Best advice you received...

[Tea Lady]

Wondering if you ladies can help me out... I was talking to 2 pregnant friends of mine today, and one mentioned how she's feeling pretty freaked out by the idea of breastfeeding. We talked more about it and I was trying to think of any tips / info I wish I had known before having my DD so that I could encourage them.

Then I thought :wizard: I'll ask on bubhub and I'm sure there'll be lots of people with better ideas than me!


So, what was the best breastfeeding advice you got, or what do you wish you'd been told before having your baby that would have made things easier?

Thanks :)

[Chub Chub]

1. It does hurt a little at the beginning but gets easier

2. Don't be afraid to take bubba off and re-attach. (Even if they are crying.....Mid scream:o is good as their little mouths are open nice and wide).

[Seekrit]

Once the bub has attached, take a deep breath in and then out, relaxing your shoulders and arms... otherwise you spend the first 3 months of your baby's life, hunched up and sore.

[nats]

Breastfeeding is not meant to be painful.
Don't persist with pain, if it causes pain you're doing it wrong.
Position is key!

[Seekrit]

On that, nats, the first few weeks CAN be painful, but the pain shouldn't continue. I was ready to throw it in at the hospital because it hurt so bad and all the lit i'd been given was saying that if it hurts I'm not doing it right :(

[nats]

mouths are open nice and wide

Very important for good attachment :thumbsup:

[Tea Lady]

Ooooo that was quick, thanks!

Keep 'em coming! :D

[xkwzit]

LC are worth their weight in gold (if BFing isn't coming easy).

Feed on demand when they are little, the frequent stimulation is setting you up for proper supply. No little baby should be on a schedule.

Cheers

[MilkOnTap]

The best advice I got was that perseverence is the key. Both you and the baby are learning what to do at the same time, so just keep on practising together and you will eventually get it right.

Oh - and dont eat too many lactation boosting cookies - give them the respect they deserve! I didn't and wound up with mastitis :o

[nats]

On that, nats, the first few weeks CAN be painful, but the pain shouldn't continue. I was ready to throw it in at the hospital because it hurt so bad and all the lit i'd been given was saying that if it hurts I'm not doing it right :(


hhhmmm, yes you're right. I guess I meant pain from poor attachment. True though it shouldn't continue.

Still..... postition is key right?! :)

[MilkOnTap]

Oh -and someone on here made this comment yesterday and I loved it!

"Why stand doing something when you can sit down? Why sit doing something when you can lay down?"

Once you have the knack of bf'ing and need some sleep then dont be afraid to whip out the boobie and have a nap whilst the little one feeds him/herself. Its the most GLORIOUS thing when you wake up to see them sound asleep beside you, mouth open wide with a tinsy drop of milk dribbling out... :hugs:

[Becteria]

I got this tip from Jodiee... make sure their mouth is shaped like the Special K when attaching.

Dont give up, it does get easier.

Drink a litre of water every morning and then another couple of litres throughout the day to keep supply up.

Eat porridge for brekkie.

Always wear a good quality maternity bra

Take spare breast pads with you everywhere in the first few months!

[MilkOnTap]

Take spare breast pads with you everywhere in the first few months!

LOL - Yeah! And if you sleep on your tummy then be prepared to change the sheets the next morning LOL :laughing:

[becus]

my mum said to me regarding amounts of feeds - demand feeding.
--never go more than 5hours without feeding and never feed before 1 hour. --- makes sense.

oh and when the nipple is horribly painful - purchase cabbage leaves and lanolin cream ... does teh trick. push that pain barrier...!

[reAllytee]

Whilst im not a b/f'er at this point i can understand one of your friends concerns about being freaked out.

Please dont start pushing all of this type of stuff on her because there could be a number of reasons as to why she is freaked out by it.

For me it was due to childhood abuse so the best advice i had was from my family & DP to speak with my midwives who were fantastic in explaining things to me & giving me great things to read.

I had to learn to more accept b/f for what it was more than needing the " oh this is how you attach etc etc ".

So maybe even giving her ABA info & helping her find a support group where she can go to get used to it & find a comfortable ground.

Anyways hope im not speaking out of line :o ......

[Elfin]

I think I would warn her about CHNs and their weight charts. I never knew till much later that breastfed babies don't put on same amount of weight as ff babies and the charts the CHNs were using were based on ff babies from the 60s.

This might of all changed now but I might of persisted if I had wasn't led to believe that I was starving my baby.

