Stm's: breast feeding

slmille4

So I was a little disappointed that what to expect when ur expecting had a great labor chapter but nothing on breast feeding. Would u reccommend a good book, or did they teach u enough at the hospital. We are also taking a birthing class at the hospital in November did they cover it in those? Not like I have a million questions but they keep popping up in my mind and even though I love u guys when I'm at home breast feeding I don't want to have to sit staring at the forums for an answer

Deblondie1

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding is awesome. They have it on Amazon. Some hospitals offer a separate breastfeeding class. Otherwise I found a lactation consultant at E's NICU incredibly helpful.

slmille4

Can u request a consult while in the hospital?

Deblondie1

I believe most hospitals do employ LCs and you can ask to see them before discharge.

slmille4

Thanks!

baby2ra

We had an awesome lactation consultant help us in the hospital.  I will definitely make sure that happens again this time.  Personally I found it way more helpful to have someone sitting there with me one-on-one than reading anything in a book or online.  It definitely takes practice!

Armyratt

Even with my first it was just natural. Both my kids latched on and did great. My hospital had a lactation consultant talk to me each time to see if I needed anything. You could always ask your doc next time to see if the hospital you deliver at has a lactation specialist.

LindsB314

We took a course at the hospital. Good thing cause the nurses tried to help but there was not always a LC available so I was happy to be prepared.

mrsjenni

I recommend taking the hospital breastfeeding classes... they usually hand out a lot of local resources, give info on BFing groups for post baby and the hospital LC's teach the class.  I had both the LC's visit me in the hospital during their rounds on the maternity floors.  You can also request help and all of the nurses are great too. GL mama!

buckeyebride22

I took the breastfeeding class, but I think a good book like PP mentioned would be just as good. The LC at my hospital was great. When I was home if I had questions I looked at kellymom or called the LC
Eta spelling

nbbride06

As PPs have said, I highly recommend a breastfeeding class.  Also, request a lactation consult in the hospital (although mine wasn't very helpful).  I also had a lactation consultant who was recommended by my OB who came to our house the day we got home.  That was awesome.  Best book for me was The Nursing Mother's Companion.

litzo27

Great suggestions above. Also Nursing mothers companion is a great book. Kellymom website has tons of info and FAQs about all things BF related. Finding a local la leche group is good too.

moosebaby2011

I don't have a good book recommendation, but I did take a breastfeeding class and that helped a ton.

Another suggestion would be to check with your LO's pediatrician's office. Some of them have LC's on staff and it's really helpful since you have to bring your LO to the office anyway.

quidditchcapn1120

I second Kellymom.com. I was there a lot in the 15months that I nursed. Also, there is a BF'ing board here.

The LC they had on staff at DS' pediatrician's office was great. She got me a great formulary nipple cream when I was having a lot of pain in the beginning. It might be worth checking out if your pedi has an LC on staff before picking one.

sept9107bride

Take a class and bring DH. Use the LC in the hospital and I HIGHLY recommend seeing if you are able to have the home nurse visit a few days after you are home. This was when I was the most clueless and really needed support. Ours was awesome and helped a TON! I always rent the hospital grade pump as well even though I have a pump. Just good to have a really strong pump the first few weeks till your baby has got the hang of it.

jldubb0626

My class I took at the hospital covered it. They also have a LC on hand for help and they have a support group that meets once a week that's free to attend. If they offer a class, I'd reccomend taking it. As a FTM I was clueless. 

SweetPeaKate

My LC visited me in the hospital a couple times. Both at the beginning when I was starting to pump for my preemie and as I was beginning to actually nurse him towards the end of his NICU stay. She left me her extension at the hospital as well as another contact number where I could reach her any time I needed...even after discharge. A lot of the nurses also were able to offer different advice that "worked for them" or other tips they could share. It was so nice being able to talk to so many different women.

Vera81

Find a local Le Leche League. You can go to the meetings before baby gets here and they are a wealth of information. https://www.llli.org/

cnwilbur1030

My peds office had a LC on staff. It was great! The other helpful thing was having my friend who was a STM on speed dial to ask my BF questions.

Seaaggie18

I definitely suggest asking for a lc soon after delivery. Ds had trouble latching and it wasn't until I had one show me what I was doing wrong that things got less stressful.

ach298

I'm probably the exception, but my breast feeding class before I had DS wasn't worth it and I got some really bad advice (namely, that BFing should never hurt). BFing can hurt and it doesn't always mean a bad latch.

I recommend kellymom.com, the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and the Nursing Mother's Companion.

RobynLovesDano

I had a great lactation consultant at the hospital. They also offer weekly meetings and support, which was awesome!! I'd say beyond educating yourself, go into it with a serious sense of determination. Breast feeding is not easy!! But once you get the hang of it, it's wonderful, and I feel the benefits are worth it!

megngregk

This makes me nervous that BFing is going to be way more complicated than it should be.

ach298

megngregk said:

This makes me nervous that BFing is going to be way more complicated than it should be.

