Preparation for Breastfeeding

Ocean Blue

I'm 100% planning on breastfeeding if it works for baby and myself. I want to be as prepared as possible in order to maximise the chances of success. I am realistic though and already have a small supply of bottle feeding essentials ready in case it doesn't work out.

I'm just wondering what other mums did to prepare? What did you invest in pre-birth? Or did you just adopt a wait and see approach after baby was born.

I'm thinking in terms of breast pumps, nipple shields etc. Things that some mums need but others probably don't. I don't want to spend money frivolously on things that I might not need, but equally I'm happy to invest in anything that might improve the chance of success. I suppose I'd rather have something to hand if I run into difficulties as my fear is that in my tired emotional state I might give up feeding because the thought of even waiting until the next day for help might be too much.

All opinions welcome

ETA - I've downloaded this book to my kindle. It was highly recommended at my antenatal class. It will probably cover a lot of my concerns but I'd still like input from other mums

http://www.mumsnet.com/reviews/books/parenting/14377-what-to-expect-when-youre-breast-feeding-and-what-if-you-cant

MillyD123

Hi there. Check out Facebook group 'extended breastfeeding Ireland' Very knowledgeable people there with plenty of tips and advice.

lolademmers

I found the lanisoh (I think is how it's spelled) cream excellent and the multi mam nipple compresses. I got very sore and they were great to have. Would not have liked to be sore waiting on someone to come back from a chemist with stuff. I did find breast milk on the nipples and letting the air at them excellent too. Just used to sit there with my boobs hanging out! Get the baby's latch right before you leave the hospital and you will minimise soreness so something I didn't do. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
I stayed an extra night coz I was breastfeeding so don't let them push you out too soon.

Jerrica

I asked the same thing in another group I'm involved in Ocean, and these are some of the tips I got that really resonated with me:

- Have your support in place. This can be other breastfeeding mum's in RL (through Ciuidu/ HSE groups/ La Leche League or the breastfeeding buddy system and friends and family who support breastfeeding

- make sure your partner has an idea of what to expect. Get them familiar with the idea of cluster feeds and prepare them that there may be times when you are attached to the baby and you won't be able to move, so they'll need to be on hand to help with bringing you food and drinks and making sure you have plenty of movies to keep you occupied

- if you want to exclusively breastfeed make sure your partner knows this, so that at times when you want to give up and switch to formula he'll know that it's not really what you prefer and can support you and keep you going.

- The Ina May Gaskin Guide to Breastfeeding is a fabulous book and worth a read

- I'm personally hoping to exclusively bf, so I'm not buying any formula or bottles so that I'm not tempted to use them (I do have a chemist twenty feet from my front door though so if I absolutely needed something it's there!)

- consider an antenatal breastfeeding class or a private breastfeeding class with a lactation consultant. Half the battle will be knowing what some of the potential pitfalls are. It's no harm to have a lactation consultant in your phone to call or text when things get tough

- this webpage is brilliant, it's been recommended to me a few times and I've learned loads so farhttp://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/12/timeline-of-breastfed-baby.html?m=1

clare82

Id def recommend getting in touch with your local cuidiu group or la leche league (also look on Facebook for other bf meet ups). Go to a meet up while you're pregnant..get to know the main people there....get a contact number for one of them too. They May also lend you a copy of the womanly art of breastfeeding which us a nice read.
Id also suggest making your family fully aware of your intentions to bf as sometimes well meaning older relatives might suggest a bottle of they see you in difficulty and while that might be helpful during the day they won't be there to help you at 5 am when the real craic starts!
In my experience so far (7months) id describe bfing as a journey....it's not a case of you start and that's it. It changed over time for me. I had a lot of difficulty in the beginning due to inverted nipples and I bought nipple shields,(get large ones), breast shells, pads, lanolin, multimam compress and I have go say that I don't think id have got through the first months without the shield and only recently after weaning off them. Id advise at least knowing where u can get them of u need them bearing in mins that a log of bfing stuff isn't available in your average chemist.
Sorry I'll post again later baby calls!!!!

cyning

Ok so I breastfed my first until I was 16 weeks pregnant and she was 15 months, and am breastfeeding my second and I still sometimes run into problems so my top tips:

We have a fabulous breastfeeding support thread in the newborn & toddlers forum. It's got loads of practical tips

Be realistic about what to expect. I think of breastfeeding as something to be learned; baby needs to learn to latch properly, you need to learn positions that work for both you and baby.

