what do I need to know

[yourstruly10]

Hi ladies.

I hope it's ok for me to post this here. I'm not actually pregnant yet but planning ahead as we hope to be pregnant with number 4 shortly before or after our wedding in august.
We have three beautiful children but all of whom I never breastfed. I tried with my first but failed horribly ended up with PPD and was to afraid with my next two to try. This time I am adamant and ready to do this. So I suppose I am here asking for your help.
What all will I NEED and what do I need to know.
I'm hoping to keep a journal and list of all things to remember and do for the entire pregnancy and thought it may help me to have a preparing to breastfeed sections. The ups and downs I may meet the good the bad, what to buy, everything ect lol.

thank you for all your help ahead of time

 

[noon_child]

As you've got plenty of time, I'd get a good book all about what to expect and how breastfeeding and breastfed babies 'work'. "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is great, and regularily updated.

Kellymom is a great online source of info too.

On top of that, do your research in to local support groups and get contact information for the support networks available to you (whether that is the hospital infant feeding teams or charitable organisations like LLL).

Every baby is different but there are some genetic predisposition things that if they occurred in one baby are likely to be in another...I'm thinking tongue tie...so it might be worth doing a bit of research to see if your bad experience might have been caused by this, so you can get it checked out when the next bub comes along.

I wish I'd have learnt how to hand express before trying to do it in the hospital when I was physically and emotionally wrecked. It seems such a useful skill.

 

[MrsKChicago]

I think there are two things that are most essential to keep in mind.

#1 - You and baby both have to learn to breastfeed. It's not as "natural" as it seems like it should be. The first 6 weeks or so are the hardest. If you can get through that, it gets so much easier. I always heard that, and my guy is 7 weeks and it proved true for me. Find yourself a support system, even if it's just a Facebook group you can talk to, and they can help you get through that rough start..

#2 - Pain is a sign you may need some help from a lactation consultant or maybe a La Leche League leader. You may have some nipple tenderness at the start while they adjust, and that will pass, and some women have some pain at letdown, and that's normal. And the initial engorgement when your milk comes in will suck. But if baby is chomping or you have a lot of pain, or your nipples are damaged, there's probably a latch issue, and latch issues can be solved. You may be able to google and figure it out on your own, but if it gets to be too much, reach out.

Do some reading on growth spurts, cluster feeding, and comfort nursing. There will be times when baby wants to nurse constantly. It's how she signals to your body to start making more milk, and as long as diapers are good and baby is gaining weight, it's totally normal and doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your supply. It gets old sometimes, but I just remind myself that I don't have to wash bottles all the time, and formula is expensive, and it gets me through.

As for supplies, get some good nipple cream. I use Earth Mama Angel Baby, but there are tons out there. It helps with the tenderness at the start. A good nursing pillow helps, too. I like the My Brest Friend, it stays in place and has a little pocket for my nipple balm and my phone. Stock up on snacks you can eat with one hand, and get some big bottles you can fill with water. And keep entertainment on hand - phone, computer, magazines, netflix, whatever. You'll want some comfy nursing bras - I recommend trying to get away with soft sleep bras until your milk is a bit regulated and you know what size you need. And you'll probably want some nursing pads for leaking.

If you ever plan on pumping to give bottles, you'll want a pump. If you don't plan to do it regularly, you can probably just get a manual pump. There are varying opinions on when to start, we started bottles every other day or so around 3 weeks, but make sure breastfeeding is going well before you start. Look up paced bottlefeeding to avoid baby developing a preference for the bottle.

If you plan on going out with baby and nursing in public, you may want a cover, and it's very helpful to have clothes you can layer - I try to do a shirt I can pull up over a nursing camisole that folds down.

Good luck!

 

[lisa1980]

I've BF both my babies (still going with DS2).

I'd second the PP; it can be hard at the start. The seemingly constant feeding in the first few weeks whilst your supply is being established can be really tiring but it's important to know that if nappies are good then you ARE making enough...in fact the constant feeding will ensure you make enough. SO many people commented that baby must not be full if he wants to feed so regularly but luckily I knew this was rubbish so it didn't put me off.

I found it painful at the start. Toe-curling even for the first week or two while try nipples got used to it. I don't think we had any latch issues (not significant things anyway) but I still had a few blisters and such which healed really quickly by airing them and using nipple cream. After the initial bit it has never hurt at all since (except occasionally when he forgets I'm not a teething ring )

I was worried about how DS1 would cope with the frequent feeding of DS2 at the start so I tried to make him feel included by letting him choose a book I could read to him whilst feeding DS2 or something similar. This made me feel less guilty about having DS2 attached to me so much.

The kellymom website is great. I read it before having my first and it definitely helped prepare me for the commonest issues which may arise.

I pumped and gave occasional bottles with both babies from around 4 weeks as I was confident BF was going well by then. They've both been happy to switch between breast and bottle without a problem which has been handy.

The main benefit I've found is that, after the initial bit, BF is so much easier than bottle-feeding. I've often combi-fed at various points when I've had to leave them with DH or grandparents and the sterilising and preparing etc of bottles always makes me grateful to have the option to BF direct as it's so much less faff. DS2 now feeds around 3-4 times a day and once at night and each feed lasts only 5-7 minutes (he's a fast feeder!). It takes him much longer to take a bottle feed. And it's cheap!

I nurse in public wearing BF tops as I find it easiest. 99% of the time people don't even realise I'm feeding him, let alone comment. I've never had a negative reaction. A cover can be handy at first whilst you're getting used to it as it might give you a bit more confidence if latching takes a while.

If you've had problems in the past or aren't feeling confident about it I'd say getting a knowledgable support network is the main thing. They can help you to troubleshoot problems if they arise and give you support or reassurance when needed. I also agree with a PP that it's a skill that needs to be learnt by both you and the baby so it can a little time...but you never know - it might be much easier than you expect this time