It can be, yes. It was for me. However, getting help and support early can be pretty key to success. The breastfeeding board on here is pretty supportive and you can go to local Le Leche League meetings even before you have LO. And in the end, the main point is to feed your baby, however you end up having to do so, be it breastfeeding, exclusively pumping, or formula feeding.

megngregk

I will definitely be talking to a LC if I have problems and doing some research beforehand. It just makes me sad that something so natural has to be difficult and stressful for so many moms. 

quidditchcapn1120

megngregk said:

This makes me nervous that BFing is going to be way more complicated than it should be.

There are some technicalities that make it more... technique sensitive than I thought it would be.  For example, you have to be very aware of how long you leave breastmilk in the fridge, how soon it needs to be frozen, how long it lasts in the freezer, etc.  There's also things like thrush, mastitis and clogged ducts to be aware of and try to avoid.

However, more than those things, BF'ing is at times hard, tiresome, and time consuming.  You have to go in with a serious sense of determination.  That being said, it was one of the most rewarding things for me in those early days.  It was so nice spending time with him just cuddling and bonding at all hours of the day.  Good luck!

MrsGraham06

I took the class at the hospital, but it wasn't the most helpful. The pamphlets were better than the class. But with my 1st, I didn't do much prep work. I just knew that I would BF. The nurses on staff have some lactation background, for if a LC isn't available (they try to find the LC first, but when there are 2 on staff, and 5 women trying to feed at the same time, it doesn't always work out).

What I found most difficult to get used to was BFing DD. The boys latched on easily, but she couldn't. It turns out, my nipples are larger than average, and she had a small mouth to go with her small size. As she got bigger, things worked out, and I BF until she was a year old. It was just a slow start.

Definitely get a good support, whether it is online, or friends, or La Leche. I am also in the group The Leaky B@@b on Facebook. It's been interesting, reading about other women's difficulties and triumphs through their BFing experiences.

fyrefairie

The Womanly Art of BFing is good  but I never bought a book.  I used the LLL website, KellyMom.com and this board.  The lactation nurses in maternity are typically not ILACs and not as helpful as getting a full blown consultant if you need one.  Don't believe everything a medical professional tells you about BFing, many of them don't know as much as they think they do.  Presuming you have a good latch and no tongue ties, etc. Chances are you ARE producing enough.  Expect NB to be nursing round the clock....the first six weeks at least.  It WILL hurt at first. Even though they will tell you pain means you're doing it wrong, it hurts in the beginning. end of story.  It DOES get better.  Its worth it and so much easier in the long run, not to mention the primary better for baby part.  Find a community of BFing mamas for support.  There are LLL groups in most towns, groups on FB and here. 

Lassmorelos

https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/FifteenMinuteHelper.html
Check out this video here on this website. I've found it to be very helpful and can't wait until I begin to breast feed to put these helpful pointers to work.

nbbride06

megngregk said:

This makes me nervous that BFing is going to be way more complicated than it should be.

It can be, but getting help early is a huge help.  DD destroyed my nipples while in the hospital, even with the help of the (incompetent) lactation consultants there.  One told me that I would never be able to breastfeed because DD was "a chomper."  1 appointment with a lactation consultant that came to our house the first day home and I everyone was singing a different tune.  I exclusively breastfed for 20 months.  DD would never take a bottle, so it all came from me.  I'd love to go back and tell the "chomper" lactation consultant that she is a moron and was dead wrong

happyturtle03

The lactation consultant at the hospital was very helpful and gave me a business card with her number in case I ever had any questions. I didn't really read any books or anything, just asked things of my friends who had BF when questions came up.

Jen4033

I haven't read through ALL PP's but we took the BF class thorugh our hospital (take home DVD version), worked with a lactation consultant at the hospital when DSwas born, AND I highly recommend the book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding."

I did see PP above mention not believeing everything a medical professional tells you about BFing. I have to agree with that.  When DS was at his 24 hour after leaving hospital appt, the Dr we saw was a general practitioner & was male.  He told me the old "limit to BFing to 15 minutes each side."  Which is total BS & goes against all LLLI advice.  You should allow LO to nurse as long as they want on the first side, then offer the other. Then start on the other breast at the next feeding. So do your own research for sure & find what works best for you & your LO.

SweetPeaKate

This makes me nervous that BFing is going to be way more complicated than it should be.

I think what can make it complicated is that you as a FTM are learning as the baby is learning. Neither of you know what to do and so you have to learn together. I think the whole "it shouldn't hurt if you're doing it right" thing is a crock. Those first weeks are rough. Something is sucking...hard, on your nipples constantly. I didn't have pain associated with latching because I didn't nurse my son for 2 months (NICU baby), BUT pumping was horrendous the first 2-3 weeks. I think until your breasts and nipples get used to what is going on, there has to be pain involved. It is a generally sensitive area that is not used to someone being attached to it 24/7. Give yourself some grace and some patience and some time to adjust and definitely be willing to ask whoever you can if you want advice, suggestions, or other tips/tricks.

LittleMommaBlueHen

My IBCLC is offering a free BFing teleseminar tonight. If you sign up but can't call in you get the recording e-mailed to you tomorrow.
https://69.195.124.105/~growinu0/wordpress/products-2/plan/success/learn-the-secrets-of-breastfeeding-success/