I know nothing about breast feeding..

[kariss]

Hi all,
I'm really hoping to BF so I'm looking for some tips/advice from moms who have bf..

Is it silly for me to only want to bf for less than 6 months..realistically I will be going back to work at after about 9 months, so baby will be about 8 months..ideally I'd like to swap from breast and be settled into a new 'rountine' first.
(I appreciate this could all change but I like to think I'm being organised lol)

Also I have no clue how to bf lol! No one else in my family or OH's have bf..so I can't get tips from them. I'm worried I can't prepare untill babies actually here..
I'm in the UK, will someone teach me?! Haha I feel so silly. I don't really want to be staying in hospital longer than I need to, would fb teaching have an impact on the length of time you stay in?

I'm going to buy a pump but I've heard you shouldn't pump untill feeding is well established?
Is this true? Is it even worth pumping?

Thanks, I'd appreciate any advice

 

[staralfur]

I always thought I'd stop breastfeeding at 6 months but honestly once you and your LO get the hang of it, it's the easiest thing in the world. I got to six months and was like "why on earth would I stop breastfeeding just to start mixing formula and cleaning bottles?" It essentially would have been making my life more complicated for no reason whatsoever!

I went back to school and work part-time when my LO was about 5 months old and I breastfed whenever I was at home and pumped for her feeds while I was gone. If you're not interested in pumping you can always have someone give formula while you're away and continue breastfeeding whenever you're home. At 8-9 months your supply should adjust pretty easily.

I'm not sure what it's like in the UK but I had nurses in to help me learn how to breastfeed. I had to stay one night minimum but was allowed to choose whether I wanted to stay another night or not after that (I chose not to). Even with the nurses I found that it took it some time at home to get used to things. It's hard to prepare for before your baby is here but you can read up on normal newborn feeding behaviour, problems you might encounter, etc. so that you at least know what you might be able to expect.

It's generally advised that you wait 4-6 weeks before pumping. You definitely don't have to pump if you don't see any need for it but I was itching to get out for some 'me' time after a couple of months so I'd pump so that I could go for dinner with my friends or a date night with my DH. And then it became necessary when I went back to work/school.

I didn't know anything about breastfeeding either and we had a rough start (which could have been avoided by me simply reading about newborn feeding/the importance of not skipping feeds!), I didn't have any family with much breastfeeding experience and no one really understood why I was so intent on doing it. But I ended up nursing for 3 years (far surpassing my original goal of 6 months) and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had for a number of reasons!

 

[Lirpa11]

Hi!

I was in your shoes a few months ago! I initially said I would BF for 6 months, now I may go a year, even if I return to work I think I will try. I had no idea what I was doing, and I was so worried of failing at first I would be in tears at times!

As for how long to be in the hospital, I was there for one night and came home the next day. The nurses helped, but after a couple of times of them showing you what to do, there isn't all that much else for them to do.

I won't lie, the first few weeks were hard! I wasn't sure if we were doing it right, but he had the right number of wet diapers and poo diapers so I knew we were ok. We also checked his weight weekly for the first month so I knew he was gaining those are some ways for you to know if it's going ok!

I texted a lactation consultant if I had any worries or fears.i would also call the doctors office and speak to a nurse if I was worried. We survived though! And at 11 weeks we are still exclusively breastfeeding.

As for a pump, they are definitely worth it! Try to stay away from feeding baby with pumped milk in a bottle until baby is 4 weeks or so old. We tried at two weeks and it took me 2+ hours to get our son to latch back on to my breast for the next feed (very stressful!). You can pump if you want to, I still pump to keep a small frozen supply in case I am away from baby here and there.

 

[noon_child]

In the UK they don't really like you to leave hospital unless they have seen you successfully feed LO twice without "help" - or at least that was what it was at my hospital. I hated staying in hospital though and wish I'd had a home birth.

To prepare you could check out a website like kellymom or buy a book like "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" (it is BIG though so it depends how much reading time you have).

Talk to your midwife about when and whether you could try hand expressing colostrum in the weeks leading up to baby's birth. A bit of stored colostrum can provide a nice buffer if bf gets off to a rocky start, and the less stress you have because LO is getting fed, the easier bf will be.

Newborn stomach size at various days after birth gives a nice visual about how we needn't be stressing about how little and how frequently they feed, so look that up too.

