Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

I am pregnant with DC#3, I never tried to BF with DS and pumped for a few weeks with DD, but this time I want to give it another shot and am going to really give it my all. So share with me the best breast feeding advice you have.....Either given to you or that you give to everyone else.

Message edited 2/9/2012 5:42:47 PM.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

BEST thing I ever read:

When you're getting DD to latch on, aim your nipple for her nose, not her mouth.

When you point it at her nose and bring her close, her mouth will open real wide and take the areola in, along with the nipple. I read this tip when my DD was 5 or 6 days old, and it was smooth sailing for me after that. We're still going strong at 5.5 months.

Good luck!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

patience! Good Luck!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Stick with it for at least 3 weeks, with no supplementing!! I think you need to commit to at least that length of time in order to establish your supply and allow you and your baby to learn what works best for you both.

I HATED bf for the first 10 days - I was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and I was ready to quit every hour. But I stuck it out because for some crazy reason I didn't want to quit until I got to the point that everyone else was talking about - how it is such a wonderful experience, etc. Around 2 weeks DD was latching on her own (without the nipple shield) and it was all uphill from there!

Good luck!!!


Oh, and get the mybrestfriend pillow - it's amazing!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Give it six weeks..it is a magical number where everything gets amazingly easier..it is a big long hump until then..but it makes it worth it!

Instead of creams - soak a gauze pad in saline wash and put in breast pad in between feedings in the beginning and this makes all cracked and achy nips go completely away!! I was pissed I was told this with DC # 3...I had a lot of cracked/bleeding issues in the begining with DC # 1 and 2!

alwasy keep saying supply and demand..if you don't demand it, your body won't supply it..so if you have to BF every 1.5 hrs - the better your supply will be! Missed feedings in the first 6-8 weeks will mess with your supply

The best chart I was given is below..It puts it all in perspective when people say you are starving your child..when you just have your colostrum in the begining...it is HIGHLY unlikely when the baby's stomach is the size of a marble day at day 1 and ping pong ball day 3

Image Attachment(s):

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Relax and breathe deeply even when it hurts like hell (or try your best). The more relaxed I was the more relaxed DS was and things went soo much better! I would breathe deeply and/or walk around and shush him/sing to him while nursing. I also took a ton of baths with him in the beginning and he would be so calm, that is where we perfected the latch. I feel like the more tense you are the harder it is to BF.

I also had the attitude that breastfeeding was our only option and that worked well for us. I pushed through the hard parts and the rewards were amazing.

Good luck, you can do it!!!!!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

The Breast Friend pillow worked better than the Boppy for us for breastfeeding. It was firmer and held him higher to my breasts than the Boppy did.

Don't give up (if that's your plan lol I don't want to tell you what to do) but I hated, hated, hated it in the beginning. I ended up pumped exclusively for 2 months then we went back to trying and it worked. Like the PP said, I had some obsession with making it work even when everyone else said to just do formula and don't be a hero. I wanted to do this and I put my mind to it and did it.

Lanolin cream for cracked nips... I got a ton for free from the hospital

A supportive husband. I wouldn't have been able to do it without DH. He was beside me the whole way even when I screamed at him and cried that I hated this.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

One day at a time. Set small goals. Get through the day. Then the week. Then a month. I told myself many times at 3am that this was the last day I was doing it. My dd is two in April & I am still bf. A nicu nurse had me read to dd to help me relax. It helped. I agree w/ all the above too!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Set mini goals - that was advice given to me and I'm passing it along.

I was not successful BFing #1 and now with #2 we're very successful, my goal is 3 months right now, I'm almost there and will be continuing (even with going back to work on the 27th). My next goal is 6 months.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Posted by DavaDay

BEST thing I ever read:

When you're getting DD to latch on, aim your nipple for her nose, not her mouth.

When you point it at her nose and bring her close, her mouth will open real wide and take the areola in, along with the nipple. I read this tip when my DD was 5 or 6 days old, and it was smooth sailing for me after that. We're still going strong at 5.5 months.

Good luck!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding! This book was my bible in the beginning! It gave me the confidence to stick with my decision to BF even when DD was in the NIcU for a few days and the nurses were pushing formula! There is a huge section on natural birth, but I had a C section and it was still very helpful!

I agree with setting small goals! I'm now at 8 months and hope to make it to 1.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

ITA with everything the other girls said.

I have two pieces of advice that are equally good:

Keep putting the baby to your breast. Just keep nursing. Even if it's been thirty minutes since your last feeding, and even if it feels like there's nothing in there... nurse again. It's good for both of you.

Like everyone else mentioned, GIVE IT TIME! It takes awhile to get the hang of BFing, so don't expect it to click immediately. You'll get there. Don't pump and/or supplement for awhile. Get the hang of BFing from the breast first.

Message edited 2/9/2012 8:50:29 PM.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

The most important thing is to give yourself time and be patient! Give yourself at least 4 weeks before quitting.

