Breast Feeding Question (New Mom)

laurenfarris · November 2014

Its still very early on as My girls are not born yet. I am pregnant with two girl and plan on breastfeeding. I have had many friends that have had issues in the past and were not able to breast feed. I also have many that were able to and did great with it. I am so nervous that I will not be able to for whatever reason. I had a hard time getting pregnant on my own and I feel like because of that my body may not react the way it should. Are there signs or anything I should look for in the furture to help me know. My areolas have gotten darker but have not increased in size nor have my boobs really grown much. I am just starting my third trimester. Please give me all the advice I can use. I have two girls coming in Jan.

kefttsc · November 2014

My OB told me that early leaking, growing boobs, enlarged nipples, sensitive nipples, etc. have nothing to do with my ability to BF when the babies come. The best thing you can do is stick with a healthy diet, drink lots of water, and reduce the stress you are encountering about this topic. Everything will be fine. And if you end up not being able to BF, they make wonderful formulas for a reason!

jennjilljo · November 2014

I had trouble getting pregnant but BF my son with no problems. A good place to start for extra info on the topic is La Leche League. Persistence and seeing a lactation consultant is my best advice. Here's the website to LLL that I think will help, too. https://www.llli.org

ColleenS629 · November 2014

Read Mothering Multiples. It's a great book. I did IVF to get pregnant and successfully breastfed twins for almost 2.5 years.

HerHighness · November 2014

Kellymom.com is also a great source of breastfeeding information

HerHighness · November 2014

And i agree with the poster who mentioned drinking lots of water. It will really help keep your supply steady, eating oatmeal also helps. If you are having issues there are vitamin supplements you can take as well. Try not to stress about it and if you really want to do it give it a few weeks to get your rhythm before you give up. The first few weeks are always a learning curve even if it comes easily.

chicagojackie · November 2014

You can take a breastfeeding class before your babies are born. Talk to your lactation consultants at your hospital and see if you can meet to discuss.

natsgirl12 · November 2014

Do research now. Learn how your body works when it comes to breastfeeding. Learn what reasonable production early on is actually like. So many people claim that they have a low supply but they don't. They just think they should produce so much more than they actually should. Find a good lactation consultant before giving birth. Do not trust that your pediatrician will be at all helpful when it comes to breastfeeding. Most aren't. There are amazing online resources for breastfeeding woman. Kellymom.com, and The Leaky Boob (facebook, Twitter, and her own website) are both excellent.

Once your babies come, try to breastfeed early and often. The babies will stimulate your milk production. Unless an educated lactation consultant tells you to pump for a legit reason, don't pump for the first month or two. Don't try to put the babies on feeding schedules. If they're hungry, feed them. If you just finished feeding them a half-hour ago, but they are hungry again, feed them. Learn that breastfeeding takes up a lot of your time early on and accept it. Having a good attitude about it will be extremely helpful.

These are all things that help set me up for success. I exclusively breastfed for 6 months before introducing solids. I have continued to breastfeed my daughter who is now 2.5yrs old (33 months)...I'm currently 24.5 weeks pregnant.

Beth.1212 · November 2014

I had trouble getting pregnant, and I was able to BF my LO. In fact, he's still BF at 22 months. I did have some trouble at first because my son was tongue tied, but that had nothing to do with the way he was conceived.

My best advice is to:

1. Educate yourself on breastfeeding to the point where you feel like you have the "theory" part down. You can take a class, read websites, watch how-to clips, and read books on breastfeeding. (Probably not necessary to do all of those! Pick what works best for your learning style.)

2. Find a lactation consultant before LOs are born. Make sure that they come recommended, as not all LCs are created equal. Once your LOs are here, time will be crunched and you won't want to have to search for a good LC.

