Breastfeeding moms-give me your best tips!?

Question

I've read all about it, but give me your best advice on making it successful or even things you wish you'd known then. I really want to breastfeed and not have a terrible time with it. Thanks!

Answer 1

hi,

Just try to get a good midwife or breast feeding counsellor to make sure the baby is latching on properly, sucking with long sucks not nibbling and try and put your baby to your breast every time and not be put off by the initial pain as it gets better. If you have low milk supply try "more milk plus" a herbal supplement, fennel tea and lots of water. get some washable breast pads, i found the disposable ones itchy and resorted to kitchen roll to stop leaky b***s! I also went to breastfeeding clinics which helped greatly once the baby was born. Hope this helps ;-)

Nic

Answer 2

"give me your best advice on making it successful"

Educate yourself about breastfeeding before your baby arrives.

Read 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding' by the La Leche League, sift through www.kellymom.com and www.lli.org.

And know that all breastfeeding problems can be fixed within 48 hours.

Answer 3

Sorry if my response is long but anything I can do to help....

My daughter is 7 1/2 weeks old and I decided at about 8mos pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed for the benefits as well as financial reasons. The very first feeding after she was born was insane lol. My baby was what they call a "barracuda" because she just kept going and it hurt. But honestly after the first couple days it was not so bad. By the third day my milk came in and she was doing very well.

My biggest urge for you is to not give up! I almost did, and you may also, but go back to it! I tried to pump exclusively for about 2 or 3 days but wanted the connection and closeness back. Plus pumping and taking care of a newborn can be verry difficult and stressful. I found it less stressful to breastfeed. I would suggest taking a class that your hospital may offer or even Babies R Us, their classes are free. Also look into a lactation specialist that your hospital may have. If they don't have one try to find one in your area if you can afford it. They will teach you how to get a good latch and give good tips on what to do. After a couple weeks I didn't deal with the specialist at our hospital because we had it down.

If you have an inverted nipple or nipples that will not draw up enough for a latch, get breast shells. You will wear them under your bra and the way they are cupped will help keep your nipple out so that the baby can latch easier when it comes time to feed. I stopped using them after 2 weeks because they would fill up with milk and leak causing me to do more laundry than i wanted after having a baby, but they honestly helped. You may also want to invest in a nipple shield yo help baby stay latched through the feeding. A good breast pump as well; Medela I prefer although pricey, it works very well. I also have the manual medela pump that works wonders on the go. Johnson's nursing pads are the best, too. I also use nursing bras from Target.

My best advice is to not give up. I cried a few times and really wanted to give up because I thought it was so inconvenient and holding me down, but honestly I wasn't going too far right after having a baby and now that I'm ready to get out and about I realize it's not so bad. You just have to realize that things are going to go a little slower and you have to have more patience so when it's time to stop and feed, you have to put everything down and feed.

Your baby may have a hard time with it at first but the specialist said they can sometimes get lazy with their latch but after a few days or so they will get stronger. They have to learn just as you have to learn so be patient with them. Have a support person to encourage you such as your spouse or mother or a friend. Maybe they can be with you for a week or two and sit with you as you feed to help out. My mom really helped with me but she also tried to support my decision to give up lol.. she just wanted me to be happy.

Good luck!!!

Answer 4

Hi,

GET NIPPLE BALM!!!!

I had to stop breastfeeding my first because my nipples dried out and bled!!! the most painfull thing ever!!

Now with my second they are soft and feel great!!

Answer 5

I've breastfed all three of my kids and plan to do it again with the next. What happens to me every time, although I don't think it happens to everyone, is my nipples get incredibly sore. They sometimes crack and bleed. The pain is excruciating every time the baby latches on, but it only lasts for the first couple of weeks (although it seems much longer than that!),  then my nipples toughen up and it's fine. So, if that happens to you, HANG IN THERE! The pain WILL go away eventually. And, yes, I use the lanolin cream, but it only works so much.  

Answer 6

The good news first: it gets easier.  The bad news: it was one of the toughest things I've ever done!!  

It was quite painful for me, so do make sure to get some lanolin cream.  I also had a big problem leaking at night and waking up in cold pools of sour milk every hour of the night (soooo not fun).  I also had overactive letdown, and so both b*****s would let down milk when I was only feeding from one of them - very messy.  Avent does sell "breast shield/milk collectors" that were a huge help to me.

Anyway, things got easier, one by one, and by 5 months, it was a breeze.  

