Things I wish I'd known about BFing before Baby Came

Please keep adding your wonderful words of wisdom to this sticky. :)

Things I wish I'd knowing about BFing but nobody told me:
1. 24 hour nursing is very NORMAL at the beginning and in general BFing is far more time intensive than formula feeding because BFing babies feed more often (as the milk breaks down faster and is digested faster) and they also comfort suck a lot which helps you establish supply.

2. All BFing mamas worry about supply --too much (esp. at the beginning) or too little-- and as a rule of thumb it's better to avoid supplementing and instead keep the baby on the boob to up supply naturally because supplementing can actually hurt your supply, particularly early on.

3. Nipple pain is often a sign of a poor latch, but even if you have a good latch, for a while the nipples may feel like raw meat anyway as you simply get used to having them sucked for hours on end.

4. You baby will very likely hit growth spurts at 7-10 days, 2weeks, 4 weeks, 6weeks, 2months, 4months, 6months - and will do marathon nursing sessions and be kind of gritchly and miserable for a few days. This is NOT a sign that your baby is sick or your milk dried up. But it's a good time to settle in on the couch with some DVD's and a bottle of water. Nothing to do but ride it out.

5. Getting over any fear of nursing in public is probably a good idea, since otherwise you may go stir crazy staying at home all the time.

6. And most of all, I really really really wish I'd known that BFing does NOT always come naturally, and takes tons and tons of persistence and patience.

What about everyone else?

Hmmmm. You took most of the ones I was thinking of. Right now, I wish I knew how difficult it can be to nurse a very excited 9 month old. He is constantly wanting to be on the move during the day, making for very interesting sessions.

Love the siggy pic - - she's getting so big! Go booby milk!

Good thread!

Latch issues are extremely common! Just because your baby has a hard time figuring out a latch doesn't always mean you won't be able to BF. Even if you have a NICU baby who gets used to only having pumped milk in a bottle for the first few weeks or months of their life, it IS possible that you can overcome the nipple confusion and get them onto the breast. It's hard, but it can happen... even if your baby is 4 months old when you make the transition. :wink:

Also, if your baby starts fussing at the breast and arching their back refusing to latch on, it doesn't mean that they no longer want to BF and need to be weaned to a bottle. It can mean anything from gas/needing to be burped, to a food allergy, to being overly tired. This happens with even the most booby-lovin' babies now and then.

Forgive me if I repeat anything. I think this is a great idea!

~ I wish I knew I had flat nipples BEFORE I tried to nurse him.
~ I wish I had known about nipple sheilds.
~ Get a second opinion on the latch. I was told by the LC at the hospital he had a great latch and it turns out he didn't and I never sought help.
~ Don't be afraid to seek help. It could make a world of difference.
~ I never knew anything about cluster feedings and that he would be on the breast every half hour for the first 2 weeks.
~ I wish I had been told just how hard it would be.
~ Most of all, I wish I had had a support room like this!!

Yay Holly!

1. Nipple shields work wonders but be prepared to wean because they deffinately become a nusance.

2. Don't worry so much about your eating habbits. Before you cut out dairy and other foods that "make" babies gassy, test it out with them first. There is no reason to cutting out dairy if it's ot effecting your baby.

3. Expect your nipples to be sore.

4. Learn how to type with one hand because nursing sessions can be lonnnnng :) hehe

5. Get a nursing bra... they are so quick & easy!

Yall covered most of them for me ...

I wish I knew that new babies don't feed on schedules for quite some time.

I wish I knew that you don't HAVE to nurse the baby on both sides. I just nursed her on one side and she was fine.

I wish I had a better diaper log to log all those wet and dirties (kellymom has one)

I wish I knew that it was normal and OK for them to nurse A LOT in the beginning

You don't always have to listen to what your mom/MIL/grandmother/neighbor/random person on the street says about breastfeeding. Do you own research and do what feels right for you. Like others have said, seek professional help when necessary.

