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soon to be newbie
Hi girls
i am only 24 weeks pregnant now but have made my mind up to at least giving breastfeeding a go, i couldnt with my 1st lo as i was on medication, i dont no anyone who has breast feed and was was just looking for advice and tips so i can totally prepare myself and know exactly what to expect. I know not to get my hopes built up that it isnt from everyone but i feel very strongly about giving it ago and trying to do it for as long as possible.
Thanksxx
i am only 24 weeks pregnant now but have made my mind up to at least giving breastfeeding a go, i couldnt with my 1st lo as i was on medication, i dont no anyone who has breast feed and was was just looking for advice and tips so i can totally prepare myself and know exactly what to expect. I know not to get my hopes built up that it isnt from everyone but i feel very strongly about giving it ago and trying to do it for as long as possible.
Thanksxx
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Replies
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I had the same attitude as you when i was pregnant and was delighted to find that lo took to breastfeeding really easily, we're now into month 9, still going strong but i promised myself that i wouldn't be too upset if things didn't workout.
I started by doing some reading up on bfing-any pregnancy book will have a section on it or just google it. I then asked the lovely ladies on here specific questions that i was confused about.
It's not rocket science though. You feed off one breast then switch at the next feed. To begin with lo will probably feed very frequently and for long periods of time, this should settle down once your milk comes in around day 3. Mine then fed every 2 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night for 10 minutes at a time, this continued until i weaned at 6 months but every baby's diffierent.
I bought a v-shaped support pillow and a few easy-access tops (ive always found loose tops that you can lift much more discreet than button down tops). You should definately buy some lanisoh cream, its ??10 from a pharmacy and you apply before and after each feed, it's amazing stuff and will help to stop your nipples cracking.
I think the most important part of bfing is getting the latch right and you can't really prepare too much for that until bubs has arrived but i buzzed the midwife on the ward everytime lo fed, im sure it drove them mad but i was determined to get his latch checked everytime. If you go on youtube you'll find clips of baby's latching on, i found this really helpful as you have to be quite forceful about it which i would never have realised until i'd actually seen it. I was still gobsmaked the first time the midwife whacked my minutes old baby to my breast but it certainly worked!
Anyway, im rambling now but goodluck with it all and i hope you have a great pregnancy and birth xx
Well done with pregnancy I hope everything is going well. I to decided to try BF but not to kick myself if it didn't work, I only knew one person who had breat feed and she seemed a nature.
I have to say that I found the first two weeks extremmely hard - but since then it has been a dream. There are a couple of reasons that I found the first two weeks hard that you could prepare yourself for so that you don't have the same problems:-
1. As PixeBoo says make sure you get plenty of help in hospital. I should have asked for more and went home not feeling confident about the whole feeding thing.
2. When in hospital pull the curtain around you and lay with the baby resting on your tummy/chest for as long as possible the skin to skin really helps and makes to latching on a lot easier. (I didn't do this until day 10 and wish I had done this sooner, it is a truly wonderful feeling and something we have repeated many times since).
3. Don't be afraid to get help, when I was close to giving up about day 10, I rang a BF help line and spoke to a wonderful woman, who spent plenty of time on the phone and really really helped. It was her support who kept me going until day 14, when by baby was weighed and was putting on wieght - which was the best feeling in the world.
4. We stopped people visiting us in the first two weeks until me and lo were happy feeding (except very close family). This gave us a few quiet days to get the knack of feeding without having the destraction of having to be hostess for hours on end, and trying to feed or not feed while people are about.
5. Do what works for you I had three midwifes come in the first week one said feed every four hours, one said this isn't enough feed every 2 - 3 the third said feed on demand, by which point I was confused and scared. We found our own routine of every three hours for about 10 minutes. Sometimes he wants it quicker every 2 hours sometimes he is happy going 4 hours, sometimes he will feed for 15-20 minutes (it depends how quickly he is growing). He tends to feed more frequently in the early evening - getting ready for the night. I suppose what I am saying is everybaby will find their own routine, we just have to work to it!!
6. Plenty of Nipple cream from day one.
7. An electric breast pump so that Dad can have a go at feeding and you can have a little free time. We used EBM from day 14 and we did not suffer any nipple confusion at all.
Best of luck with everything,
HJS
I was on medication too with my first after complications at the birth. But I'm determined this time around- Can anyone recommend a specific book about breastfeeding that really helped?
Also when your baby cried did you automatically offer the breast or try and soothe them first? (I know sounds stupid, but with my ds I panicked when he cried and used to offer the bottle and he turned into a 'snack' feeder taking 1oz every hour)