[MonkeyMum05]

Best advice I had... which came from a book, lol... was never to 'give up' breastfeeding in the middle of the night.
There were many times, after sitting up in bed with my unsettled grizly baby that I just wanted to give up breastfeeding... give him to his father and go and sleep in the spare room. BUT i always remembered this line I had read somewhere, and reminded myself that I should never give up in the middle of the night, as I'd be less likely to make a good decision.

...and that's my advice :D revolutionary, huh?

[Tea Lady]

I knew I'd great advice on here - thanks so much everyone! :thumbsup:





Anyways hope im not speaking out of line :o ......

Absolutely not - very wise Ally.

[bel_aiden]

best advice i was given was that breast milk is digested in about 90 mins, so even if youve been feeding for an hour, and 30 mins later they are hungry, feed, as its been 90 mins since youd started... iykwim??

[mumx3littlies]

The best advice I was given was by my midwife. She said if the babies hungry feed it - just feed on demand till baby sets its own feeding pattern. Worked fab for us.

[aardvark]

Prepare dinner while bub has an afternoon sleep, so that when baby wants to cluster feed at dinner time, the worst of the cooking is already done.

The LC at the hospital I had #2 at said that the most critical thing to breastfeeding success was to decide that "I am going to breastfeed", not "I am going to try to breastfeed", and then take whatever action is necessary to make it happen.

[shed]

Bring the baby to the breast, don't take the breast to the baby.

[drewid]

The thing that stuck in my mind was something my middie told me the first time I fed Andrew - that it was a learning curve for mum and bub. You learn together..and grow. It won't work at first - try, try again. Bub has to learn, just as mum does. Practice makes perfect!

The other thing is that the long feeding sessions in the beginning give you COMPULSORY time to rest and recuperate....sitting down for 40 minutes plus, every few hours...is just perfect for healing, resting, reflecting and day-dreaming about the future. It forces you to look after yourself, instead of rushing about taking care of everyone else.

[secondtimearound2]

When it's time to feed get comfy with a drink and some healthy snacks, feet up and a relax.

Avoid going places where you may feel uncomfortable feeding your baby.

[Stargazer Lily]

all fabulous advice!

my tip is to attend an ABA breastfeeding info class while still pregnant and take your partner/support person with you

DH and I learnt so much - the benefits as well as techniques, and because he came with me he could support & encourage me as we got established

and if you have ABA membership you get the lovely magazines which are filled with inspirational photos and stories :thumbsup:

oh and one more tip - don't be afraid to ask for advice from a LC/ABA/Nurse/Dr etc if it's not working, at any stage - even weeks or months down the track :yes:

[Alisonp]

The LC at the hospital I had #2 at said that the most critical thing to breastfeeding success was to decide that "I am going to breastfeed", not "I am going to try to breastfeed", and then take whatever action is necessary to make it happen.

I couldn't agree more :) Also, if you don't actually get things working perfectly in the first few weeks....don't beat yourself up about it...just keep trying and with time, determination and some good advice, most people can breastfeed their baby :thumbsup:

[punkbaby]

Best advice i got when i had cracked bleeding nipples and a nasty bout of mastitis, bite on something really hard and feed feed feed It will get better!! At the time no it didnt sound like it would but it did, i will never forget that

Also the let bubs drink as much as they want demand feed they will form their own routine

Give your nipples lots of air if you can

Dont wash them in soap

Ohh and make sure when you are just starting out you take a spare top with you....t shirts with blinkers arent a good look LOL

The other best thing i heard was, if its not for you its not for you, dont feel pressured if your not comfy with it :D

[Oblena]

See a Lactation Consultant as early as possible if you feel that things aren't right - attachment is the key.

Breast Compressions - once bub is on, use your hand around the breast and compress (a bit like squeezing the milk out). My LC suggested this and it worked a treat to help keep up a good flow for an impatient bub. I can also see a massive difference when I express if I am compressing or not.

Lastly - TALK NICELY to yourself. There are plenty of people out there capable of judging you - don't add to them with negative and demoralising self talk (I think I can do it, therefore I know I can do it)

Sorry for the essay :laughing:

[draught]

One of the most useful pieces of advice I had was that the nipple is meant to be round - if you think that the baby isn't attached properly, take him/her off and look at the nipple - if there is a flat area then the attachment is wrong - and those flat bits can cause damage that makes it painful.

[xkwzit]

Or if it is bent over to the left or right, then you need to adjust baby's position a bit to the right or left (opposite).

Cheers