Most women can physically breastfeed. There's a few things that can cause big problems: tongue ties are NOT recognised by many professionals ie docs, midwives, phns. If your nipples get cracked, or if you hear a slurping or a clicking noise get it checked by a lactation consultant. In fact any problems at all get in touch with an IBCLC. If that's not an option your local Cuidiu/LLL/Friends of Breastfeeding/ local phn run breastfeeding group. Peer support is essential!

Go to a group before baby is born!

Beware of the second night. Baby feeds constantly to bring in milk. It's constant, babies fussy, my hormones were all over the place, baby blues are about to hit. It passes and gets easier.

The six week growth spurt is tough too!

Product wise: buy the tubs of lanolin in the chemist. It's way cheaper, and much easier to get out then the much more expensive tubes. Multi mam compresses are essential: they help cool down your nipples especially during growth spurts. They help you heal too if your nipples get sore. Don't buy breast pumps etc until you see how breastfeeding goes: it's expensive!

I love breastfeeding. I've found it really really tough the last few weeks but honestly I can't imagine doing anything else. The rewards are worth it. After the first few weeks it gets so nice and so much easier. It is so worth it!!

Most of all just know you can breastfeed, and it will work for you: positive thinking and all that

highly1111

lolademmers wrote: »

I found the lanisoh (I think is how it's spelled) cream excellent and the multi mam nipple compresses. I got very sore and they were great to have. Would not have liked to be sore waiting on someone to come back from a chemist with stuff. I did find breast milk on the nipples and letting the air at them excellent too. Just used to sit there with my boobs hanging out! Get the baby's latch right before you leave the hospital and you will minimise soreness so something I didn't do. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
I stayed an extra night coz I was breastfeeding so don't let them push you out too soon.

I was about to say the exact same and recommend these exact products!!

Don't leave the hospital unless you're sure of the correct latching position - call the midwives as often as it takes - I called them every time I went to feed - and they don't mind one little bit. Also, relax and tell yourself you can do it - a positive attitude totally helps. Finally, babies don't feed that much in the first 24 hours (they're too busy sleeping!) so don't worry about that - however, day 2 can be a feeding frenzy so rest when they rest on day 1 and enjoy it all. BF is an incredibly convenient way to feed your baby and (obviously) has many other benefits - enjoy your baby so much - they grow up so fast. X

clare82

I'm back :-)
Another thing us to understand the cluster feeds. Baby will be all over u at night time and the constant feeding may make u think that he isn't getting enough or that there us a problem with your supply but judge what he's getting on the number of wet and dirty nappies.
It can be tough at the start but it us worth it and of course there's every possibility that baby will latch on like a pro and you'll sail through it but if u start to doubt yourself come back here for support ;-)
Best of luck with it all

How Strange

Everyone else has pretty much said it but I think it's important to repeat that breastfeeding doesn't just come naturally to mother or baby so ask for help if something is wrong. Contrary to what we're lead to believe, the new mum doesn't just latch on her newborn baby who guzzles contentedly and that's it.

First off your little baby hasn't a clue how to feed so he/she needs to be taught. They catch on quick though

It's definitely a learned skill and in countries with a breastfeeding tradition a new mother would be surrounded by experienced women who would guide her through those first few weeks. Unfortunately we don't have a breastfeeding tradition in this country so you're at the mercy of urban myths, hearsay and half truths. So find a good support group and get mobile numbers to call before you give birth. I think most breastfeeding mothers and group leaders would be very generous with their time to help a new mum.

The essential things for me would be a huge stock of multi mam compresses (Dublin seemed to completely run out of them the weekend my daughter was born) and lanolin. Don't let your nipples dry out if they're a bit irritated as they'll soon turn excruciating if you do. Also if there's the slightest twinge of pain ask for help. It's not normal. End of. Despite what everyone and their mother will tell you.

househunter

I'd agree with the multi-Mam compresses and also be prepared for the feeding frenzy on the 2nd night - i wasn't and had no sleep the first night so was completely wrecked after the 2nd. Sleep on the first night if you can!!
I only fed for a week - was advised to give formula top ups leaving the hospital as my son had dropped 10% of his birth weight and after a few days he started screaming whenever i put him to the boob - I'm convinced it was because of the top ups but who knows. It was extremely stressful for both of us and I gave up - gave myself a very hard time because of it but have a very healthy 14 month old now so if it doesn't work out for whatever reason don't beat yourself up about it!!
Have another on the way now and plan to try again this time but definitely will be more relaxed about the whole thing. Will give it a good go again but won't start crying in the supermarket out of guilt if it doesn't work (yes thats what i did)