After 4, 6 weeks the most, it's smooth sailing and there is no pain and it's so convenient and easy!!

Earth mama Angel Baby nipple butter is great on your nipples. Lanisoh Gel Soothies also help. wet tea bags also

Pumping helped me a lot in the beginning. My left nipple was cracked, bleeding and so sore, so I would nurse on the right only and pump the left to heal it. Such a relief.

Lay down and nurse on your side! Great at night. SO relaxing.

Massage your breasts in warm shower. Massage while you pump to make sure you dont get a clogged duct.

BFing is a wonderful experience and I am enjoying it so much at 4.5 months! Plan to for a year. I promise it gets MUCH easier. Dont give up until 4-6 weeks!!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Kellymom.com

BEST resource!!!!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Posted by MamaLeen



I also had the attitude that breastfeeding was our only option and that worked well for us. I pushed through the hard parts and the rewards were amazing.

Good luck, you can do it!!!!!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

To find a position that works for you and do that. I worked with a LC and read a ton of books about the "right" bfing positions and what my daughter neede dwas to be in a position that was so uncomfortable for me but worked for her. My LC read me the riot act about it, but I don't care. I had the boppy and she would be in my arms and I would bring my breast to her pointed down so my back was always arched down and it was so uncomfortable. We did this for 2wks and then she let me do it in a more comfortable position. So my advice is try all sorts of positions and follow your own instincts. I knew all along what she needed/wanted and let others talk me out of it.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Thanks ladies! Please keep the advice coming. I am going to read this over and over and over for the next 5 months! lol!!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

there are lots of little things i could probably say, but they vary from person to person and baby to baby, so i will tell you the one thing i believe. make anything else not an option. don't keep formula anywhere in the house. make sure dh is on board and dont let him run out and get formula no matter what you say.

DD2 was easy, but we had a rough few days with DD1. if formula had been around, i might have caved. one day in particular, i was so engorged it was painful. she couldnt nurse and was screaming because she couldnt latch on to my swollen nips. nobody slept. dh started sterilizing the pump at 4am so i could pump some out to be less engorged. by 7 am i pumped about 12 oz out and she was finally able to latch on a little, and we cup fed her a little. keep no bottle nipples or formula around, and you will find away. after we got thru the first few days, nursing was a breeze!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

The best advice from the lc I used was to remember that of I was having supply issues, or latching issues, don't be ashamed to use formula to take the edge off of dc's hunger and then try again ( and pump if dc won't nurse). Utimately remember your job is to feed your child. Once you realize that, you will allow your body to relax and you will be able to nurse.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

While you are in the hospital ask for the LC to come to you the minute you are in the room. Ask her to position you with the baby. She will touch you and angle the baby properly. Have a few comfortable pillows around to support your arms and the baby.

Take your fingers and squeeze some milk/colostrum out. Then in an up and down motion stroke the babies mouth so that the baby opens its mouth. Once the mouth is open, then aim up towards the nose. If you don't feel the latch is correct, then try to re-position yourself.

Use lanisoh after nursing.

I liked the book the womanly art of bfing too.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

Don't be afraid to supplement. Every kid and person is different and a half an ounce from little rtf bottles bought me sanity for the first month.... And my supply did catch up.

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

MY ADVICE IS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF MOST ON HERE LOL...

I had the attitude when preggo that I would possibly attempt to bf, but def wasn't set on it and really didn't mind if I had to formula feed.

Anyway...
I'm like a cow and have an oversupply...I pump as well and introduced a bottle from day one. My DH and I felt that I shouldnt have to be the only one feeding our son. So he gets an evening breastmilk bottle from DH...(this is my quiet time and I pump and shop on the internet) and last bottle of night is a formula bottle(obviously you dont have to give formula) but this is another time where it's "me time" and I pump and then take a shower....

My advice(which has worked very well for our household) is to share the feeding responsibility. God knows I would go insane if I was the only one that was doing it.

This is so against the pp's but understand that its not the end of the world if you decide to supplement or just decide to give all formula. If I had in my head that the only way of feeding my son was bfing, I would have gone crazy. I like knowing in the back of my head that there are other options. This thought makes me relax and enjoy bfing....

For someone who didn't think I was ultimately going to bf, Im going strong at almost 5 months and have surpassed my 3month short term goal/ next is 6 months/ and then 9 months.

Happy BF'ing!!!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

What a great thread! In the beginning my greatest struggle was with the pain and scabbing on my nipples. It's really important to make sure you let your nipples dry after you nurse or else your bra will stick to the open wounds and its even more painful. I ended up buying the avent breast shells and they were a life saver. Good luck!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice

If you are a spaz like me lol,

lay down on the bed, and bring hte baby next to you - lay on your side and try nursing that way

or lay back on a few pillows put the baby on top of you and try "laid back" nursing

read the womanly art of breast feeding!

Re: Give me your BEST piece of breastfeeding advice