Make sure to do lots of research, and take advantage of any lactation help at your hospital or in your area (lactation consultants, etc).

Be patient, and realize both you and your baby are learning!  

Answer 7

Just be patient and realize that it takes some learning on both of your parts.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Most people think that breastfeeding comes naturally, and in some ways it does.  But it can take a little time to get used to.  Your nipples will be sore, but that will go away after a few days.  If it doesn't you might call a lactation consultant and make sure the baby is latching on properly.

Answer 8

Just be prepared to be flexible.  It may not be easy and "just like the books say."  It's okay if your experience is not just like what you have read.  While breast is the best - Don't let anyone make you feel guilty if you have to supplement or pump.  Do what is best for you and the baby.

Answer 9

Things I wish I knew in the beginning:

A newborn acts like a maniac when they're hungry because they don't have ANY emotional control over themselves whatsoever, so even hunger is a huge deal to them. Swaddling before feedings helps to tame them down a lot.

One of the best positions you can learn is how to feed your baby while you are both laying down on your sides facing each other. It's the most comfortable way to feed a baby by far, and they're comfortable as well.

Lanolin and disposable breast pads aren't optional; they're necessities.

It's really rough in the beginning, but well worth the trouble later on down the road, even though there may be times that you doubt it. Once you both get in to the groove of things it's a very enjoyable experience for both of you, and really helps you feel close to each other.

Letdown can make you feel drugged and/or sedated.

Discreetly breastfeeding in public is by no means whatsoever easy. In fact I still haven't figured it out.

You will eventually realize some aspects of what turns so many people off to breastfeeding, especially when you start noticing how many places don't have suitable places to nurse (and I don't consider the toilet a suitable place to nurse). It will more than likely make you angry.

You'll lose a lot of the shame and sexual association that you've always had towards your b*****s. Eventually they become nothing more than a means to feed your baby, and you'll begin to wonder why people see a bared breast as being so inappropriate (I'm not saying you should let them hang all out, just that people put up a lot more fuss about a woman baring her breast to feed her baby than is really necessary).

Yes, a baby eats every 2 hours.... assuming that baby is not in a growth spurt. Don't be surprised if all of a sudden one day your little one wants to nurse every half hour.

Feedings take a looooong time. It helps to take a book with you for when you get antsy and/or bored.

That's all I can really think of. There's not really much to breastfeeding, it's just hard to adjust to at first.

Answer 10

The 1st wks apply lansinoh lanolin on your nipples after each feed.

Nurse as much as you can to make lots of milk for your little one.

Nurse on demand. Many people say babies eat every 2-3 hrs, this is a big fat lie. My son nursed ever hour, sometimes even every 30min. It's not weird, it does not mean you have low supply. It's normal.

My son would eat for an hour sometimes, he loved to comfort nurse, also OK. It's hard at first but then it's really easy.

Don't quit, if you want to breastfeed, you can.

I read 'The womanly art of breastfeeding' It helped me a lot.

Your milk will take 3-5days to 'come in'. Before you have milk, you'll make colostrum, this is plenty for you baby, it's all he needs & it's the perfect food for him. The more you nurse, the faster your milk will come in.

God Bless

Answer 11

Have lots of patience and lower your expectations! And don't give up, b/c breastfeeding will become the best experience. It's an amazing connection with your baby. And of course it's the best for baby.

I wish I had known that it takes time for both mom and baby to learn to breastfeed. I'm sure people told me, but I thought it would all be smooth sailing from day one - not so. I also didn't know that in the first few months a breastfeeding session could easily take up to 45 minutes to an hour! So by the time the baby is fully fed and changed and sleeps a bit, it's time for another feeding. I also didn't know that a baby wants to suck for comfort. My baby girl never took a pacifier. So before she learned to suck her thumb and sooth herself, she often needed by b*****s to sooth herself to sleep. It often felt as if she was on my b*****s the entire day and night!

For all the breastfeeding I've been doing, I never had major problems with sore nipples, just a plugged duct twice in the beginning. They say that the best way to prevent sore nipples (besides a good latch by baby) is to let them air dry. I used to walk around the house in my nursing bra with the front parts down and no top on. Basically topless! I really believe this helped me prevent sore nipples.

Since your main focus in the beginning will be breastfeeding, it would be great to get some help from your partner or another family member. I don't know how I would have survived without my husband. He cooked and often fed me as I was nursing the baby. Both my mom and my mother in law also came to help out (but not at the same time!). They made sure I always had a drink, they did laundry and held the baby so I could shower.

Good luck!