best advice for my plans to BF my first baby

nicole08709 · September 2013

There's no question about it I am going to BF, I would just like to start getting informed on everything I need to know and advice for you ladies that have and are breast feeding rather than reading a book on it lol.

CLLDLL · September 2013

Actually, the best advice I have is to read "The Womanly Art of BF'ing". I still pick up my copy at least once every couple weeks and I've been BF'ing for almost a year now!

Other helpful things - If you even suspect baby has a bad latch or something like tongue tie early on get to an LC ASAP. Don't wait to see if things get better.

Buy a couple packs of hydrogel pads before baby is born. Trust me, you'll want them. I like Lansinoh brand...I think they call them Soothies.

Build a support system while you are still pregnant of people you can rely on the help during those first 3-6 weeks when BF'ing is the hardest. Make sure your H/SO reads up on or takes a BF class so he/she knows what to expect and how to support you. Enlist the help of friends or family to cook/clean/even grocery shop for you those first couple weeks so that you can concentrate on just feeding baby and recovering.

Don't quit on a bad day. If you think you want to quit, wait till you're having a good BF'ing day. Then if you still feel like you want to quit, that means you really should. Because there will be bad days.

Make a small goal, like just to BF colostrum in the hospital. If you meet that goal set another one like making it to the 2 week mark. (the hardest mark to make it to, I think). If you make that, set another goal. Rather thank just saying...I'm going to make it to 1 year, or whatever. It's too overwhelming at first, IMO, to think about BF'ing for a year. It's easier to say, I only have to do thise for another week. Then another month, etc.

greeneyed_bride · September 2013

Just know that the beginning is going to kind of suck, and that you will often worry that your child isn't getting enough milk because he/she wants to nurse ALL the time. That's normal!! They are supposed to want to nurse all the time! I agree with reading everything you can on KellyMom. And I definitely agree on the Soothies gel pads! Also, if people (especially well-meaning friends and family) offer you advice that doesn't feel right to you, it's your right (and your job) to ignore it. My son was nursing literally every 30-45 minutes for an hour at a time, and I had LOTS of people tell me that I shouldn't let him nurse that often and/or that I needed to give him formula because he wasn't getting enough milk. It turned out that because he was tongue-tied, his suck was really inefficient, so it took him longer than normal to get enough milk. If I had limited his time at the breast, he wouldn't have gotten enough to eat. My milk supply was fine, so formula was unnecessary.

Which leads me to my final piece of advice - if your child is tongue tied, GET IT FIXED! The standard rule of thumb is not to get it fixed unless they have a bad latch. My son had a GREAT latch, but an inefficient suck. When we got the tongue tie fixed at six weeks, we could see a huge difference in how often he needed to nurse by the very next day. The procedure took literally five seconds, and it made everyone's life so much easier.

pb_bride · September 2013

1) Attend a BF class before you give birth; bring your DH/SO along to the class. You need all the support you can get.

2) Look for BF support groups and attend them, even if you have zero issues. The BF group I attended (free, drop-in, once a week) was the only thing that got me out of the house for the first month or so (apart from pedi appts). The LC was really helpful and supportive, and I made some friend there. We still get together every month or so even though we stopped going to the BF group 6+ months ago.

3) KellyMom is a great online resource, esp if you have problems/questions that popped up in the middle of the night

4) I mostly lurk here, and reading up on other people's posts have helped me a lot. "never quit on a bad day" is the best advice I've seen.

jess9802 · September 2013

A good support system is key - not just a lactation consultant (though mine was fabulous), but also friends and family, or other moms you meet through La Leche League or a new mom group.

You also need to understand newborn nursing behavior - it will help with the doubt - yours or others' - as to whether baby is getting enough to eat. Ditto kellymom.

Seek early intervention for nursing difficulties. My little guy wasn't much for latching or staying awake to nurse in the early days. We had numerous weight checks in the first two weeks of his life, and I very early on had to start pumping and bottle-feeding. If you do need to introduce a bottle early on, remember two things: First, it does not mean BFing will never work. Second, you will need to pump every time baby takes a bottle. It won't be easy, but it won't last forever. Patience and a sense of humor will get you a long way. The first four weeks of breastfeeding were really hard. But here I am, still nursing a 15 month old, and I barely remember those early weeks.