Ooh, I almost forgot... make sure that the hospital staff knows that your baby will be BF and DO NOT let them give him or her any formula or sugar water. Nurse your baby as soon after birth as possible (or pump, if your baby goes to NICU). If your hospital has them on staff, insist on seeing a LC before you go home.

The two biggest parts of early success with BFing are making sure that you are informed and surrounded by support. Know the facts from the myths, and make sure you are around people who know that BFing is important to you. Whether it's an online community, LLL meetings, mommy-baby playgroups, or friends and family-- it will go a lot easier if you have people to lean on when it gets to be overwhelming and you want to throw in the towel.

I wish I'd known that breastfeeding is like any other learned skill or art. It takes time to figure out how to do it right - both for you AND baby.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hollyk

6. And most of all, I really really really wish I'd known that BFing does NOT always come naturally, and takes tons and tons of persistence and patience.

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This about sums it up to my experience...

* Your DH IS important and needs to be onboard with BFing too. Or your partner. Or your roommate. Whomever it is who is going to be there when you are sobbing on the couch thinking about quitting to say "remember all the reasons you wanted to do this." An unsupportive DH is one of the most surefire ways of enabling your nursing to fail.

*Nipples that look perfectly functional can be flat or inverted. You can see what yours are by simply pulling at the areola around them - if they continue out with your pinch, they are good. If they pop in or do nothing, then they are inverted or flat.

*You are not somehow a worthless human being if it is not easy. Yes women in third world countries, and women in medieval times did it, but then again, there are/were wet nurses in both cultures for a reason!

*It is something that you will be SO proud of. I never expected that!

I wish I knew that I would have to avoid some of my favorite foods...
And I agree that great patience is needed.

~stash- I love Oscars new pick!! Is he tasting the tree?

--I wish I would have known that BFing is just as hard for DH as it was for me in the beginning. He wanted to be able to help and feed her, but really ended up helping me. As he put it, "up until DD was four months old, I felt like your butler." So find something special for your DH to do with your baby...read a book, he can change diapers, give the baby a bath, etc.

--I wish I would have known that at 6 mo, I would look back on the early weeks and actually miss the time I had to just sit around and nurse, look at my beautiful baby, watch TV, eat while she was nursing, read a book while she was nursing, talk on the phone while she was nursing. Because now I have a wild baby who will not let me do anything else while she nurses!! :D

--I wish I would have known how important co-sleeping became to our nursing relationship. It is the ONLY WAY I could go back to work when DD was 12 weeks old.

I want to emphasize the couch business! For about two weeks straight, we sat on the couch, nurse, burp, nurse, sleep, poop, repeat---around the clock that is! After that, we may escape for a walk, but pretty much, nursing is most of the day's activity!

BFing is so different for each person, and there is great advice and support right here on APA!!! These ladies are WONDERFUL!

Ditto to all of the above!

I wish I had known that babies have to learn how to nurse.

I wish I had know that many babies come with latch issues such as pushing in the wrong way with their tongue. I will have my LC come to the hospital right away with my next baby--it took her about 30 seconds to figure out the problem with DD's latch. It took me much longer to heal the shredded nipples :shock: !

I think the most important thing I wish I would have known is to trust my instincts and ignore the stupid comments from people who have never bfed a baby.

Most of the issues have been covered, but here are few to add

-- Bring a good BF book in your labor bag (Nursing Mother's Companion or The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding): I had time while I stayed at the hospital after delivery, and could have learned something while I was actually practicing

-- Latch and pain improves as your milk comes in: instead of chewing on your nipples, babies actually begin to suck

-- Don't hesitate to limit comfort nursing if this does not work for you: while my nipples were raw, that was NOT pleasant. Instead, I gave baby my little finger to suck on after meals, as soon as his nutritive sucking stopped. He liked the finger a lot!

