just a tip for first time BF mommas

nugget0411 · August 2011

i was just thinking about my labour and delivery and the nightmare that was breastfeeding for the first time.....sorry to scare you but it hurts!!! and i thought i'd pass on a great tip for you ladies to hopefully make it a little easier...

bring your pump to the hospital - if your milk comes in right away and you get really engorged like i did it is much harder for LO to latch well because like my Dr said "it's like them sucking on a beachball! - their little mouths can't get a good latch so they grab only onto your nipple...ouch!"

even if you don't plan to introduce a bottle at first or at all you can at least release some pressure from your boobs to allow LO to latch nicely.

you may have read that if you pump and breast feed you will produce more milk - this is true later on....when your body supplies the demand of milk - but in the first couple weeks it just makes as much as possible so this will just allow you to pump and dump or else pump and save.

good luck with your deliveries!!!

***OH and buy lanolin cream! wow that was a lifesaver to keep your nipples soft and they won't dry and crack...buy a couple tubes to keep one by your bed and another in the diaper bag and even one next to your breastfeeding chair. it's totally safe for babies to ingest

MrsRebz2Be · August 2011

Agreed. Not looking forward to the first few days my milk comes in. My boobs and nips have never been in such agony before. Ughhh. Hopefully 2nd time around will be a little smoother.

islandgirl79 · August 2011

Most hospitals have hospital grade pumps. You can always call and ask before loading up your own. The hospital grade ones work so much better anyway.

I agree about the beachball comment- it totally looks and feels that way!

MilitaryIssued · August 2011

islandgirl79:

Most hospitals have hospital grade pumps. You can always call and ask before loading up your own. The hospital grade ones work so much better anyway.

I agree about the beachball comment- it totally looks and feels that way!

Thanks for the tip!!

babybuckley · August 2011

Good info. Thanks for the tip! Re the lanolin...would you recommend starting to use it a few weeks before delivery so the nipples are "healthy" to start out? Or just wait until you start BF'ing?

islandgirl79 · August 2011

babybuckley:
Good info. Thanks for the tip! Re the lanolin...would you recommend starting to use it a few weeks before delivery so the nipples are "healthy" to start out? Or just wait until you start BF'ing?

Lanolin helps when your nipples get cracked and sore. I don't think using it before hand will do anything. I never used much of the lanolin, you can just use some of your own breast milk after a nursing session. Lanolin stains!

babybuckley · August 2011

islandgirl79:
babybuckley:
Good info. Thanks for the tip! Re the lanolin...would you recommend starting to use it a few weeks before delivery so the nipples are "healthy" to start out? Or just wait until you start BF'ing?

Lanolin helps when your nipples get cracked and sore. I don't think using it before hand will do anything. I never used much of the lanolin, you can just use some of your own breast milk after a nursing session. Lanolin stains!

Thanks!

mooninlv · August 2011

it's not the painful for everyone, i speak from experience. i never had an issue with dry/cracked/sore nipples and rarely, if ever used cream. no need to freak people out. be prepared to *possibly* face some issues, but don't go in assuming it's going to be a struggle, or it most likely will be.

Jen&Peter · August 2011

I am going to disagree. With DS1, the hospital gave me a pump to use. I did not bring my own pump. It did not help at all - in fact, it made it worse for me. The best thing for me was to use warm/hot washcloths right before feeding (or a hot shower if you are at home) and then hand express a little to relieve the engorgement. Feeding the baby is the best relief but they are not always on the same schedule as your engorgement. After feeding, cold compresses that you keep in the freezer are also helpful.

Lanolin cream is the best - use pads to avoid staining clothes/bras.

Soothies gel pads are the greatest thing ever!!!!

In the end, it is all about the latch. So so so very important

HPickle23 · August 2011

islandgirl79:
babybuckley:
Good info. Thanks for the tip! Re the lanolin...would you recommend starting to use it a few weeks before delivery so the nipples are "healthy" to start out? Or just wait until you start BF'ing?

Lanolin helps when your nipples get cracked and sore. I don't think using it before hand will do anything. I never used much of the lanolin, you can just use some of your own breast milk after a nursing session. Lanolin stains!

I've been putting lanolin on my nipples since they started getting super tender and sore from my bras and clothes. It might not make my nipples hurt any less when I start to breastfeed, but it sure keeps my nipples from getting chaffed through my clothes. I wouldn't want hurting nipples before I even started.

water-fairy · August 2011

My BF experience was a lot easier but I ditto the lanolin cream. I couldm't believe how quickly my nipples recovered.

bre86ann · August 2011

My hospital does like for you to bring your own. They have a lactation consultant who comes by to see each new mother after delivery and if the mother wants to pump they have plenty of pumps that they lend out during the hospital stay (and the hospital pump is AMAZING!!!---if I had that much money to spend on a pump I would have purchased it for home use but it's not practical because it isn't really portable).

JenWhite123 · August 2011

My hospital will give you a manual pump to take home. They will also let you use an electric pump while you are there - you get to take home the tubing, and all of the other stuff, so that's a bonus. They will also give you any cream that is needed. I see no reason to take a pump to the hospital, at least in my case.

forensicmama · August 2011

I didn't remember a lot of discomfort, but I was on pain meds for an episiotomy for six days. hehe

I enjoyed and loved breastfeeding and I can't wait to do it again!!!

spinach · August 2011

I brought my pump but I didn't need to, my hospital has pumps I could use and the lactation consultant fitted me for the right size parts that I could take home.

