breastfeeding

[princesscook]

Hi
does anyone know if i am suppose to be expressing my breasts before i give birth - my mother told me i should for successful breastfeeding????

[jarrahsmumma]

I don't think so. You can massage them with some wool fat or lanolin while still PG, it will help them once you start feeding.

[O&GMUM]

No I dont think so, you need that precious colostorom for when your little one is first born. Am I right girls??

[aardvark]

That's old school thinking.

Just leave them alone, maybe use some Lansinoh (lanolin), and avoid using soap on them.

[Ana Gram]

I'm pretty sure that for the majority (not saying it can't happen) it is physically impossible to breastfeed before birth as the birth itself triggers the production and release of milk. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

[princesscook]

thankyou girls
I am torn between my mothers ways and the new ways - yes that is old school - i just was unsure so i thought i'd ask you girls because you are more recent mothers than my mother is obviously
so thankyou:)

[jarrahsmumma]

You can breastfeed without giving birth, but it's pretty hard work. It takes a long time and you need hormone stuff.

[Oscar's mum]

My advice is to leave them alone and not to use harsh soap on your nipples.

But that has all been said above!

[TwoZeds]

Some great advice for mothers and mother-in-laws...just stick your forefingers in your your ears and go "La La La" really loudly while they are talking about anything to do with babies.

The best advice you will get!!! Good luck....and no, I would leave it all alone until you are supposed to be breastfeeding!

[cosmic]

Soap is very drying on your nipples and can make them more prone to cracking when you start feeding. So by avoiding soap in the late stages of pregnancy and maybe rubbing some lanisoh into them you keep the natural moisture level nice and high to hopefully avoid some of that yucky pain. :)

BTW, I've also heard to avoid soap on your perineum in the last trimester. Same reason. The natural oils in there help with stretching. I have switched to that soap-free wash and just use it all over.

[AM]

Soap can dry out your nipples, and cause them to crack etc, better to rub some breast milk into them (when lactating of course!), and then just wash with water in the shower or bath.