what is your best tips?
- Thread starter stomp110
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Lansinoh!!! Get a tube and keep it with you at all times! Don't bother buying more than one tube, you don't need much at a time and you only need it a lot for the first few weeks. 8 weeks on I only use it now if lo's been lazy with his latch without me realising or during growth spurts!
I love my widgey breastfeeding pillow, didn't use one to start with but my lo is a chunk and I had an Emergency CS so as he got bigger he was resting on my scar. Now he's 8 weeks I don't use it all the time but when we're tired it's useful (it's also great to use for naps for yourself!), he's sleeping on it on me after a feed as I write!
I make a lot of milk so leak a lot. Maternity pads cut in half, stuck in your bra make great breast pads!
Snacks!!! Stock up! Even now, especially during growth spurts or fussy days, some days I can struggle to get a chance to eat for a while.
Pump - I got a great deal on a tommee tippee manual pump on amazon for £12 something. I've only used it the once yesterday, I managed to get 7 ounces in 20 mins so seems to work well for me! A friend said to get one for the bottles you use. However a bottle came with it, and I bought some storage bags and just poured into that and stuck in freezer so don't think it's necessary to worry about the bottles you use. But it was really easy to use, easy to clean etc.
Biggest tip... Relax! Baby may not do what other babies do or what you expect or what the midwife/health visitor/dr expects but baby knows what baby needs so follow the baby's lead.
Also listen to yourself, I was in hospital for 5 days, and had been saying something was wrong with my latch as I'd had my nipple bleed, but my lo was feeding well, no midwife watched me latch him just checked once he was on and kept saying it was fine. I finally put my foot down and got to see the lactation nurse the day I was discharged, who agreed with me and realised what I was doing wrong and helped me correct it.
If you can get help from your partner (or anyone else) take it! I got my husband to sit in with the lactation nurse and any other time I was getting advice. In the early days in the middle of the night when your struggling to latch and both you and lo are getting frustrated with each other it's helpful to have someone else to be able to spot what you're doing wrong and help you correct it.
Wind - I was under the impression breastfed babies didn't really get wind, so didn't wind lo to start with, big mistake! Funnily my lo is very windy! (I wonder what he'd be like if he was formula fed!!!). So yea dont forget to wind baby!
Can't think of anything else atm other than prepare yourself and household for baby to be attached to your boob constantly for the first week or so, and during every growth spurt (3,6,9,12 weeks etc)... But don't let that put you off as it is amazing!
Becki x
I love my widgey breastfeeding pillow, didn't use one to start with but my lo is a chunk and I had an Emergency CS so as he got bigger he was resting on my scar. Now he's 8 weeks I don't use it all the time but when we're tired it's useful (it's also great to use for naps for yourself!), he's sleeping on it on me after a feed as I write!
I make a lot of milk so leak a lot. Maternity pads cut in half, stuck in your bra make great breast pads!
Snacks!!! Stock up! Even now, especially during growth spurts or fussy days, some days I can struggle to get a chance to eat for a while.
Pump - I got a great deal on a tommee tippee manual pump on amazon for £12 something. I've only used it the once yesterday, I managed to get 7 ounces in 20 mins so seems to work well for me! A friend said to get one for the bottles you use. However a bottle came with it, and I bought some storage bags and just poured into that and stuck in freezer so don't think it's necessary to worry about the bottles you use. But it was really easy to use, easy to clean etc.
Biggest tip... Relax! Baby may not do what other babies do or what you expect or what the midwife/health visitor/dr expects but baby knows what baby needs so follow the baby's lead.
Also listen to yourself, I was in hospital for 5 days, and had been saying something was wrong with my latch as I'd had my nipple bleed, but my lo was feeding well, no midwife watched me latch him just checked once he was on and kept saying it was fine. I finally put my foot down and got to see the lactation nurse the day I was discharged, who agreed with me and realised what I was doing wrong and helped me correct it.
If you can get help from your partner (or anyone else) take it! I got my husband to sit in with the lactation nurse and any other time I was getting advice. In the early days in the middle of the night when your struggling to latch and both you and lo are getting frustrated with each other it's helpful to have someone else to be able to spot what you're doing wrong and help you correct it.
Wind - I was under the impression breastfed babies didn't really get wind, so didn't wind lo to start with, big mistake! Funnily my lo is very windy! (I wonder what he'd be like if he was formula fed!!!). So yea dont forget to wind baby!