lazygal

I would not listen to any advice from anyone who hasn't breastfeed. Harsh but I found those who didn't do it or only did it for a short time were full of myths about hungry babies and not having enough milk. My PHN was full of advice, but had no children herself and told me things like feed for 15 minutes on each side and had no advice on cluster feeding, different positions and what to expect with growth spurts. I went with my gut, took to the bed and fed lying down for a few days.
I didn't find groups very supportive. I checked out going to one but it seemed to come across that because I was giving some formula I wasn't 'really' breastfeeding. It might have been my post baby hormones but I felt some groups came across as very exclusive and evangelical. I joined a FB one but some of the women on there would put anyone off BF. I got better support from more middle of the road forums and mums in real life.
I found Multiman cream much nicer than Lansinoh. Also buy nice bras and breastfeeding tops. I learned my lesson from last time, I hated the frumpy cloths and bras, so this time I splurged on really nice ones from JoJoMamanBebe and Seraphine.

olaola

A little word of warning from my personal experience, I was given difene for a week after the birth. Which totally masked the fact that he wasn't latched on properly and feeding was painful! When the prescription ran out, I was in agony, as the damage had been done. I got some Avent nipple shields, and they have been a godsend. Just trying to wean him off them now.

I got Lansinoh on Amazon for about £6 I think? It's a little easier to 'spread' than the tubs of lanolin I found!

Also, these cheapo pillows from Ikea are SO handy, I have them all over the house for feeding & then I pop him over them to burp him.
http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/40262537?cid=ie%3Esm%3Esms%3Eikea_app_share

mrsWhippy

Definitely the Multi-Mam compresses, they saved my poor nipples more than once! Cut them in half and they will go further (the box is not cheap)

Also "Don't give up on a bad day"

lazygal

Also if you have a section the milk can be slightly delayed coming in. I wish someone had warned me about that.

Rosy Posy

Exclusively breastfeeding my fourth baby- went straight from bottle to cup with the other three at around a year and plan on doing the same with this one. Really you need very little. Surround yourself with supportive people. Drink lots of water and not too much tea and coffee. In the first few weeks try to have as much support as possible and make your number one concern breastfeeding your baby. Get some comfy pjs and a good book series or box set as is your preference. Make your room/feeding area as comfortable and beautiful as possible with lots of cushions, and commit to spending the bulk of your days and nights nursing until breastfeeding is established. If you're serious about it then make this your priority, not visitors or getting out to the shops. Enjoy it because it's precious! Also keep a cabbage in the fridge to put on your breasts if they get sore or engorged. I used weleda rose calendula cream for my nipples. Also be aware of a massive hormone dip when the milk comes in- you're not going crazy and it will pass! It totally freaked me out with the first but now I just get my oh to stand guardian of the stairs and not let anyone up who can't handle the tears. Remember it's tough at first but in a couple of weeks it's way easier than having to sterilise and make up bottles in the night and when you want to go out just grab a nappy and go!! Best of luck op.

dori_dormer

I only managed to BF for 7 weeks and Im gutted about it.

I would suggest you have the name and number of a professional Lactation consultant on hand before you go into labour. trying to send emails and figure all that stuff out when you are stressed and tired is a nightmare. Id even go so far as to say have the consultancy anyway. Ill just give you my story.

When my son was born I had no milk. It didnt actually come in for 7 days. So from the get go I was bottle feeding which I hated. In the hospital I was pumping both sides for 20 min, trying to get him to latch on for ten minutes each side, then bottle feeding which took ten min. It all took an hour and a half with changes and sterilising etc and then hed wake on the 2 hour mark and wed do it all again! Exhausting!
He wouldnt latch on at all, so they brought in their 'lactation consultant' (I have since found out that this is just a glorified midwife and has no real qualifications) She told me he had no tongue tie or issues of any sort and to keep going the way I was.

On day 7 I saw the PHN who also said nothing was wrong with him. in fairness she showed me different feeding positions, but then told me Id never breast feed and to give up trying. 2 hours after she left my milk came in!

So now my milk is in but he is a really slow eater. taking an hour to feed and needs constant waking while on the boob and needed feeding every 2 hours. PHN said again this was normal and just keep at it.

So I do that for 5 weeks and Im so exhausted from no sleep that Im crying every day. I finally get in contact with a Lactation consultant. She takes one look at him and says he has a really tight muscle in his face that would make it really hard and exhausting for him to feed and also he has a tongue tie!!! I was so annoyed at the hospitals LC. they passed her off as legit professional so i thought there was no need to seek another.

My sons cheek muscle and neck took 4 weeks to fix using cranial sacral therapy. and in that time I cracked and went exclusively on the bottle. If id met with the proper LC in the first week I would have been able to power through and maybe id still be BFing.

