What Are Some Good Tips About Breastfeeding?
Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at
4:13 pm
I plan on breastfeeding my second child and was wondering if there are any good tips on making it easier. I breastfeed and formula fed my first child and decided to go with only formula feeding after the first 6 weeks. I
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Put the baby to your breast soon after delivery. Do not give the baby (or allow anyone else) any kind of bottle or pacifier. You should not use bottles or pacifiers for at least the first 3 weeks as this can cause nipple confusion and create MANY problems when it comes to breastfeeding. After breastfeeding has been well-established you can offer a bottle of pumped breast milk here and there.
Also, nurse on demand. Do not put a breastfed baby on a schedule. It can affect your supply. Let baby sleep in your room or bed. A cosleeper makes nighttime feeding soooo much easier. Just bring baby into bed with you, lay on your side and let him/her nurse away. You will get so much more sleep then a formula feeding mom does!
If you notice that your nipples are sore or cracking at all then you need to make sure you’re properly latching the baby on. I just went online and looked at pictures of proper latch on. it really helped.
Best wishes!
Start putting lanisoh on your breast before you deliver and after everytime in the beginning. I started putting lanisoh on for the last month, just 1-2 times a day. Also make sure you let your nipples dry out before you put your bra back on after nursing. I was very sore with my second, he was so aggressive! Great eater. I didn’t experience that with my first, had to keep him awake to eat. I agree with the others about nursing as soon as possible after delivery. Work on getting that latch right too, or it can be very painful. I also nursed on my side and got extra sleep too. I know its not recommended, but it was so nice! We got one of those toddler bed rails to make it as safe as possible. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. If I don’t answer right away, I’m due monday with my third. I’ll answer asap. The feed on demand is great advice as well. My second never took a bottle, but once you get a routine, it isn’t harder than formula, I actually think it’s easier. Couldn’t ever forget a bottle! If you do want to bottle feed some, pump to keep your supply up. Once you give formula a couple times a day, your body won’t produce at those times. My first had a hard time going back and forth also. It made him constipated when it wasn’t consistantly one or the other. Best of luck to you!
The best advice I can give you is to speak with a lactation consultant while you’re in the hospital. She can tell you anything and everything you need to know in order to be successful at breastfeeding.
search for La Leche League on the internet – they have tons of resources/help. Went through lactation classes and almost everything referred back to this world-wide organization.
My best advice is to buy the book “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”. It has all the good tips plus.
Nurse the baby as much as possible, especially in the first 6 weeks. Even if the baby seems hungry and you just fed him, feed him again!
If it hurts, you’re doing it wrong. Get help with positioning the baby.
Get a Boppy pillow, or other nursing pillow. They really help with positioning and can give your arms and back a break.
I can’t recommend the book The Nursing Mother’s Companion Guide more highly. It answered all my questions without me having to call the lactation consultants all the time. You can check it out from the library or buy from the store or online. Read it BEFORE you have the baby.
Don’t give up if it gets hard, make little goals for yourself, make it to two weeks, then 3, then 6. It gets so much easier after 6–8 weeks! If you can make it to then, it’s pretty much smooth sailing.
i agree that you should nurse on demand……that includes comfort nursing….this will make your life much much easier
don’t offer bottles for at least 6 weeks…..offering bottles before that will sabotage your breastfeeding relationship as what appeared to have happened the first time
allow baby to nurse within the hour after birth when they are most alert (provided you don’t have epidural)
attempt to deliver without use of narcotics/epidural and routine use of IV….these can drug baby as well….the IV can make you swell……have you heard those stories from moms who say “my baby just wasn’t interested in breastfeeding”…..come to find out they had drugs and then nurses suggested formula and there ya go
don’t feel forced to make baby sleep in the crib….if that works without fight then great….if not simply bring baby to your bed for sleeping and nursing
don’t be ashamed to nurse in public…..this will also make your life very easy….go about your life as usual and nurse when needed and get on with it
good luck!