-- Be careful about proper latch, but also ensure that you're unlatching the baby in the way to avoid any damage. A few days into breastfeeding, I realized (thanks to an LC follow up call) that's when I was doing most damage to my nipples! The LC suggested using my index finger instead of the little finger, and use it as hook while assertively inserting it into baby's mouth and in between his gums. Also, don't unlatch by pinching baby's nose, as a stupid BF DVD I watched suggested!!!

-- While at the hospital, have LC teach you how to recognize swallows. That was really helpful because I could tell when he was actually eating. Before she showed me, I had no clue!

My little guy is only a week old and we have had some BF issues since he was in NICU....we went for a LC appt and she showed us the "My Breast Friend" nursing pillow...it is a LIFESAVER! It is the perfect platform for comfortable feeding and makes you independent because it attaches with velcro tight to you and provides a nice carrying platform for the little one. You can even get them feeding and be hands free as they rest on the platform...allowing a hand to talk on the phone, eat, or hold your eyes open! It is fantastic!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Noahsmommy

My little guy is only a week old and we have had some BF issues since he was in NICU....we went for a LC appt and she showed us the "My Breast Friend" nursing pillow...it is a LIFESAVER! It is the perfect platform for comfortable feeding and makes you independent because it attaches with velcro tight to you and provides a nice carrying platform for the little one. You can even get them feeding and be hands free as they rest on the platform...allowing a hand to talk on the phone, eat, or hold your eyes open! It is fantastic!!!

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Yeah, the Boppy pillow is great too. I have one upstairs and one downstairs just so I don't have to keep hauling it around. At first I didn't quite get how to use it, but after a week or two of trying to position the baby using a regular pillow I soon realized just how useful the breastfeeding pillow could be. They are GREAT. :)

1. You DON'T have to give your baby formula if he/she is jaundiced.

2. Nurses don't know everything and you don't have to listen to them when they tell you its ok to give baby an ounce or so of formula until your milk comes in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Noahsmommy

the "My Breast Friend" nursing pillow...it is a LIFESAVER!

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I definitely wish I had purchased this instead of the Boppy when I was preparing for the baby to come. Luckily I went to a support group where they had some to try.

Here's something good that came as a surprise. BFing really calms me down. To the point where I've fallen asleep with Nadia. :lol:

Thanks for sharing! iam planning on bfing and ya's experiences will help me!!

One thing to add:

You can't plan your experience.

I had wanted to BF both times until a year with my girls - and physically I couldn't get past 6 months. For whatever reason, my reproductive hormones beat out my milk producing ones every time. So even the best laid plans go out the window once the baby gets here.

Yeah I have heard that too! But even breast feeding for 6 months is suppose to have just as good benefits for mom and baby. So at least you can appreciate that..

I wish I would have known the 1st nurse to help me breastfeed was going to be a complete jerk and make BFing a negative thing for my son. Also I wish I had know how hard it would be to BF with inverted nipples and that everytime we try it is a struggle. I am completely glad to know that my son is completely adorable and everytime we have a hard time BFing it is worth it all the way to know he is getting used to it and will be ok in the end. :)

I tried breastfeeding with my second child and I cried when it was time to bf bcuz of the pain. Felt like someone was sticking me with needles. I want to try again w/this child. What advice do you have? How long does it hurt like this?

I wish I had known that the hospital staff, although pro-BF, were not very knowledgeable about how to help and gave inconsistent advice. one nurse was great but most were not. and like everybody says, it is not supposed to hurt after a week or so. if it does, seek help from LLL or similar resources. also I didn't know that sometimes a baby might want to eat ALL DAY! thank goodness for tivo!

-tina

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Originally Posted by LaeActress

I tried breastfeeding with my second child and I cried when it was time to bf bcuz of the pain. Felt like someone was sticking me with needles. I want to try again w/this child. What advice do you have? How long does it hurt like this?

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It can be painful for the first couple weeks, after that it's likely a latch issue. It's a good idea to see a LC (lactation consultant) before you leave the hospital to ensure a good latch early on.

Thanks for your help! That really helped.