Really want breastfeeding to work - please share your top tips

[HappyHome]

As the title says, would you please share your hints and tips for successful BF.
I had my little girl yesterday morning and really want to be able to feed her. She's my fourth baby and I've never got passed 3wks before.
So this time I would really love to.
I'm hoping you experienced Mum's could help xx

 

[FAB mama]

Mind if I ask what kind of problems stopped you before with the other kids? Maybe that would help.

Otherwise I'd say drink tons of water and try to relax. Ask a lactation consultant for help if needed. For me it took many hours a day of sitting and nursing so with other kids at home you may need tips from moms with a big family. I hear wraps are good for nursing and moving around, but I didn't use one.

Just remember, in most cases it will get easier each day (even if you run into a problem or two).

Good luck, I hope it goes well!

 

[HappyHome]

I really struggled with getting baby to latch on and my supply was never that great, baby would scream slot and I felt such a failure I went to bottle feeding so they'd at least have something.
We are a big family (8 of us now)

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

I'd say; remember that you and baby are both learning how to BF, even though it's natural sometimes it can take a while to get right.

Trust in your own body. When baby has fed for 45 minutes and wants feeding again 15 minutes later trust that it's normal newborn behaviour. You are making enough milk as long as baby has wet and dirty nappies and is putting on weight. Cluster feeding is normal and my daughter did marathons even at 10 weeks old. You might be on the sofa all day at times and that is normal but you will see how amazing your body is when you see her growing on just your milk.

Eat and drink well, especially water to keep yourself hydrated.

Keep working on the latch. I really couldn't get a good latch on my right side until week 12 and my supply was never great on that side because of it but it worked fine and she fed on both sides.

Know that it does get easier, baby will feed less frequent and you will get to the point where you'll latch baby on and not even think about it. That is the best time, when it's enjoyable but it can take a while to get there. 12 weeks was when it all fell into place for us.

Remember you are not a failure if you use formula. Take one day at a time. My first was formula fed after two weeks but I was better prepared and researched lots this time and we are still going strong.

Good luck and congratulations

 

[FAB mama]

I really struggled with getting baby to latch on and my supply was never that great, baby would scream slot and I felt such a failure I went to bottle feeding so they'd at least have something.
We are a big family (8 of us now)

Well I spent about 3 days in the hospital because of a c-section so they checked on my latch every day and I could call for help if needed. They also tracked diaper contents to make sure baby was feeding ok. I wouldn't say I had it down perfect when I got home, but LO got the hang of it. He did lose weight for maybe the first 2 weeks? I think it was about a week before my milk came in, but there was no actual problem. So you may think your supply is low, but that may not be true. And yes, newborns nurse constantly. CONSTANTLY.

 

[lanaross]

40 days hun. the best advice I was given here by somebody when I BFed my first was "40 days". There will be a lot of screaming, banging your head against the wall, thinking omg I don't have enough supply, or omg I have too much supply, and omg she can't possibly be up an hour after I just fed her etc. etc. Do whatever it takes to survive the first 40 days, after that little by little it transforms to a total blast (to the point that I am now devastated that I am losing my milk supply as I want to keep going, never thought I'd be so into it). It's easier, it's comforting for both of you but only once you two establish this bond good luck xx

 

[annio84]

Don't expect it to be easy. If you go in with realistic expectations then it's easier to keep going because you don't feel like you're not doing enough.

 

[kitabird]

The best tip I can give you is to seek the right support. Unfortunately midwives, health visitors and doctors are often not very knowledgeable about breastfeeding and can give you really bad advice. Find out where your nearest breastfeeding support group is and get along to it, or make contact with them. The supporters/leaders will probably be willing to talk to you over the phone if you can't get to the group. A lot of the time all you'll need is a bit of reassurance in order to keep going. Check if you have a local la leche league group. Mine has a facebook page where you can get answers to whatever questions or worries you have. BnB is good, but I find there's a lot more activity on the LLL page, so you get replies quicker and from qualified leaders as well as from other mothers.

 

[Perplexed]

Since BF'ing a newborn means hours on hours, try to set up a support system and make yourself comfortable. Set up movies or tv series maybe so at least you take your mind off things (helped me during the day!) and have family members bring food and drink to you and keep it within arms reach.

BF'ing for hours with no one to help me gets me really depressed because I can't attend to my own basic needs. So if I haven't eaten or drank for hours it will probably add to baby's fussiness, or that's how it feels to me. But fussiness is also normal.

 

[eve89]

I believe if you wanted to be effective in nursing your child, you have to enroll yourself to a mother's class or breastfeeding class. Because, they give practical tips and advice there. They also suggest ways on how to overcome the challenges when breastfeeding a child.