I'm here prematurely, breast-feeding wannabe!

[LousMom]

Hi Ladies,

So I'm a bit early as I'm only 24 weeks pregnant but I am dedicated to breastfeeding my LO once she's here.
I have a 6 year old DD whom I didn't breastfeed. I wanted to and it didn't work out - I'll be honest, I didn't try hard enough.
I really really want to do a good job this time!

So I have a few newbie questions, forgive me if these are dumb questions!

1. How soon after delivery can you feed? I am having a c-section, does it make it different for me?
2. If your body only produces colostrom for 2-3 days, isn't your baby hungry and cranky?
3. I hear that if you want to pump and feed from the breast, you can't introduce the bottle with breast milk until after a month?
4. I hear breastfeeding is a sure way to lose all those pregnancy pounds, is that true?
5. If the baby doesn't latch correctly then you have brokwn open and cracked nipples - how do you continue throuogh that?

thanks ladies!

 

[Mervs Mum]

Hi!

I was the same with my first and this time I was really determined - I think that's half the battle TBH.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. How soon after delivery can you feed? I am having a c-section, does it make it different for me?

Just make sure you let them know (and your partner knows to remind them) that you want to feed asap. They should help you to get comfy and latched properly.


2. If your body only produces colostrom for 2-3 days, isn't your baby hungry and cranky?

'Only'!! Thats the perfect first food!! Your newborn cant eat masses - it's tummy is tiny (see below) so little and often is exactly right

3. I hear that if you want to pump and feed from the breast, you can't introduce the bottle with breast milk until after a month?

It's best to wait until BFing is well established - some people manage that sooner than others but 6 weeks is average. Pumping early is also a bad idea as you will only get drips and then worry that your baby is only getting small amounts, even though a pump cant mimic a baby.


4. I hear breastfeeding is a sure way to lose all those pregnancy pounds, is that true?

It certainly helps!
5. If the baby doesn't latch correctly then you have brokwn open and cracked nipples - how do you continue throuogh that?

If you are sore then you are not getting them latched right. A good latch will prevent it but part of it is your nipples 'toughening up'. Not everyone ends up sore. Make sure you take time to get the latch right while in hospital where you should have more support. I ended up sore as my nipples got used to it. I wanted to BF to I just told myself it wasnt for long and got through it.

I'd recommend reading the sticky thread at the top ob this board about whay helped mum's in the early weeks

 

[Mervs Mum]

https://www.babyandbump.com/breastfeeding/115736-helped-you-starting-out.html

 

[LousMom]

Hi!

I was the same with my first and this time I was really determined - I think that's half the battle TBH.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. How soon after delivery can you feed? I am having a c-section, does it make it different for me?

Just make sure you let them know (and your partner knows to remind them) that you want to feed asap. They should help you to get comfy and latched properly.


2. If your body only produces colostrom for 2-3 days, isn't your baby hungry and cranky?

'Only'!! Thats the perfect first food!! Your newborn cant eat masses - it's tummy is tiny (see below) so little and often is exactly right

3. I hear that if you want to pump and feed from the breast, you can't introduce the bottle with breast milk until after a month?

It's best to wait until BFing is well established - some people manage that sooner than others but 6 weeks is average. Pumping early is also a bad idea as you will only get drips and then worry that your baby is only getting small amounts, even though a pump cant mimic a baby.


4. I hear breastfeeding is a sure way to lose all those pregnancy pounds, is that true?

It certainly helps!
5. If the baby doesn't latch correctly then you have brokwn open and cracked nipples - how do you continue throuogh that?

If you are sore then you are not getting them latched right. A good latch will prevent it but part of it is your nipples 'toughening up'. Not everyone ends up sore. Make sure you take time to get the latch right while in hospital where you should have more support. I ended up sore as my nipples got used to it. I wanted to BF to I just told myself it wasnt for long and got through it.

I'd recommend reading the sticky thread at the top ob this board about whay helped mum's in the early weeks

thanks SO much for answering my questions! I will read the stickies

 

[Mervs Mum]

You are welcome and do come for support too. The first few days are really tough on top of being tired from labour but if you get through that you are half way there. Trust your body. Less than 1% of women physically cant BF so you'd be really unlucky to be one of them. Your body had nurtured your baby from a tiny speck of nothing to a full grown healthy baby ..... why would it suddenly stop after??

I forgot to post the pic of a newborn tummy....


Here it is.....

 

[wishing4ababy]

Hi hun.
I had a section hun and afterwards - as soon as you are in recovery they put baby on me for skin to skin - he latched straight on - so i was wheeled back up to ward with him suckling away! make sure you tell the mw this is what you want and they should support you.
My nipples were really sore at first but like merv's mum said you soon get through it. I think mine were sore (partly because he wasn't latched properly) for the first 3/4 days and then they just got better. Get a good nipple cream in just in case. It does really help.
I tried expressing too soon and it did really freak me out - i hardly got anything and then i was convinced that he wasn't getting enough from me. This is harder to get your head round than the sore nipples - psychologically i thought i wasn't feeding him enough....that is a really hard mind set to get out of - i wouldn't recommend to anyone expressing before the 6 week mark.
I would also recommend a feeding pillow - especially after a section - it really made a difference for me.
Good luck.
xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

Oh yeah - a pillow is a really useful item after a section

 

[LousMom]

Here's another question --- since i'm having a c section and will likely be taking a narcotic for the pain, will that be in my milk? will it hurt her?

 

[mommyof3co]

I was the same way with my son, who is also 6, it didn't work out and I really think I just wasn't educated enough on it and I didn't try hard enough, it made me really determined to do it with my 2nd..and I did

1. How soon after delivery can you feed? I am having a c-section, does it make it different for me? With a csection you can't feed right away, here you have to wait until you are out of recovery. For me it was longer because they took Casen to the NICU for a few hours, but I made it very clear they were not to give him formula, I didn't get to feed him for like 3hrs after birth but he did great with it

2. If your body only produces colostrom for 2-3 days, isn't your baby hungry and cranky? nope, colostrum is plenty for them, there is no need to supplement with anything else

3. I hear that if you want to pump and feed from the breast, you can't introduce the bottle with breast milk until after a month? it's best to wait until breastfeeding is established, it's easier to drink from a bottle so they may not want to try and nurse anymore. Casen was fine but he didn't have one very often at all

4. I hear breastfeeding is a sure way to lose all those pregnancy pounds, is that true? I did loose alot of weight right away but then it just evened out and I stopped loosing. It makes your uterus shrink back up faster which is a good thing. Some people loose, some dont. It does burn more calories..I think it's like 500 a day just from breastfeeding

5. If the baby doesn't latch correctly then you have brokwn open and cracked nipples - how do you continue throuogh that? I used alot of lansinoh cream, spent lots of time relaxing in a hot bath because it felt good on them. But really I just had to deal with the pain, it sucked for awhile, but I really wanted to get past it. It does get better, you both start to get the hang of it more, it's just an adjustment

 

[mommyof3co]

Here's another question --- since i'm having a c section and will likely be taking a narcotic for the pain, will that be in my milk? will it hurt her?

If they know that you plan to nurse they will give you something that's safe while nursing

 

[Mervs Mum]

There are safe painkillers

 

[wishing4ababy]

Here's another question --- since i'm having a c section and will likely be taking a narcotic for the pain, will that be in my milk? will it hurt her?

I couldn't have codeine as they said that crosses over into the milk - but i had paracetemol and another stronger one (can't remember the name hun - sorry). the mw will tell you what you can and can't have - do they do your section with a spinal block? that is what i had and as soon as i had feeling back they kept me topped up with pain relief. xx