September 2014 Moms

Best breast feeding tip I ever got!! STM here

When I was pregnant with DS my mom told me to toughen up my nipples before DS arrived. I know it sounds silly. About a month before he was due she told me that every time I was in the shower twist, pull, pinch & squeeze my nipples. I did this everyday for about a month and I didn't have hardly any nipple pain when it was time to breast feed. I will be doing again this time. I also put creams & coconut oil on my nipples after every feeding. I never once had cracking or bleeding. Toughen up those nipples ladies!!

Anyone else have awesome tips?
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Re: Best breast feeding tip I ever got!! STM here

  • This was something DH was happy to help with when we showered together. ;)
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  • Great tips ladies...something to remember for sure!
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  • Jenner37 said:

    Always have water and a snack handy, especially for those late night feedings. I was always so thirsty as soon as she latched.

    Yeah...I always got that "MUST have water NOW" kind of thirst as soon as I'd start feeding LO.

    Also, change those pads often...thrush is not fun at all.

  • epaprnepaprn member
    Our breast feeding class instructor said to hand express/manual pump the letdown for a few minutes at the beginning. That way the baby gets the hind milk with all the good stuff. And not to spend more than 15 min on each side.



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  • edited July 2014
    These are all great tips.  My best tip was probably to surround yourself with a great support system.  For me, that included supportive hubby, extended family and friends who had been there, done that.  Many of the tips above were things I got by asking other women.  kellymom.com is a great research for questions as things come up.
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  • IT WILL GET BETTER!! I think those words from my Mom are what kept me going through the growth spurts when all DS wanted to do was nurse. 

    Feed on demand, not around a set schedule. I tried both and feeding on demand was the way to go for me and DS.

    Keep track of what you eat, because I found if I ate certain foods that would aggravate DS's tummy. I had to cut out tomatoes for a long time because for whatever reason anytime I ate them he would get cranky.

    This really was not advice that was given to me but something that was hard for me to come to terms with in the beginning. Just because I had to supplement (I had a low supply) does not mean Im a failure. It was really hard to watch DH give DS his first bottle of formula. I would not have thought I would have felt that way at all since I went into breastfeeding with the if it works it works, if it doesnt it doesnt attitude. That one bottle of formula a day really saved my sanity.
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  • I am SO GLAD you posted this!!! My mom and aunt told me the same thing, to "toughen up my nipples in the shower". I thought it sounded ridiculous but one time in the shower I just rubbed them with the washcloth a few times... My nipples burned so bad the rest of the day, so I never did it again! But I'm definitely going to start this up again. Thank you @rlyttle‌
  • I'm a FTM, but I've been finding a lot of little tips and tricks on Pinterest. @Djcieply reminded me of a diagram about what to avoid eating during BFing so as not to irritate LO's tummy.

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  • I'm a FTM, but I've been finding a lot of little tips and tricks on Pinterest. @Djcieply reminded me of a diagram about what to avoid eating during BFing so as not to irritate LO's tummy.

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    @brittneyandadam This is a great chart!!! I wish I had it the first time around, I loved that people brought us food but a lot of the items were pasta dishes with tomato sauces that I needed to avoid. Im going to print this off and use it when I am figuring out ideas for freezer meals.
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  • DjcieplyDjcieply member
    edited July 2014
    @sparklegrump and @teenybean thats why I said keep track of what you eat. Im not saying to not eat certain things. I still ate a lot of the items on the eat less of side of that list and DS was fine, but like I said tomatoes were an issue for him for whatever reason. If I would have known that it could be possible what I was eating could have been causing him discomfort and it wasnt just him being fussy, that would have been nice to know ahead of time instead of discovering it for myself.
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  • I'm so nervous about BFing, and the only people I know who can offer advice are out of town or through the internet, but I suppose that's better than nothing! I'm just so worried because (TMI alert) I already have incredibly sensitive nipples, and I'm afraid that's going to make it harder. Just thinking about pinching and pulling them makes me cringe, because I know how badly it's going to hurt. And then I cringe more because I think that it *that* hurts, probably BFing will be even worse. 

