Breast Feeding Advice/Books to read?

SNail312`

Long story short, I wasn't able to make it to my last birthing class and missed all of the info on breastfeeding. I intend on doing it exclusively (understanding it may not work the way I want it to), I'm using a midwife who will help me when I need it, but I also don't want to be totally unprepared/uneducated before I ask questions. Is there any advice you STM's could give or books you'd recommend? Thanks!

gelitan29

I am reading "Making More MIlk"  and so far, I love it!  

Beth.1212

My best advice is to find a good lactation consultant you like before you deliver. If you have problems, don't hesitate to reach out to her once you are home. While in the hospital, don't hesitate to make use of the nursing staff and LC on staff for help, but don't assume that they have the knowledge / patience / time to really work with you to pinpoint and solve problems. I was sent home with a tongue tied baby (unbeknownst to me) and it caused a world of problems. 

Speaking of which, I recommend specifically asking the pediatrician if he/she thinks LO is tongue tied or lip tied. It's not very common, but my understanding is that it frequently goes undiagnosed. If you're having problems in the hospital nursing, it might be worth asking the LC to check for that, too. My LO saw three different pediatricians and two different LCs, and only the last LC even looked to see if LO was tongue tied. He was, and it would have stopped me from nursing long term if it hadn't been addressed. I ended up nursing for 2 years, but had LO remained tongue tied it probably wouldn't have lasted 2 months. It was just too painful to nurse a tongue tied baby. 

I've heard good things about La Leche League, too, but don't have any personal experience there. 

hillgirl322

I've been reading The Nursing Mother's Companion.

SaraL1175

BellinghamMama said:

Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - goofy name, great book

A classic. This one has helped me bf 4 babies so far!

krispy83

In addition to seeing a good LC, I would suggest perusing kellymom.com.  That's the resource I went to most of the time when I had BFing questions or issues when I was BFing DS.

carolinefriesen

Kellymom is great, and also get in touch with your local La Leche League before the baby comes. When I had trouble with my first, the leader came to my house and helped me with all my concerns free of charge. Lactation consultants can be very expensive and not always covered by insurance.

nohalo21

Kellymom.com and the Womanly Art of breastfeeding book were both great resources for me.

Mommalawyer

Take an exclusively breast feeding class. I did with DD & found it was the most beneficial thing ever. I also consulted with a lactation consultant too. We had a rough time at first because my breasts became engorged and were absolutely ginormous (I have implants as well) and were nearly crushing her. I had to pump a little to get things going for DD. And we really had to learn which holding position worked well for us due to the size, and that took some experimentation, but because of the class, I knew what my options were. I exclusively BF her until about 18 months & it was a rewarding (yet tiring) experience.

SNail312`

Thanks everyone! My midwife is a lactation consultant and her help is part of her services thankfully. I ordered the goofy sounding Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from Amazon today, DH will either be amused or freaked out be the title!