Questions from a soon-to-be

[Leopard]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

 

[Braven05]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

Yes, my baby came out latching like a pro but not all do, especially if they're early. Yes I had quite a few challenges and very very uncomfortable until about 7 weeks tbh...and now at 11 weeks sometimes my nipples get a little sore, mostly when she's having a hungry day, but its soooo much easier! My milk came in on day 3 and I wass engorged immediately! Mine was a sleepy eater - had to stimulate her the whole time to get a good amount in. I can't feed while walking around but thats because I'm really large...lots of women master feeding in slings. hth

 

[Leopard]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

Yes, my baby came out latching like a pro but not all do, especially if they're early. Yes I had quite a few challenges and very very uncomfortable until about 7 weeks tbh...and now at 11 weeks sometimes my nipples get a little sore, mostly when she's having a hungry day, but its soooo much easier! My milk came in on day 3 and I wass engorged immediately! Mine was a sleepy eater - had to stimulate her the whole time to get a good amount in. I can't feed while walking around but thats because I'm really large...lots of women master feeding in slings. hth

Thankyou so much for sharing! I've been stressing a little, I plan on bfing no matter what but I keep hearing horror stories and I am really curious about the walking part because I don't think I'd survive having to sit down everytime

 

[ashley2pink]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

1: My 1st did not latch well because she was given a bottle because her blood sugar was low. 2nd and 3rd babies latched with absolutely no problems at all.
2:No, it wasnt comfortable!! I thought with my 3rd surely it wouldnt hurt but after a couple days nursing I got blisters again!! But, they do always get better. Took 1.5-2 weeks then they just disappeared.
3: I only noticed the after birth pains with my 1st baby while pumping. Just felt like menstrual cramps. I had c-sections with my 2nd and 3rd babies and didnt feel any cramps while nursing, probably because of the strong pain meds I was on
4:about 72 hrs with each.
5:Yes, they usually fall asleep during nursing. As they get older not as often
6: Yes you can walk around and nurse. May not be easy though. If you get a wrap and nurse them in there that is easier. There are youtube videos on how to

 

[Leopard]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

1: My 1st did not latch well because she was given a bottle because her blood sugar was low. 2nd and 3rd babies latched with absolutely no problems at all.
2:No, it wasnt comfortable!! I thought with my 3rd surely it wouldnt hurt but after a couple days nursing I got blisters again!! But, they do always get better. Took 1.5-2 weeks then they just disappeared.
3: I only noticed the after birth pains with my 1st baby while pumping. Just felt like menstrual cramps. I had c-sections with my 2nd and 3rd babies and didnt feel any cramps while nursing, probably because of the strong pain meds I was on
4:about 72 hrs with each.
5:Yes, they usually fall asleep during nursing. As they get older not as often
6: Yes you can walk around and nurse. May not be easy though. If you get a wrap and nurse them in there that is easier. There are youtube videos on how to

Thanks for answering! I wouldn't have a clue what menstrual cramp feel like so that will be new

 

[austinsmom]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

1.) My LO was a lazy latcher! Well, she was very sleepy the first 24 hours. I would try about once an hour. I recommend having someone watch you latch... to make sure it's correct positioning.
2.) No. Never had sore nipples (which, if your latch is good.. and LO isn't tounge tied, it shouldn't be 'painful'.. maybe a little uncomfortable as your nipples need to toughen up)
3.) After pains... weren't a problem, until a few days later (about the time my milk came in) and they were aweful. BUT... it only lasted for a few seconds at a time (Ibprofen worked wonders, btw)
4.) Third day. However, this is my second child, so it came in quicker then it did with my DS.
5.) Most the time they sleep after a feed (cluster feeding is normal the first 6 weeks.... example: Feed baby for 45-60mins... baby's asleep... baby wakes up 5 mins later screaming for boob...45-60mins feeding... baby asleep... baby wakes 5 mins later for boob... it's vicious cycle ... but necessary to build your supply)
6.)MOBI wrap... is awesome for getting stuff done while BF.

Good Luck hun! You'll do great!