    I am definitely trying to listen to the, "you can do it, don't give up" advice because this is so, so important to me. It just stinks because I'm a prepare for everything kind of person, and there's really no way for me to prepare for this besides reading about it. "/
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  • I'm so nervous about BFing, and the only people I know who can offer advice are out of town or through the internet, but I suppose that's better than nothing! I'm just so worried because (TMI alert) I already have incredibly sensitive nipples, and I'm afraid that's going to make it harder. Just thinking about pinching and pulling them makes me cringe, because I know how badly it's going to hurt. And then I cringe more because I think that it *that* hurts, probably BFing will be even worse. 

    I am definitely trying to listen to the, "you can do it, don't give up" advice because this is so, so important to me. It just stinks because I'm a prepare for everything kind of person, and there's really no way for me to prepare for this besides reading about it. "/
    Some hospitals offer a weekly Breastfeeding Support group where you can go and meet with other mothers that are also breastfeeding. I had a friend that went to one for quite awhile at a local hospital and she said it really helped her out since she did not have much of a support system at home. She also made some really good friends through it.
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  • Agree with pp about not messing with the nips. I Read in a book that it was recommended years ago but that there's no evidence to support it actually does anything for you.
  • I have actually read that pinching one's nipples can lead to pre-term labor.  I never had any problems with any cracking or bleeding despite no toughening.  The key I think is to shove your whole nipple in.  Your baby will be fine with just mouthing the tip--it's up to you to get a giant amount of your nipple in in order to get a good latch and avoid pain.
  • I have actually read that pinching one's nipples can lead to pre-term labor.  I never had any problems with any cracking or bleeding despite no toughening.  The key I think is to shove your whole nipple in.  Your baby will be fine with just mouthing the tip--it's up to you to get a giant amount of your nipple in in order to get a good latch and avoid pain.

    From what I understand, nipple stimulation can cause contractions, so echoing the preterm labor concern. I don't have any experience to know whether that's true or not, but I wouldn't risk it. Also many PPs have suggested that it's not a good idea for other reasons which make sense to me.

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  • I've been rubbing my nipples in the shower with a washcloth but only because the skin is sooooo dry and
    I'm trying to exfoliate. No idea of the "toughening up" aspect. Hmmmm. I lotion them all the time
    But the dry Canadian air always wins. Always.
  • Oh my god, NO! Do not freaking rub your nipples with a wash cloth or otherwise attempt to abuse them beforehand. Noooo.


    Think about it. You are going to be nursing for hours and hours every day. Do you really think 5 minutes here and there trying to "toughen them up" is going to compare? No. I didn't do any of the stupid crap and hardly had any nipple pain either. It is completely anecdotal evidence.

    Save yourselves the pain now, ladies, and skip that. A nursing latch is also a lot different from rubbing your nipples.
    This. I was wondering if I was the only one that thought this when I was reading the responses.

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  • There is no need to "toughen" your nipples. Yes, there will most likely be discomfort in the beginning but there are a lot of helpful tips online about soothing measures. I used lansinoh lanolin and put it on after every feeding and never had cracking/bleeding. I have heard good things about earth angel mama baby nipple cream(I think that's the name).

    If you have prolonged soreness that doesn't resolve with relatching, talk to a lactation consultant because something isn't right.

    You can also have strange feeling let down. Some people don't feel it while others (like myself) have a tingling almost painful letdown. Mine only lasted a few seconds and through nursing 2 kiddos now, I know that's just me.

    Ow. The start of this thread caused me pain just reading it. :o

  • Baby's lips should be out like a duckface, on top and bottom, instead of curled under. You want to see a lot of adorable baby lip when they're latched. Make sure they have a good latch in the beginning because establishing a bad latch can cause a lot of pain down the road. Really truly try to find a good lactation consultant. The ones at your hospital may not the the right choice for you.

    Thanks for the "duck face" reminder, I'd totally forgotten this! We called them "fishy lips" and I often had to actually pull his top lip out to get this right. Even when he'd take a bottle his top lip was still tucked under. Ah all the things I've forgotten!!


     

  • I took a breatfeeding class a few hours that I thought, ehhh not much more information.  But they showed a video of a good latch, priceless information.  That was all I needed from the class.  It was incredible helpful to know the look and the sound of a good latch.  I think it avoided a lot of painful nips in the long run.

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  • Oh my god, NO! Do not freaking rub your nipples with a wash cloth or otherwise attempt to abuse them beforehand. Noooo.