And finally, be kind to yourself no matter what happens. The goal is a happy, healthy baby AND a happy, healthy mom.

M0ON · September 2013

Another great book is Ina Mays Guide to Breastfeeding

brideinsummer04 · September 2013

In my experience the first six weeks was really hard but it was so worth it in the long run to work through the early issues. I have seen other people post on here that six weeks was when it started getting easier too, so I would say be determined the first month and a half.
Also if you see a lactation consultant and she can't help resolve issues, then see another, and another... I saw three at the hospital and one private one and still couldn't get DS to latch. Then I saw another private one (who thankfully took my insurance) and she was amazing. We couldn't have done it without her.
GL!

amberdt03 · September 2013

If it feels like your LO is eating constantly, you're doing it right. A great support system is definitely needed. If you have any friends that were successful in bfing, ask them any questions you have. Kellymom.com is awesome. I found alphamoms timeline of a breastfed baby very helpful and has helped me not give up! It's hard work, but worth it!

msjanet02 · September 2013

i will say that BFing should not hurt. if it does, something needs to be adjusted. ok, given that you are probably a bit more sensitive the first couple days, that might hurt a bit. but mine were hurting really badly, nipples were getting chapped and scabbed... i learned from an LC that i was allowing LO to latch onto just my nipples. even though i attended BF classes beforehand, when it came down to nurse him, i felt like he was suffocating and pulled him off me slightly. babies' noses are designed to be able to breathe, so smash his face onto your boob (ok not literally).

i'm on day 12 of EBF and it is going GREAT! my boobs don't hurt anymore because i corrected LO's latch. make sure it is a DEEP latch. https://www.pumpstation.com/pumpstation/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=3228

i no longer need to apply my earth mama angel baby nipple butter religiously. i also don't need to use my lansinoh gel soothing pads either.

i've never had the thought of giving up, because it was my only option in my mind. just like giving birth med-free, in my mind it wasn't an option to get any kind of drugs. do seek help. i found it incredibly helpful to reach out to my fellow mommy friends to ask them anything and everything, and they oftentimes had experienced the same things and had great advice and resources for me.

good luck!

jnnfrrose6 · September 2013

AmyG* said:
Be patient and stubborn about bfing.

This times a million.

BF is hard at the beginning. You think it's natural and must be easy because we've been doing it as a species for thousands of years, but it's hard. You're learning something new, your LO is learning something new, your hormones are raging because you just had a baby and you want to do whatever is best for that LO, and some people make it look so easy.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. There ar LC's at the hospital for a reason. Ask for one. If you don't get a good vibe from whoever comes, ask for another one. Experience here, the first one I saw was AWFUL and made it tough after the first night and had me try to pump. Another one came and was so much more helpful and reassuring that I knew after her help we'd be able to make this work (and I didn't need to pump again until I was ready to build up a stash).

Find a pedi who is knowledgeable and supportive of BF. The practice we go to even has an LC on staff.

Know that it will hurt occasionally, but only in the beginning as your body is adjusting to it, and never for more than a few seconds. If it lasts longer than that, you'll need to adjust your latch.

Be proud of your decision to BF and don't let it keep you at home. There are plenty of places to nurse when you're away from home. Just keep a light cover up in the diaper bag so you can find somewhere to sit down for a few minutes and take care of your LO.

And lastly, do your best. Some women, try as they might, just aren't able to make it happen. Don't beat yourself up over it! Do whatever is best for your LO, whether or not you are able to BF.

aylafsu88 · September 2013

It is tough those first 6 weeks but stick with it. It hurts, you are tired, and your LO will want to nurse nonstop. However, it gets so much easier somewhere between 4-8 weeks for most women. Find a good LC and go to a weekly support group if you can. The support group saved me and got me through some tough times.
Also, never quit on a bad day. I promise that the next one will be easier.
GL! You can do it!

nicole08709 · September 2013

Thank you all so so so much!! All amazing advice!!

Want a personalized experience?

best advice for my plans to BF my first baby

Re: best advice for my plans to BF my first baby

Choose Another Board

Search Boards