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advice please!!
hi everyone im looking at breastfeeding this time around i didnt with my other 3 children as i didnt feel confidant enough but as im older and with him going to be my last baby i really want to give it ago, the only thing is im so nervous about doing it i dont no nothing about breastfeeding or expressing its all alien like to me i was just wondering if any of u nice ladies could give me some pointers on how to and best things to buy to help make it comfortable and enjoyable
thanks
sam xxx
thanks
sam xxx
0
Replies
i didnt manage with my first but i have with my second, i attended a prenatal breastfeeding group run by our local infant feeding team which really helped to get some perspective, i gave up with my eldest as he wanted to feed all the time and i thought he was not getting enough, which was not true they just feed more frequently. there were ladies there who told their struggles and acheivements with brestfeeding so i had a real perspective. i also got the team to come out to me when i came home to help with latch too which is the most important thing, i have also attended a group ever week to get advice and make friends which has also helped, its amazing how diffent each persons experiences are
i bought a few covers for when we had visitors then for feeding out and about as i became more confident, i found the breastfeeding buterly the best for me as it covered the most. i bought a pump and expressed so hubby could help, we didnt have any problems with bottle confusion. i also had a book which was really good, what to expect when your breastfeeding and what if you cant by clare byam cook
the big advice i would give is
- dont be afriad to ask for help
- latch - if it hurts its likely the latch is wrong
- they do feed freqently - their tummies are as small as a marble and the milk passes very quickly, when you think they cant be hungy already they probably are!
- expect the first 6 weeks to be hard work - if its not thats a bonus!
the first 6 weeks were tough for us as she has never been a good sleeper ( the only one in my breastfeeding group that wasnt sleeping through by 12 weeks!)
enjoy your journey
It shouldn't ever hurt, so if it does the latch is wrong so stop and reattach otherwise you will get sore - i made this mistake and had to express off one side for a while to let my nipple recover.
Get Lansinoh nipple cream - it is the best, cheap ones are pointless, also you don't have to wash it off before a feed.
Get out and about feeding in public as soon as you can. I didn't have the confidence to do that for a while. My turning point was attending a mother and baby group at about 8 weeks - they were all at it so I just got on with it too, and now am happy doing it anywhere. I also don't bother with covers - too much faff, and you'll figure out how to do it discreetly.
Nursing tops are rubbish i find, layers are better so you can pull one top up, one down so your belly is covered up - important for me to avoid flashing my stretch marks!
It took us 4 weeks to establish breastfeeding properly, but it is totally worth it, easy, convenient, free and so lovely when your baby is snuggled up with you.
Also to echo piggypops, they do seem to feed pretty much constantly at first, which no one told me! I remember just feeding and feeding during the evenings and thinking 'he can't possibly still be hungry!'
xxx
When I had my second 18 weeks ago i told myself id give it a go and see what happened. I got so much support this time in hospital, helped me expresses when she was too tired to feed so she could be syringe fed and when she wanted to feed all night, they showed me how to feed lying down. We have ebf and co slept since then and have loved every minute.
I would also recommend Lansinoh, Our latch was great but i still found it painfull in the beginning until my nipples toughend up!
Good Luck!
Good luck
Linds