Im Nervous

kittybutton

about breastfeeding....I want to do it for the 6 wks I will be on maternity leave but Im afraid it'll hurt and bleed. however i do know that you'll drop the weight faster and its healthier for the baby. I dont know what to do? Im 75% sure I want to do it but 25% of me thinks that I wont do it when the time comes. So confused!!

madhatter2003

Give it a try. You can always stop, but you can't decide to start later.

But I'd arm yourself with knowledge and help. It will hurt at first (for most women).  But you will get through it.  And you can always still nurse part time after you go back to work.

kittybutton

thank you so much for the advice

Mrs.Jason.9.15.07

I think you should give it a shot!  The first couple of weeks were hard but I am glad I stuck it out.  Believe me, there were many times I wanted to quit!  Once you get into a routine it really isn't that bad.  I really enjoy it now, I love that time with my daughter.   

Good luck to you!!

aldyn

It was painful for me for about 4 weeks.  After that it's been smooth sailing and has been fantastic.  She's 13 months old and she still nurses in the morning and at night (more on the weekends when I'm home).

HelloDaisy

It is a little nerve-wracking not knowing what to expect, but I agree that you should give it a try!  I did not have much soreness and never any cracking or bleeding.  I felt a little bruised when she latched on for the first 2 weeks but I'm fine now and she's only 3 weeks today.

It was hard in the beginning though, just getting the hang of it and feeling like it was sooo time consuming, but we're already getting faster and better and it's a lot more manageable in just 3 weeks!  So good luck and give it a try

kittybutton

ok ladies....I guess if I can tolerate the pain of giving birth then this shouldnt be too bad right?...lol..Im pretty good with my tolerance for pain but we shall see. Oh and BTW I get WIC and they will give me a breast pump but I think it'll be manual. Any advice as to and electric one if i decide I wanna keep doing it?

brandenburdett

kittybutton:

ok ladies....I guess if I can tolerate the pain of giving birth then this shouldnt be too bad right?...lol..Im pretty good with my tolerance for pain but we shall see. Oh and BTW I get WIC and they will give me a breast pump but I think it'll be manual. Any advice as to and electric one if i decide I wanna keep doing it?

 

I got a second-hand Medela pump, which I use every day at work. I also have a manual pump that I used when I was travelling (much easier to pack, didn't have to worry about finding somewhere to plug it in) and I am starting to use it more at home on weekends and last thing at night. 

Good luck BFing - it will be worth it in the long run!

heather_09_15_07

ditto madhatter.

I have the medela pisa and it works great. I think a lot of people like the ameda pumps as well, and they are quite a bit cheaper than medela.

I'd definitely recommend reading up a bit on bf. I like the book the la leche league publishes - The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. It has a lot of good info.

LizzieTim

definitely give it a shot - it's good for your baby even if you only do it for a short period of time. also, it may be hard at first, but it's super easy once you get the swing of it. you just whip out the boob - anytime, anywhere. no bottles to prepare or clean, no formula to buy, no delay in preparing the bottles if LO is screaming, it's just very easy. also, it's free!

i had some pain in the beginning, but it didn't last long. definitely go to a breastfeeding class at the hospital while you're there. i think most hospital offer them and also see if there are La Leche League meetings in your area in case you need support.

regarding pumps - i have the Pump In Style Advance (PISA) and I love it! I have also hear the Lansinoh double electric gets good reviews and is much cheaper - I think www.drugstore.com has it for a good price!

mrs_sherod

Def give it a try!  I onlly planned to bf until I returned to work after 12 weeks, but now my goal is 6 months.  I really enjoy breastfeeding and have really bonded with lo.