My tip is to wear breastfeeding tank tops so you are ready to feed right after you deliver.

We had a lot of issues with DS latching, breastfeeding so I just kept pumping until he figured it out at 8 wks, it was worth it for me.

macdidlyicious · August 2011

nugget0411:

i was just thinking about my labour and delivery and the nightmare that was breastfeeding for the first time.....sorry to scare you but it hurts!!! and i thought i'd pass on a great tip for you ladies to hopefully make it a little easier...

It doesnt have to hurt and if its truely painful, as in not just tender because your nipples havent seen that much action, its a good idea to ask to speak to the lactation consultant on staff.

bring your pump to the hospital - if your milk comes in right away and you get really engorged like i did it is much harder for LO to latch well because like my Dr said "it's like them sucking on a beachball! - their little mouths can't get a good latch so they grab only onto your nipple...ouch!"

Yea....you can also hand express to relieve some of that engorgement.

even if you don't plan to introduce a bottle at first or at all you can at least release some pressure from your boobs to allow LO to latch nicely.

you may have read that if you pump and breast feed you will produce more milk - this is true later on....when your body supplies the demand of milk - but in the first couple weeks it just makes as much as possible so this will just allow you to pump and dump or else pump and save.

Sorry but why on EARTH would you pump and dump? Supply = demand from the get go. The more baby is at the breast, the better BFing will go.

good luck with your deliveries!!!

***OH and buy lanolin cream! wow that was a lifesaver to keep your nipples soft and they won't dry and crack...buy a couple tubes to keep one by your bed and another in the diaper bag and even one next to your breastfeeding chair. it's totally safe for babies to ingest

Not to be a total biitch but its posts about BFing hurting no matter what that discorage and scare the crap out of new moms who may be tettering on the BFing decision. 99% of the time if things are truely painful there's an issue with latch or positioning not just because BFing hurts for everyone. Those two issues are totally fixable if mom can get help from an LC. Ask to have the LC watch you BF before leaving the hospital if you're concerned and get her phone number! There are also groups like LeLeche and WIC who would be happy to help you succeed. FOR. FREE.

Baby428 · August 2011

I have to disagree with OP as well. My nips never cracked and in fact never really hurt. DD latched on right away like a pro. It hurt maybe the first day but after that it was great. My issue was my supply. I ended up nursing for 11 months and I can't wait to nurse my little man for hopefully a year

megd06 · August 2011

coconut oil works MUCH better than lanolin cream, is more natural--I plan to use that before resorting to lanolin.

erbear · August 2011

mooninlv:
it's not the painful for everyone, i speak from experience. i never had an issue with dry/cracked/sore nipples and rarely, if ever used cream. no need to freak people out. be prepared to *possibly* face some issues, but don't go in assuming it's going to be a struggle, or it most likely will be.

I agree. BFing was neither hard nor painful with either of my kids. I think it can be, but it's not a given.

Sharra711 · August 2011

BFing never hurt for me (except Thrush, but that's different) and I never needed Lanolin because I never had cracks/bleeding.

Pumping to draw out nipples, or make breasts softer to help a latch are good ideas, but the hospital may let you use theirs (pack less, for sure).

spinach · August 2011

I brought my pump but I didn't need to, my hospital has pumps I could use and the lactation consultant fitted me for the right size parts that I could take home.

My tip is to wear breastfeeding tank tops so you are ready to feed right after you deliver.

We had a lot of issues with DS latching, breastfeeding so I just kept pumping until he figured it out at 8 wks, it was worth it for me.

jeanniez · August 2011

I agree with the PP about the OP scaring people needlessly. I'm a FTM and this post would have scared me if I hadn't taken a BFing class that told me if it hurts, he's not latched correctly. I know several moms that "tried" to BF and failed. Not one took a class. I learned a lot in the class. I think it was well worth $10 and PP said they have free classes at WIC. Couldn't hurt. Before formula, millions of woman BF and were sucessful. It can't be that bad or the race would have died out long ago.

MrsG.060708 · August 2011

I disagree with the OP as well about unncessarily scaring moms who are considering BFing. Breastfeeding didn't really hurt that much for me...it was more of a discomfort for a few days after my milk came in because it wasn't something I was used to and you become a little engorged at first. When I was engorged, I hand expressed a very minimal amount, and it was enough to allow DD to latch on correctly.

Like pp said, most pain experienced while breastfeeding is due to the baby not being latched correctly, and it is something that can easily be fixed.

I also very, very rarely used any lanolin (I never even bought a tube...I used just what was in a sample). At the recommendation of my LC, I would rub drops of breastmilk on my nipples and that helped just fine for me.

I didn't see if anyone else recommended it, but kellymom.com is a GREAT resource for breastfeeding!

nugget0411 · August 2011

it's just a tip ladies - like i said - if you get engorged like I did............

please take ALL advice on here in stride and i do understand it doesn't happen to everyone just like everyone's babies will be different as well.

this was just an idea as it would have really helped me - so IF you have a painful BF experience this may help. when i got home from the hospital ( i was induced and Csection 2 days later then home 3 days later) and i pumped when i got home and pumped 9 oz in 5 min!!! i was extremely engorged and couldn't wear a shirt or shower it was extreme (even the PH nurse said "oh my...." when she walked into my house. once i pumped it was such a relief!

good luck to you all and if the pump helps only one of you i'm happy!

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