 

[coz]

Im in the uk and they do help you alot in the hospital, for me it was all very natural but for the first 2 weeks it was painful, i would advise getting some cream to be prepared but after the 2 weeks my nipples healed up and was fine, i really enjoy breast feeding, ive breast fed both my babies. I found i leaked alot at first but once your body gets used to how much milk you need it all seems alot easier after a few weeks. Dont forget to buy some breast pads. I just feed on demand so when ever i feel my baby is hungry i just feed him. You cant over feed a breast fed baby so you wont need to worry about that x

 

[kariss]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

I'm really hoping it all comes naturally to me and baby latches on fine but I like to be prepared and if the technique wasn't good I wouldn't know? Lol.

I'm glad to hear that their will be someone to show/teach me if I need it. I wouldn't mind staying in a little extra if I really needed too obviously.

I've been stocking up on breast pads along with other essentials..I'll add nipple cream to my list of things to get.

I think I will get a pump - like someone else said it's more for me, so that in future if I want a day/evening out I can without worrying. I suppose I will just see how feeding goes and then decide if I need to/want to pump regular.

Thanks again you've all been a big help 😊

 

[londonangel]

Hello,

The midwives will try to help you in the hospital. If you are lucky there may be a lactation consultant. I struggled with breastfeeding with both my girls and had to use nipple shields due to partially inverted nipples preventing latching. I managed to get my first off the shields at four months but the second would not latch without. I did not push it as I thought I would stoop breastfeeding at six months - so here I am at nine months, still breastfeeding with those wretched shields!

Any length of breastfeeding is good for your baby. Just be prepared for it possibly being difficult and for the baby wanting to be on you what feels like all the time the first few weeks. Ask your partner (before the birth) whether he will take baby for a couple of hours at night (once fed) if they will not settle to allow you a bit of sleep. Honestly, this saved me this time round, I would have felt ill with exhaustion otherwise.

The first few weeks are the hardest. I promise it gets easier after that and once baby is eating solid food they normally breastfeed less so it takes less of your time too. I will stop when I go back to work simply because it is my personal preference - but see how you go as if you want to pump and continue to give your baby breast milk you should be able to. I cannot because I go to and from work on my bike (plus other logistical difficulties) but mine will be one so she can have cows milk then.

Good luck!

 

[MrsKChicago]

Read up on sites like Kellymom. Know that it may be hard at the start, and that's ok. It gets better, and one day you wake up and realize it's gone from stressful to awesome. If it hurts, if baby isn't gaining weight, if you're struggling, talk to a lactation consultant! Try to find an International Board Certified one, they're the best. You may have to pay for it, but it's cheaper than bottles and formula! Keep in mind that a newborn's stomach is TINY. They eat very little, very often. Don't let the hospital scare you into formula if you're having trouble, unless you've tried expressing colostrum and syringe, bottle, or spoon feeding. It won't look like you're getting a lot, but they don't need much. If you don't have a medical emergency, insist on being allowed to breastfeed immediately after the birth. Everything else can wait if you and baby aren't in danger.

Always remember that as long as baby is gaining weight and filling diapers appropriately, you're making enough milk. You'll reach a point where baby cluster feeds and just won't leave the breast, especially in the evenings. It's normal. You'll eventually stop feeling really full if you go awhile without feeding. It's normal. You may never leak, you may leak fountains of milk, you may suddenly stop leaking. It's normal! Don't let it get to you. Weight and diapers.

I think it's good to have at least a manual pump on hand just in case you need it. But don't start a pumping routine for 4-6 weeks if you can help it. You'll definitely want to start bottles around 4-6 weeks and give at least a few every week if you're going to go back to work. Some babies are picky about bottles, some aren't.

I'm a SAHM, so I can't really speak to pumping vs formula at work, but there are a few factors to consider. First of all, any breastmilk is better than no breastmilk. If you go 6 months and then switch, that's ok. Your baby will still thrive. Pumping at work is effort, but if you continue to breastfeed, then it balances out in not having to mix formula and wash bottles all the time after work. You could just pop baby on the boob and relax. It can be a great way to reconnect after an absence and may help baby adjust to the change. And depending on what you do, you may still be able to get work done while pumping, if you get a hands free pumping bra. Play it by ear, see how you feel, and remember you don't have to make a decision yet.