Meet the leaders so that if you do run into trouble you know who you can contact for help.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

First of all, Lansinoh nipple cream!

It is easy to become lazy with the latch in the early days, but this is one of the most important things to get right to get the rhythm started early, and to prevent unnecessarily damaging your nipples. You can ask your nurse or midwife how it looks before you leave.

It does take work. And one of the hardest parts is you never really know how much baby is getting, so if you're like me, you'll be a little worried about supply. It will eventually regulate based on baby's needs, so feeding on demand is key. Just weigh baby often and count your poopy diapers.

As CandyDay suggested, arming yourself with as much information as possible will help you achieve your goals

 

[c.m.c]

I've heard of that nipple cream....il defo get it....I am also preparing with things I used last time fir myself like witch hazel for my stitches etc

I will most certainly get that book! I want to be armed and ready to go the full hog.,


Did any if you ladies use a sling? I had a mei tai for dd but it def wouldn't suit for feeding....I assume a ring doing might be better in the early days?

Thank you for the advice. Just even hearing what helped others is great

 

[CandyDay]

I used a ring sling. It is simple to use and easy to get LO in and out of.

 

[missk1989]

I would say be confident in your decision and proud when feeding wherever you are.

Also do not wait until baby is crying before you feed as you will both get flustered which makes things harder for everyone to get the latch and positioning right.

Do not be put off by any dismissive midwives/nurses. If you need help ask for it and stuff anyone who disagrees with your choice.

Babies cluster feed, this is natural to boost your supply not them telling you they need a bottle. They have growth spurts everynow and then so same thing applies.

 

[Pielette]

Tune out any negativity you hear, and any silly comments of 'that baby can't be hungry, s/he fed an hour/half an hour ago'. A lot of people do not understand BFing. They don't understand that it works on a supply and demand basis. Your breasts are not a box of formula, there isn't all of a sudden enough for 50 feeds. They have to receive the message that more milk is needed and that's what baby will do, especially as a newborn.

I'd practise BFing 'discreetly' at home before you do it in public, just so you can get your confidence up. I use two tops, pull one up and the other down and you can't see a thing, although it is clear I'm feeding my baby.

Lastly, in terms of nipple pain - expect to have sore nipples for a good while. Your nipples are not used to a baby sucking on them constantly and they need to toughen up. But when baby latches, the initial 'ouch' should subside after about 20/30 seconds and the rest of the feed should be easier. If it's a bad latch, the pain will continue through the feed. Don't be afraid to ask any support groups in your area for help. BFing is a learned skill for both you and baby.

 

[Marythefairy]

All of the above. Get as many people to check your latch as possible don't try and do it alone. Be confident to show midwife anyone who has bf how your doing and they'll support and encourage you. Sounds like you are in exactly the right mind frame to succeed this time good luck x

 

[Rachel_C]

Whatever baby does, shove a boob in his/her mouth! Wake up - boob. Wriggle - boob. Whimper - boob. Poo - clean up nappy then boob!

You can't overfeed a healthy baby (they'll not feed if they don't want to) so just offer ALL the time at first so you won't have to worry about sleepiness due to hunger etc.

I'm sure you'll be fine. It sounds like (like me) you just didn't know much about babies last time. This time you do, you know it's normal to feed for an hour then want feeding again 10 minutes later without anything being wrong or needing to doubt yourself/your boobs - that's just babies! If it helps at all, I was nervous second time round but I can honestly say BF this time has been the easiest thing ever.

 

[c.m.c]

Thank you so so much ladies!! This is great advice, Rachel your comment made me laugh....boobies all the time!!

I'm defo in the right frame of mind, I'm confident now, as with dd I was so scared nervous clueless!!!

Even when dd had a bottle she used to cluster feed .....so I'm defo ready for that one,

I ordered the book today and will get reading and take a look at some good ring slings! I'm excited this time about bf.....and I've grown a set of balls (excuse my lang) but I know I won't take negative comments from anyone!!