 

[eliana]

1. Mines had problems latching on one side. I changed the position to rugby hold when i fed him on that side and that really helped.
2.Yes, discomfort and pain, i had cracked nipples, until about the 6 week mark. I'd say by that point i was able to feed comfortably.
3.No. I was in a lot of pain from my stiches though, so maybe was more focused on that.
4.Mines came in around 60 hours after giving birth.
5.I can't really remember. They sleep so much at the beginning so probably yes.
6.I personally can't manage. I need to use cushions and one of my best investments was a breastfeeding cushion. Maybe also because i always use rugby hold on one side.

Hope i've been of some help. I wish you all the best.xxx

 

[salander]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

Yes she latched straight away no problems at all. I started getting painful nipples about day 2. My milk didn't come in till about day 5. I had a c section and on day 5 I was engorged. I found it v painful and had to go to hospital and try to get them pumped and only got 15mls after 30 mins each side. It then started to get easier a few days after that. My nipples were so painful for a few weeks but the first week was awful for me. Midwife visited every day as I had blood blisters and although I was crying out in pain I really persevered. I'm so glad I didn't have formula in the house as I might have given up. Now at 16 weeks I don't feel pain and haven't had sore nipples for a few weeks.
My little one always slept after a feed. Not all the time now but likes to have a suckle at night to go to sleep.
X

 

[BattyNora]

Am definitely not an expert, and honestly still not found our feet but hope something in here helps. Sorry, prior warning, I waffle!

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
We had the first feed within 10 minutes after birth. We had a lovely period of skin to skin after she was delivered on to my chest. Rather than just pushing her straight on we waited until she started rooting and then the delivery midwife helped us to latch. I'd watched so many videos and heard all the key 'techniques' I stupidly thought it would be fine and was a bit worried when we had a bit of trouble. As soon as I stopped thinking about it and trying to much, she latched on like an absolute pro!

2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
You're going to hate reading this but after that first feed (and that was adrenaline I think!) I didn't have a pain-free feed until she was just over 11 weeks! Even now I get quite a bit of discomfort but we've have/had a few issues. Important thjngs I wish I'd known - especially once you've got the hang of it, it shouldn't hurt, you shouldn't want to cry through or dread a feed. Pain means you have a problem with the latch so find a local breastfeeding support group (HV should have info) and work on getting it right. Sometimes they see something and a tiny adjustment makes all the difference! Also, before you are discharged I'd recommend getting someone to check if your little one has a tongue tie and if they do/you have pain don't hesitate to get it done! BUT...back to your question, IMHO you will be lucky to have no discomfort for the first few days/weeks but your nipples will toughen up! If you do have pain then you can get nipple cream (people rave about lansinoh) or rub a bit of breastmilk on them..it worked for me!

3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
I wouldn't know what it is like without BF but I did find any afterpains did get 'worse' while feeding. But I didn't find any afterpains that bad.

4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
My milk came in about day 3 or 4 with quite a bit of gusto! Took a couple of days to get used to.

5. Do they sleep after a feed?
Up to about 4 weeks (I can't remember already!) she would without fail nap after a feed, but the length reduced from hour+ to only five or ten minutes. Now sometimes, usually if she takes both sides in one feed, she gets so milk drunk she falls asleep at the end and I don't wake her up, but as soon as I take her off and burp her she wakes up now. I used to be able to take her off and burp her and she's be in a 'milk coma'. I miss those! We're trying to keep to a loose version of the EASY routine now so we tend to have nappy and play time after boob!
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?
I did this todya for the first time. I'm on hols in Cornwall with my parents and as my dad is really uncomfortable with me feeding (even at home) and I've suddenly found it hard to feed discreetly I invested in a Bebe Au Lait cover so I could feel comfortable and not get stressed while out and about. Using that it was so easy to get her on and wander along the beach...it was actually brilliant. I felt so good! But I don't think I could ever have done it without the cover.

Told you I waffled!

 

[summer rain]

I don't think its possible for your milk to be in already; but sometimes the colostrum can look like milk-with my others the colostrum was really yellowy orangey and sticky but this time there was quite a lot of it and it was white with maybe the odd creamy coloured bit, I was worried it was abnormal but apparently the colostrum can be any of a whole gamut of colours, thicknesses and textures (and quantities!). Your milk is triggered to come in by delivering the placenta. Usually with the first baby any afterpains are usually mild; but mine were awful and have strangely got less painful with subsequent babies, this time I barely felt anything but the MW who visited 36 hours after LO was born was shocked how my uterus had gone back to a size and position they'd expect 3 weeks post birth, not just over a day. Also my tummy post kids is flatter than pre-kids and I can fully credit BF with that xx