Anyway, long story short - Dont give up, seek professional help if needed asap! Also I hear oats help build milk supply and a type of tea that I cant remember the name of now....

I hope it all goes smoothly for you!

xalot

+ 1 for multi mam compresses. They are absolutely essential.
Soy lecithin capsules from health food shop sorted out any blocked ducts I had immediately. (they're expensive so dont stock up now, just purchase if you need them)
Make sure you have a night light that's easy to turn on/off so that you dont have to get out of bed to feed.
I dont know if you plan to pump but I bought my milk bags in bulk from amazon and saved a fortune. Super handy for freezing.

Nead21

Download 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding' to your kindle also. I found it really helpful. You never know if what you are doing is right, and this book help me to understand all the different changes in routine and behaviour when feeding...ie cluster feeding, growth spurts, snacking and grazing etc. For me it was solid advice in a sea of conflicting advice (mostly for people who didn't breastfeed!)

I also went to a La Leche meeting while I was still pregnant as it made going after the baby was born easier. A support network was vital, again to help reassure that what you're doing is right, and get tips and tricks from other mothers.

Also second the advice, don't give up on a bad day. Some days are a real challenge but take each feed at a time.

Best of luck

Oh PS read the breastfeeding support thread in Newborn forum....it answered nearly every question I had during those first couple of weeks!

olaola

My midwife (who is also a lactation consultant) advised me to read up as much as I could beforehand. I do think this helped, as it's not ALL new and you don't feel as bombarded with things.
Dr Jack Newman (also recommended in the Coombe's antenatal classes) is considered 'The God' of breastfeeding - this is his website: www.breastfeedinginc.ca, loads of videos and every question is answered!
www.kellymom.com is also great.

How Strange

Dr Jack Newman is definitely THE expert on breastfeeding. He was in Ireland a few months ago and he met with the staff in the coombe. The man has so much knowledge about breastfeeding and what is biologically normal but what healthcare professionals consider abnormal - weightloss after birth, low blood sugars after birth. He's singlehandedly reeducating the western medical communities.

Also if you're having a strange problem you can email him and he'll mail back within 24 hours.

Madisson

I didnt prepare at all and im 7 months in. I didnt really exoect id breastfeed at all. I had my bottles and sterilisers organised. If it wasn't for the midwife from the rotunda calling out to me and going through breastfeeding with me I wouldn't be doing it today. So preparation wise just make sure you have a support network for the beginning be it lll or a close friend or relative that has experience or friends of breastfeeding. .whatever it is you will need some support. If you are going midwife led they might send a midwife out to you either.

One but of advice I wish I had received was after you give birth and you're exhausted, giving a bottke of forumla will not Effect your chances of breastfeeding. . If it means you get some sleep do it!

Chattastrophe!

Jerrica wrote: »

- I'm personally hoping to exclusively bf, so I'm not buying any formula or bottles so that I'm not tempted to use them (I do have a chemist twenty feet from my front door though so if I absolutely needed something it's there!)

I was the same, however with hindsight I'd say it's no harm doing your research into bottles, formula and pump just in case. No need to buy anything, but it's good to do your research so that you're prepared for any eventuality! In my experience, it's no craic having to make any decisions about anything in the days after giving birth!

Formula - you have SMA, Aptimel and Cow&Gate. I had never intended on using formula, so knew nothing about the different brands, so when my baby urgently needed to be given it in the ICU the day after he was born, I let the nurse decide, and she started him on SMA - her only reasoning was that "it's made in Ireland", something that to be honest wouldn't be particularly important to me. A few weeks later, I found out that apparently Aptimel is much lighter and more similar in consistency to breastmilk, so is the best one to use for combined feeding. However it's also quite a bit more expensive than SMA or Cow&Gate. Also the two heavier ones are better for babies with reflux, they tend to stay down more easily.

Bottles - we bought the ones on offer in Mothercare the day we got out of the hospital, the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature ones, and they are perfect for combined feeding ... the teats are shaped just like boobs! We just got lucky with that, we didn't even know what to look for, but they worked very well at the start when I was switching between boob and bottle. Just in case you ended up needing to pump, they're the ones I'd recommend. (The others I tried were Avent, Mothercare and Medela.) The Dr Brown ones are meant to be fantastic for reflux, however they look like they'd be an absolute pain in the ass to clean! These are just bits of info that I've picked up since having the baby, which would never have even occurred to me beforehand. There are various reasons you may end up having to pump and feed with bottles, e.g. if the baby had tongue tie etc, so it's definitely worth reading up on them so that, if you did end up using them, you'd maximise your chances of getting back to breastfeeding once the issue was resolved.