I'm gonna do it!!!

 

[c.m.c]

Missk....thank you! I will lift my baby before they cry this time....that's when I first reached for the bottle, my dd had been starving and screamed so bad I couldn't get her latched on.....we had been driving home from hospital and she sleep when we got home so looking back the poor child had went soooo long without food

Candy....what ring sling did you go for?

 

[ttc bubby no2]

My advice, ignore anyone who says a baby should feed only every 4 hours. My MIL said the same to me explaining how she always feed her babies at exactly 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm, 2am etc.. then goes on to tell me her milk just suddenly dried up at 6wks with all of them... hmmm I wonder why?

I always took the approach of feeding on demand and that worked well for me. Some people will comment as it might look like you are always feeding the baby but you just have to tell yourself it is normal baby behaviour and they are the ones with the problem.

 

[rainbowskin]

My advice -Just give in to the clusterfeeding and don't stress about it. My baby literally was on the boob 20 hours a day for the first couple months. Get people to help out as much as possible. Get a boppy pillow and have lots of snacks drinks and movies set up. Good luck!

 

[Mummy Bean]

Small targets. I found when the pain was at it worst and issues started to arise the best way to get through it was say...just 1 more feed or 1 more day...it made it much easier to deal with and gave a sense of acomplishment when i reached my goal. And soon enough it was 3 weeks in and everything was super easy and pain free.

Also dont keep FF stuff in the house...it was to much of a temptation with my first which i gave into easily.

Lanoish...best thing EVER!

Lactation consultant...find one. See if u can meet her before birth. Mine was lovely and real helpful. Gave me so much stuff to read, look into. She rang every other day for 2 weeks to see how things were going so we could see issues straight away. (Which good as had tonuge tie, blocked ducts and mastits)

Finally lots of books and dvds for your bigger kid, so when ur stuck to the sofa feeding you can still spend quality time with them.

 

[Elmo5]

Relax, and trust your baby. If they are happy, and gaining weight then trust they know when and how much they would like to feed for.

 

[c.m.c]

Thank you everyone so much....

I was this thinking of not having any FF stuff in the house actually, but now it's been mentioned I think it's a must....if I have formula and a bottle I know it's easier to give in to it!!!

I will hopefully have my kitchen extension finished by the time baby comes so my dd will have a proper play area. There's a great indoor play area near me and my dd loves it so when I get more confident I could go there to let dd play and take my time to feed!

 

[history_girls]

For your older one you could make up a special box for when your feeding. I wrapped a storage box in sparkly paper and filled it with new toys / stickers /shrek DVD/treats that she was only allowed when I was with the baby. Worked a treat. Cost about £20 all in and was a life saver.

 

[Sbmack]

I have the book that was recommend and I love it! There's a lot of great advice and it did a lot to calm fears about lack of supply and all sorts of things I worried about as a first time mom breast feeding. I also second getting a boppy. Although I don't use it much for feeding now (I use it as a seat for dd), it was great in the hospital and the first few weeks when I was learning which positions worked best for us.

Don't forget to get some washable nursing pads in case you leak

And like everyone else said, feed on demand....even if it's 15 minutes since the last time you fed!

 

[SarahBear]

Trust your body to make enough. Be sure you understand normal infant nursing behavior. For example, it's normal for them to nurse constantly and to be fussy at times. Also understand that you don't "run out" of milk. If a baby sucks, your body makes more. The true indicator of a baby getting enough input, is the output and weight gain. Trust your baby to know when he or she is hungry or full. Research bed-sharing for optimal breastfeeding. If you learn how to nurse while you sleep, night feeds are a breeze! Also, if you're interested in the "natural rout," do a google search for "Elimination Communication."

 

[annio84]

Trust yourself and your baby. Watch for wet and dirty nappies as a sign babies getting enough. and above all, ignore anyone who tries to tell you what should be happening.