How do you know if you can breastfeed?

janexo221 · December 2014

I would really love to breastfeed, and have been shopping and comparing pumps, etc. Then, someone commented "you might not be able to breastfeed!" As a first-timer, I didnt know theres a chance you cant! Will I know if my breasts start making milk before the baby is born? Do I buy a pump just in case and then return it? How do you know if you can or cant? Do I get formula just in case? My mom didnt breastfeed because she said hers didnt come out? Is that a predictor of how mine will be? Any advice appreciated!

thing3ontheway · December 2014

You won't know till you try. Plus there are ao many more natural and medicated ways to help depending on any bumps in the road. You just try.
This is like asking if you will be able to eat an apple 2 weeks after you get your wisdom teeth out. You won't know till you try. You need your baby first. Unless you have some preexsisting boob issue, that has already been discovered you won't know till then. Good luck. It's stressful not knowing.

ChanStew · December 2014

I agree, it's stressful not knowing. My mom couldn't breastfeed either, but I don't know a lot of detail of how much she tried or what support she sought. Get a good lactation consultant, and know that it's just hard/impossible for some.

Meanwhile, do your best not to worry about things you can't control.

islandmom79 · December 2014

As others said, the only way to know is try. Do research to become informed. There are some other breastfeeding posts on page 1 with some good suggestions of books and websites. You can check your insurance to see what they offer for pumps. Also, you can rent hospital grade pumps at first if you aren't ready to buy one.

redneckmomma25 · December 2014

Read, read, read. Information is important so you can try and trouble shoot issues. As well as a support group. Most hospitals will have a bf support group. Lactation consultants. Members of the LLL and ILBFC (may have got that one wrong). You will need support from your DH/SO.

Rowsdower85 · December 2014

Check with your hospital to see if they offer a breastfeeding class you can take during pregnancy. You'll get a lot of information through that which will help prepare you. Also, seek out a Lactation Consultant. My Pediatrician and my hospital employ LC's, so ask around to find one. If you don't want to commit to buying an expensive pump, check with your insurance, or look into renting one. And have lots of encouraging support!

ally3242 · December 2014

Make sure you meet with a lactation counselor if you can after the baby is born. Breast feeding is really difficult and it takes some time, so don't give up. You may not be able to BF but that doesn't mean you can't pump. I exclusively pumped for a few months...it was really f'ing hard.

kurban627 · December 2014

Great advice above! I did not produce enough milk with my first child and had to supplement with formula from the very beginning. I continued to give what I could for 9 months and it was very important to me. Not being able to exclusively breastfeed doesn't mean you can't at all. It is worth the effort. I'm hoping I produce more milk and can exclusively breastfeed this time, but I won't know until I have him either.... every pregnancy is different.

nomesy · December 2014

We also have to remember in the 70's and 80's they thought it was easier and better to bottle feed , so there wasn't much support around , if you didn't get it they said to bottle feed , now days they have much more support for everything ! Including what my mum calls baby blues but I know it as post natal depression , I'm getting a breast pump anyway and giving it a crack when he's born then go from there ..

miahbelle · December 2014

Not actually producing milk is very very rare, other complications aren't as rare but generally speaking can be over come. But there is no way for anyone to tell if your circumstances will work out for you to nurse. Take a breast feeding class. Read a few books. Maybe talk with mothers who have nursed.

And the milk comes in after the baby is born. But you start making colostrum before and that is what the baby eats until the milk comes in.

meredith6484 · December 2014

You try it. That's the way you know if it's right for you.

DMG122183 · December 2014

Medical reasons related to lack of milk production are extremely rare, but some women can't produce milk for a variety of mechanical and functional reasons. There is no way to predict this. Please remember that when our mothers were having babies, medical professionals did not stress breast feeding. My aunt was literally "given a shot to dry up her milk." The medical profession is more equipped to prepare and support women in breast feeding now. Chances are you will do just fine, so try not to worry about it. Focus the energy less on worrying and more on reading up. We are all here for you!

BBS! · December 2014

I couldn't. He never latched and we had about 10 lactation consultants help while in the hospital. It was so frustrating. I pumped for 5 months then switched to formula. He never took to a pacifier either so I think some just don't like nipples, lol.

DixieNormous330 · December 2014

go to a breastfeeding class, meet with a lactation consultant soon after birth (either in the hospital or outside) even if everything is going well. Get support in your breastfeeding.

And remember, no matter how you feed your baby, you're doing the right thing.

Sharon&Paul · December 2014

ally3242 said:

Make sure you meet with a lactation counselor if you can after the baby is born. Breast feeding is really difficult and it takes some time, so don't give up. You may not be able to BF but that doesn't mean you can't pump. I exclusively pumped for a few months...it was really f'ing hard.

Actually some people can not pump. I was able to breastfeed, but had the hardest time getting enough milk with the pump. I would hold off on buying a pump until after you start breast feeding and then maybe rent one to try first.

Mushibamboo · December 2014

@Sharon&Paul I agree that for me pumping was way harder than breastfeeding. I think some women get caught in the "not producing enough" panic as well when they try to pump and only get a few ounces (I know I did!). For some reason I could let down no problem when snuggling my daughter but the machines could only eke out like an ounce from each. I know for a fact that I produced more bfing than pumping because I breastfed exclusively for 6 months before introducing solid foods (and went on to bf for over a year and a half) and my daughter thrived. So don't think that because you can't pump or hand express you aren't producing enough. I also found that I had to be relaxed to let down at first. If I felt panicky or stressed I would have to calm down before I could nurse.

rlc1128 · December 2014

My mother wasn't able to breastfeed either but I had no problems at all feeding my first daughter. Like others have said, educate yourself and get help when needed. Good luck!

jesslfar · December 2014

More women can breastfeed than cannot and the only real predictor is if the woman was able to in the past and even then a lot changes between births. Having a good LC is key. My first birth was tongue tied and had to have it snipped, I also have PCOS and that made me not produce enough milk which combined with the poor latch of the baby meant I had very low supply but because I don't work and didn't have other children I was able to devote the time needed and had a great LC. I had to nurse exactly 20 minutes on 1 side, followed by 10 on the other every 2 hours and really had to devote all my time to it for over a month and had to take a ton of fenugreek and have the baby weighed once a week but I was able to do it, after 8 weeks of really having to put a lot in I was nursing like anyone else but did not have enough supply to pump, baby #2 my milk came in on time and never had a single issue.

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