    Think about it. You are going to be nursing for hours and hours every day. Do you really think 5 minutes here and there trying to "toughen them up" is going to compare? No. I didn't do any of the stupid crap and hardly had any nipple pain either. It is completely anecdotal evidence.

    Save yourselves the pain now, ladies, and skip that. A nursing latch is also a lot different from rubbing your nipples.
    This.  'toughening' won't help.  It is more important to use a product with lanolin in the early days, that will protect your nipples.  I didn't start with that, and we went through a rough few days. As soon as I started using the lanolin product after every nursing session, my bloody, cracked nipples healed like magic!!!  I'm using from day one this time.
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  • I think some posts implied this, but it is an important one.  Set small goals - don't set out to make it to the 1+ year mark.  For us, we had small goals like: 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 yr, etc.  The 6 week mark is an important one, because that is when I remember E's nursing habits changing.  He got faster (which made me think he wasn't getting enough) and we both felt like we had this nursing thing down.  That is also when I remember actually feeling like I enjoyed the nursing relationship and it became something I treasured.  The first few weeks sucked.  3 months because that was the end of my maternity leave.  6 months because pumping sucks, but I wanted to give it a shot.  Set goals that work for you.
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  • LTMamaLTMama member
    OMG sorry, I talk too much!
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  • @LTMama Girl, I am all about every piece of advice I can get on this subject! I just hope some of it sticks once I'm actually doing it... I'm making my H go with me to the breastfeeding class next month, because hopefully he'll be able to remember some tips and tricks and calm me down if / when things don't go perfectly. It's a good thing this crazy lady married a calm guy. 
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  • Jenner37 said:
    Always have water and a snack handy, especially for those late night feedings. I was always so thirsty as soon as she latched.
    THIS!
                                                                                      
  • LTMamaLTMama member
    @LTMama Girl, I am all about every piece of advice I can get on this subject! I just hope some of it sticks once I'm actually doing it... I'm making my H go with me to the breastfeeding class next month, because hopefully he'll be able to remember some tips and tricks and calm me down if / when things don't go perfectly. It's a good thing this crazy lady married a calm guy. 
    Definitely good to have him go with you!  My DH is super supportive, but didn't really get some of it - like why she wanted to eat so often when we tried to BF, versus eating less often when we did bottles - he assumed that meant she wasn't eating enough.  Things like that.  Helps them to hear it from an expert.
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  • If you get a clogged duct (feels like a roll of pennies under your skin, very hard) try nursing LO and massaging the duct like crazy. If that doesn't release it get in a hot shower and massage it like crazy. It will hurt when massaging it, but it's MUCH better than leaving it alone & getting mastitis.
  • 1) Get that nipple in baby's mouth as far as you can.
    2) rub colostrum/breastmilk on your nipple after every feeding.
    3) When your milk comes in and your breast get achy and sore, use your thumb to push the milk to your nipple during a feeding.  Start up as high as it hurts (I mostly went from my armpit to mid-breast). If there's a little lump make sure you get that part drained.  It hurts like hell but it's way better than getting a clogged duct!
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  • If you are painfully engorged or being treated for mastitis, cold cabbage leaf right out of the fridge works MIRACLES, just use sparingly (15 minutes at a time I think?) to protect your supply.


     

  • Super helpful thread. Thanks all so much for the great tips!
  • kami09kami09 member
    So glad I came back to read the responses--because I thought oh mine could use some toughening I suppose- & it hurt like a bitch.

    Plus all of the other great info!! I'm definitely one that wants to know as much as possible!!!
  • The best BF tip I ever got is to remember that the most important thing is that your baby gets fed.  If BFing is challenging for you/and or baby, you are not a failure for switching to formula.

    Before the baby is born, discuss with your partner what situations you're willing to work through, and when it might be time to call it quits.  It's important that you're both on the same page so that you don't have a partner who is either begging you to quit as soon as it gets a little tough, or one who is overly pushy when you know that it's time to move on to plan B. 

    Your happiness and well being as a mother is just as important as your baby's happiness and well being.  Never forget that.

    If you do end up switching to formula, the Fearless Formula Feeder is a great resource to check out.  It is not anti-BFing at all, but it offers a lot of interesting insight and tips into FF, and has some great support stories.

    www.fearlessformulafeeder.com


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