 

[JZW]

Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

1. Not immediately, we needed some help adjusting from midwives. I kept feeling pain which I took to meaning I had the latch wrong but it was just that my nipples needed toughening up. What works for me is remembering nipple in line with nose, and then chin first.
2. As above, yes, I got the usual pain, and then had some really bad searing pain which I thought was thrush but it wasn't. It did make me scream out in pain each time she latched and it was only on my right side but it went away by week two. We've been pretty much pain free since week three.
3. Nope, I can't remember after pains at all, maybe I was concentrating too much on the feeding, making sure she is still latched on correctly and encouraging her to carry on sucking- she was very sleepy to begin with
4. Day 4
5. Yup, she gets milk drunk after every feed
6. Still a beginner so haven't tried walking and feeding yet

 

[amygwen]

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
Yes, he actually latched perfectly.

2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
No, it was a tad bit uncomfortable and painful, but not as bad as it could be. I used a lot of breastfeeding cream before and after so it helped w/ the soreness.

3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
No, not really.

4. How soon did your milk come in?
It took two days I believe.

5. Do they sleep after a feed?
Most of the time.

6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?
No. LOL. I'm sure it's possible but not for me!

 

[Beaney192]

Originally Posted by Leopard
Hey lovely breastfeeding mummies! I have some questions as I will be having my little girl within 8 days.

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
5. Do they sleep after a feed?
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?

If you can help please do!

1) Not really as he had jaundice as was very sleepy, had to be admitted to hospital on day 2 for him to be tube fed as dehydrated. But once he was better we had no problems

2) Yes, but only because I dont think my breast were tough enough, would make my toes curl everytime for about a week.

3) To be honest I didnt feel any.

4) Day 3 my mil, came in, Due to being in hospital with him and feeling down felt it was never going to happen, I was doing skin to skin and it poured out of both breasts, I did not expect it to be like that.

5) Yes he normally does.

6) Have only tried it to answer the door/phone, havent tried walking around the whole time.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
Yes, and we fed right away

2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
Yes, my nipples were sore but I used Lansinoh for the first week and it worked a treat until they had toughened up a bit

3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
Not sure as nothing to compare to but they were not too bad for me

4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
Properly came in on day 3 I think

5. Do they sleep after a feed?
The first couple of weeks, yes but not so much now!

6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?
Yes but LO seems too squashed up in a sling so only when carried and not for long as it hurts my arms!!!


Good luck

 

[mistyscott]

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it?
My LO wasn't interested in feeding for the first 24hrs so we were stuck in hospital until he discovered a love for boob on day two. He was nearly 100% tongue tied so latching was and still is bit of an issue. We used a nipple shield while in hospital but got off it quickly at home. His tongue was snipped at 4wks.

2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with?
Can't remember the early days but overall I've had terrible nipple pain - likely due to his poor latch. Milk coming in was def uncomfortable but only for a day or so.

3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think?
I've no idea but they were pretty intense for a week or so.

4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in).
Day 3 when we got home

5. Do they sleep after a feed?
He did in the first 2-3 weeks but now we follow Eat Activity Sleep You-time (EASY) although he'll feed to sleep at night usually and in the afternoons if tired.

6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around?
I've done it couple times to answer the door but dont make habit of it

Hope that helps -and hope you've got the idea that it's vastly different for different mums and babies.
Congrats and good luck

 

[Tacey]

1. Did your baby latch well to begin with? If not how did you encourage it? Yes, she was a pro from the start, fortunately.
2. Did you find it uncomfortable to begin with? a little bit as she latched on, but not once she'd got going.
3. Does it make the after-birth pains worse do you think? I never had those pains, so not for me!
4. How soon did your milk come in? (I'm weird because I haven't given birth yet but mine is already in). Day 3. I don't think it's unusual to have some leaking in pregnancy. I did too, but it wasn't until day three that my boobs went rock hard and very engorged! I did have an oversupply though, I don't think it's like that for everyone.
5. Do they sleep after a feed? Alice slept during her feeds too! Some babies are sleepier than others, but BM definitely gives an extra push to sleep.
6. Can you breastfeed whilst walking around? Yes, but it took practice. You need to be confident in your larch before attempting it I'd say, then maybe use a wrap or ringsling to help.

Good luck!