Can't think of anything else atm other than prepare yourself and household for baby to be attached to your boob constantly for the first week or so, and during every growth spurt (3,6,9,12 weeks etc)... But don't let that put you off as it is amazing!
Becki x
My best tip is get your partner on board, it is hard work even when it all goes right and I had times when had my hubby said, just give her some formula then I might have done even though I didn't want to.
The pump I use is a tommee tippee manual one which having looked at reviews a lot of people hate but it works great for me. My only niggle with it is that it's awkward to clean properly. It took some extensive googling to figure out how to fully dismantle it - I believe the instructions say it goes into 3 parts which is not true.
I currently pump once a day and store in freezer bags. I'll be going back to work soon though so may start storing in bottles. I'll also be on the look out for an electric pump as I don't think the manual one would cut it for full time pumping.
The pump I use is a tommee tippee manual one which having looked at reviews a lot of people hate but it works great for me. My only niggle with it is that it's awkward to clean properly. It took some extensive googling to figure out how to fully dismantle it - I believe the instructions say it goes into 3 parts which is not true.
I currently pump once a day and store in freezer bags. I'll be going back to work soon though so may start storing in bottles. I'll also be on the look out for an electric pump as I don't think the manual one would cut it for full time pumping.
Just take it one day at a time. It is hard in the begining but it gets better. I think determination to succeed helps but so does being quite relaxed. Another tip would be to find other people who are feeding (I joined a group at the childrens centre) so you can talk to people in real life who are coping with the same things.
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it can be difficult to start with and not the imagined put-baby-to-breast-and-they'll-feed, you both have to learn how to do it, even if the first feed after birth goes well.
Growth spurts can be a milkathon, so get a good spot on the sofa, snacks/drinks nearby and let baby feed away.
Don't try to get baby to fit into a routine for a while, feed whenever you think baby's hungry, if in doubt offer breast, they'll turn their head if they don't want it, you can't overfeed.
Expect to be tired from feeding in the night, unless you pump so someone else can do it, it's going to be you on night duty for quite a while, does mean however you get to enjoy those precious middle of the night cuddles.
get a good nipple cream, lanisoh is good, and lots of breastpads for the first few months.
relax and enjoy nourishing your child, try out different positions of holding and cosleep safely so you can get more sleep yourself.
good luck
Growth spurts can be a milkathon, so get a good spot on the sofa, snacks/drinks nearby and let baby feed away.
Don't try to get baby to fit into a routine for a while, feed whenever you think baby's hungry, if in doubt offer breast, they'll turn their head if they don't want it, you can't overfeed.
Expect to be tired from feeding in the night, unless you pump so someone else can do it, it's going to be you on night duty for quite a while, does mean however you get to enjoy those precious middle of the night cuddles.
get a good nipple cream, lanisoh is good, and lots of breastpads for the first few months.
relax and enjoy nourishing your child, try out different positions of holding and cosleep safely so you can get more sleep yourself.
good luck
Drink water, lots of it. When you think you've had enough, drink some more. It will help your supply. The recommendation is a glass with each feeding at least. I keep one of those big insulated cups by me, especially at night.
If you get stressed out or upset take some long deep breaths and try again. Your milk flow will be affected by your stress level so you need to relax. Baby will be fussy if you're upset.
Remember that it (should) keep getting easier every day. It might take a couple months, but you'll reach a point that baby will just feed fast and easily and it's great.
I agree with the Lanisoh. I had a Boppy nursing pillow but I didn't like it, I used regular bed pillows and the football hold for a long time because of my c-section. My iPad was my favorite thing during the long nursing sessions at the beginning (sometimes they last an hour or so each). I have a Medela Harmony pump, which was fine but I'm not working now so I quit trying to pump. LO refused bottles around 3 months so I gave up. Send me a message if I can help in any way!
If you get stressed out or upset take some long deep breaths and try again. Your milk flow will be affected by your stress level so you need to relax. Baby will be fussy if you're upset.
Remember that it (should) keep getting easier every day. It might take a couple months, but you'll reach a point that baby will just feed fast and easily and it's great.
I agree with the Lanisoh. I had a Boppy nursing pillow but I didn't like it, I used regular bed pillows and the football hold for a long time because of my c-section. My iPad was my favorite thing during the long nursing sessions at the beginning (sometimes they last an hour or so each). I have a Medela Harmony pump, which was fine but I'm not working now so I quit trying to pump. LO refused bottles around 3 months so I gave up. Send me a message if I can help in any way!