Pump - after a lot of research while I was pregnant, I went with the Medela Swing, however it gave up just a couple of weeks in. I was using it a lot, but still, I was surprised it didn't last longer. Maybe I was just unlucky! There are options of renting hospital grade pumps, can't remember exactly how much it worked out per month (it seemed a lot at the time but would probably actually be cheaper than formula anyways!) No harm ringing your hospital and enquiring, just so that you have the info there should the need arise.

I know I've said it before, but nipple shields! Have them there in your labour bag, just in case, I think that getting off to a good start could make all the difference.

As others have said, multimam compresses (cut in half) and Lanisoh cream are great. And Boots extra-absorbent pads are great - tbh I found the Boots ultra-slim ones to be a bit of a waste of time, having said that I was very leaky. On that note, breast shells are something I'd probably look into in future (if there's ever another one!)

Also think about clothes and bras. The day I got out of hospital I went to M&S and spent far too much money on two nursing bras, I think I wore one of them once, that was it. Chances are you'll be living in PJs those first couple of weeks at home, no need for a bra, and even when you're out and about it's handier to just wear a supportive vest top and a top over it instead. Just make sure you stock up on comfy clothes, keeping the breastfeeding in mind and considering how it's going to work with whatever clothes you're buying. Oh and have a spare top in your changing bag. Always!

wicklori

Read the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding- as mentioned already.
In lots of the hospitals it would appear that if you dont' at least 'sound' as if you are 100% committed at all cots to breastfeeding that you may not get the support you need. Regularly the only support you will receive-especially from those who didn't/couldn't/haven't/wouldn't breastfeed is 'give him a bottle'! That is often the last thing to do as it most likely won't solve the problem; will fu£k up your supply and further frustrate you at a vital time.
It is am amazing thing to do. It is the biologically natural way to feed your baby. Because your breastfeed doesn't reflect on the person beside you who doesn't. It is not easy at the start but it quickly 'pays' for itself if you can persist- it is so convenient it's just not funny! You can leave the house with a nappy (or two) in your handbag and forget to come home!!

Chattastrophe!

wicklori wrote: »

It is am amazing thing to do. It is the biologically natural way to feed your baby. Because your breastfeed doesn't reflect on the person beside you who doesn't. It is not easy at the start but it quickly 'pays' for itself if you can persist- it is so convenient it's just not funny! You can leave the house with a nappy (or two) in your handbag and forget to come home!!

I absolutely agree.

I remember when he was about three weeks old, driving alone with him from Sligo to Dublin, he started looking for a feed when we were around half an hour from home, and I tried him for the first time on those readymade bottles. He takes them no problem now, but the teat was just too big for him then, and it hadn't even occurred to me that that might be an issue. He couldn't drink it and he was bawling, I was bawling, he wouldn't take my boob even with nipple shields on (and the supply was definitely there, just not getting into his mouth). In the end we just had to drive on home, there was just no other option, even though he was still crying. What else could I do? At that moment I was SO envious of those mammies who can breastfeed themselves without any problems!

And don't even get me started on the whole bottle sterilisation and preparation routine ... bane of my life! If you can avoid it, you really should!

Now having said that, I've come to terms with the fact that it didn't work out with me on my first baby. He is absolutely thriving and is no worse off for being on bottles. I've stopped beating myself up about it - no mother should do this - we're just fortunate enough that we live in a time where there is a perfectly adequate alternative available to us, when breastfeeding doesn't work out. He's a happy healthy boy, and while with hindsight I might have done some things differently, I don't think there's any points in having regrets that it didn't work out. And I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work out for me next time!

mrsWhippy

Wtunia wrote: »

Hi, hope everything went well, we have a 2 month old, I purchased a nursing cover a while back and found them to be a must have when your out and about. You can get them on babylove.ie for cheap.

I disagree!

I think breastfeeding is very discreet when wearing normal clothes, my baby hated a cover and I hated wearing one. Felt it drew more attention to what i was doing!

If you are a bit nervous, a scarf can be used at the start help hide nipple when latching baba on but this is not such an issue after a couple of months when they can latch themselves!

Obviously whatever works for you, but I definitely don't think a cover is a 'must have'.

indigo twist

I'd agree with the above! A nursing cover would just be a bulky unnecessary item to be carrying around. I see women breastfeeding discreetly all the time, no need for anything to be exposed really. Also, it's nice to be able to see your baby properly while they're feeding ... I really don't like the idea of covering the baby up.