3. Make use of the nurses and LCs at the hospital to help you get started, but don't assume that they know all or will provide the best help. The "official" LC at my hospital didn't work many hours and spent almost no time with me despite multiple requests (starting when I checked in before I even delivered) for her help. (I have inverted nipples, so I knew I'd want some extra support.) I was told by many nurses, some of whom were supposedly LCs though they weren't officially there in that capacity, that our latch looked good and everything was fine. TMI warning: at the hospital, one nipple cracked and was bleeding, and once I got home the other cracked too. It wasn't until the LC that I selected came to my house that I learned that LO was tongue tied and would need a frenectomy, and that he physically couldn't extract milk properly until the procedure was done. That procedure could have been done at the hospital pretty easily, but since he wasn't diagnosed till he was home we ended up having to wait till he was around 2 weeks to get it done. The whole experience was quite painful for me! I'm sure it wasn't great for LO either.

3. Specifically ask the pediatrician at the hospital to check for tongue and lip tie. See #2 above. They're not very common, but they do happen, and an early diagnosis can save a world of trouble. I wouldn't assume that the pedi could diagnose it well, so I wouldn't rule it out if you are told they're not tongue or lip tied (I had one pedi tell me there is no such thing as tongue tie, if you can believe it), but it's better to have them check than not.

4. Arm yourself with soothing supplies. I was in LOOOOVE with the Lansinoh soothing gel pads while my nipples healed. They made life bearable. Other people really like different things, such as lanolin or Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter. I'd suggest getting some things from a retail store where returns are pretty easy (like Target) and then you can return extras if you find you don't need or want them.

5. If you get nipple damage, don't hesitate to talk to your LC about all purpose nipple ointment (APNO). It really, really helped when my nipples were cracked. You shouldn't use it for too long, but it can be reaaallly helpful if you get damaged tissue.

6. Check out the Breastfeeding board. Those ladies are really supportive and helpful for BF questions.

Many people really like La Leche League. I've never been to a meeting, so I really can't say, but it can't hurt to check them out if you have the time.

Good luck!

Ceefome · November 2014

I think one of the best things you can do is take a class from an IBCLC lactation consultant and get a relationship started now. BF'ing most definitely can be hard, but there are resources to help. Good luck!

laurenfarris · November 2014

Thank you everyone. Really helps.....

mamabisme · November 2014

I agree with PPs that suggested LLL/LCs. You may also talk to you OB and see if the hospital offers any services for pregnant moms. My hospital has a great breastfeeding support group that meets weekly. It is led by a couple LCs from the hospital. There are moms at all stages of breastfeeding that go and they definitely welcome expecting mothers. The hospital also offers classes. I never attended those but it may help to calm your nerves. Good luck.

Koukonei · November 2014

I totally agree with getting in touch with a lactation consultant! There are also youtube videos showing how to get a good latch as well. My birth doula is also an LC so she will be helping me out which I am thankful for. I try to look up the good stories about breast feeding success as I find it calms my nerves

lizzybean · November 2014

Agree with PPs about lactation consultants! My daughter's pedi office has one and she was a life saver those first few weeks.

It can be a struggle, but equipping yourself with all the available resources will give you the best opportunity to be able to BF!

mishka29 · November 2014

Great advice from PP's. I would add that keep in mind that if you do have issues there really is a lot you can do to help improve the situation. I've known people who struggled a little and quit, others that faced an up hill battle but never quit and it worked out and still others that did every possible thing and it didnt work out. Every situation is different and you have to do what works for you. But at the end of the day if you do everything you are comfortable with and it doesnt work out then you will know you tried and that's really the best you can do.

Boehrig2 · November 2014

Yes! PPs have awesome suggestions. Educating yourself is crucial. Many of us don't grow up watching women BF, so how in the world are we supposed to know?!
A few good books I've read that really helped me understand the process and how to set myself up for success: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League & Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin
Both include stories from real moms interjected with troubleshooting, as well as how to set yourself up for success.
There are factors proven to improve supply and breastfeeding success- including HOW you deliver (maybe with twins dr will go for C-section), and how quickly after delivery you get bonding with babies. Hope you can snuggle those two girls right after birth. Skin-to-skin drastically helps BFing!!
You'll be great. Good for you asking questions early

Want a personalized experience?

Breast Feeding Question (New Mom)

Re: Breast Feeding Question (New Mom)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards