Breastfeeding book

rach4910

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Hi all,
Can anyone recommend a book on breastfeeding?
I tried breastfeeding my first and it didn't work at all, I don't think I had enough milk. So now want to try and prepare myself a bit better for this one in the hope I can do it this time.

Thanks
X
 
The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding by La Leche League has everything you could need in there. You can buy it online or borrow it from a library or most breastfeeding support groups usually have a copy they will loan out.
It's quite a thick wordy book though, if you want something a bit more lighthearted I loved "The Food Of Love" by Kate Evans.
 
The best thing to do is to join a breastfeeding support group online. There is a Facebook group called UKBAPS and it's fantastic for advice and information
 
There's more and more evidence being established that a higher proportion of first time mothers don't produce enough milk in the first weeks. I also know from experience how tough it is when your precious baby's weight dropping down the lines on the WHO chart and you simply have to make the decision to supplement or switch to formula.

I personally wouldn't fork out for a book. The best thing to do is know where your local bf support groups are and try them out if you can before baby arrives. There's also so much info available online although I'd advise you pick a couple of credible sites (google is the enemy!). I found the breastfeeding support network site very useful, especially around taking prescription drugs when nursing. https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/

The best support I got was from my local breast feeding support group and other mummy friends, especially when it didn't work out for me.
 
There's more and more evidence being established that a higher proportion of first time mothers don't produce enough milk in the first weeks. I also know from experience how tough it is when your precious baby's weight dropping down the lines on the WHO chart and you simply have to make the decision to supplement or switch to formula.

I personally wouldn't fork out for a book. The best thing to do is know where your local bf support groups are and try them out if you can before baby arrives. There's also so much info available online although I'd advise you pick a couple of credible sites (google is the enemy!). I found the breastfeeding support network site very useful, especially around taking prescription drugs when nursing. https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/

The best support I got was from my local breast feeding support group and other mummy friends, especially when it didn't work out for me.

I would be interested to know the source of this evidence as this is not something I have come across before. Do you have the detail of any studies conducted on this? It is perfectly normal for breastfed babies' weight gain to vary a lot and some naturally are slower gainers than others. Also breastfed babies cannot be overfed which isn't true of formula fed babies, who can quite easier be overfed, especially with the new hungry baby milks. This is something that isn't taken in to consideration and midwives and health visitors have been known to advise top up unnecessarily to breasted babies. Thus is turn making mothers feel like they aren't succeeding with breastfeeding and giving up
 
Thanks for your comments I will have a look at those recommended.
My first wasn't dropping weight, infact he was a big baby at birth and was always hungry and i basically wasn't producing enough milk despite weeks of trying and milk only came in on one side. I tried to combi feed but it just got too much so was switched to formula at about 7 weeks :(
 
If your boy wasn't dropping centiles then you must've been producing enough for him. In my experience, all breasfed babies appear to be always hungry. I think I fed my little boy non stop for the first couple of months but it's all part of increasing your milk supply and they do it for comfort also which is totally normal. Most of the people I know who have breastfed have said the same thing that their baby seemed constantly hungry. I was constantly told by friend and family that I couldn't be producing enough milk, simply because my baby wasn't sleeping for long between feeds, it al settles down though and it's totally normal for the first few weeks and then once your milk supply is settled then feed less and less. Even after being wrongly told I wasn't producing enough milk, I obviously was. People are often given incorrect advice as they compare breastfed babies to formula fed babies, who tend to feed less often and seem to sleep more. This is due to the fact that formula is harder for them to digest.

Lack of support and adequate training for health professionals leads to myths such as not producing enough milk or that supplementation will make your baby sleep better. This is one of the main reasons mothers give up on breastfeeding and feel that they have failed. Obvioulsy I cannot comment on your personal circumstances but in order to succeed with breastfeeding then I would suggest the following:-

- Expect baby to feed a lot in the early weeks, sometimes it will feel like if they are not attached to your boob then they are crying. This is normal and aims to regulate and increase milk supply, especially during growth spurts. This will settle
-Breastfed babies will gain weight differently to formula fed babies. they will also have different sleeping patterns. This is normal and completely natural.
- You do not need to know how much milk your baby is getting. As long as they are not losing weight dramatically and have wet and dirty nappies, they are fine. Formula usage has embedded a need for us to know baby is getting so many mls or Ozs.
-Very few woman do not produce enough milk for their baby, they are just often led to feel that way based on comparisons with formula fed babies and lack of support and/ or incorrect advice from health professionals.
-Supplementing with formula will not generally make the process easier, combi feeding will not make continuing with breastfeeding easier. the more you supplement, the less milk you produce and the more likely you are to stop breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding takes a lot of hard work and determination in the early weeks and you will be reliant on support from those around you. Usually this gets easier and it becomes so hassle free and often easier than bottle feeding once you get past the initial couple of weeks/months.
- Trust your own body, women have been feeding babies for years successfully, you can do it too with the correct support.

It makes me sad when people who want to breastfed don't continue simply based on a lack of info and support, this makes them feel like failures when they are not. It is the system that has failed them.

I hope that this information is useful to you.
 
I appreciate your comments and thanks for the reply however I don't think it's as simple as saying you must have been producing enough milk.

I was told by midwife that I wasn't producing enough milk and I only had milk come in one side. My son had colic and reflux and found feeding very difficult. Believe me I tried and tried and he fed from me almost all day and night for weeks with no progress. I'm trying not to take what you have said as a criticism as I know the comments are meant for information however I think we all have to be careful of not over simplifying things and the feelings that our comments might instil in others.

Also, my son didn't sleep on formula either so I don't always things feeding is related to sleep and had I of carried on breastfeeding I don't think his sleep would have been any better.
 
Oh I know I didn't know the full story, that's why I said I do not wish to comment on your individual circumstance. I was talking generally and did not wish for you to feel like I was critising at all. In fact my post was meant to make you and others aware that when breastfeeding is not successful we often blame ourselves and usually it's due to external circumstances and incorrect advice.

Out of curiosity and my own learning, why do you think you weren't producing milk? that's the bit I wasn't sure about and felt like maybe you were given the wrong advice last time especially since your baby seemed to be putting on weight ok. feeding off one side doesn't have to mean you don't have enough milk on it's own.

I do apologise if you were in any way upset by my comments. It's very difficult to give support and advice relating to breastfeeding without causing offence.

Not breastfeeding isn't a failure in any way. Whether that is someone's choice or because they couldn't or weren't given the correct information. It's when women wish to breasted but may have a bad experience, that I like to share the knowledge I have built up over the years.
 
Im sure you probably know this already but therefore things you can eat that can help stimulate milk production. Like oats etc. I found flapjacks REALLY boosted my milk production! There's other things to of course. I also got told that massaging your breasts daily in third trimester can also help stimulate milk produvtion. (i did this in the shower / bath) My DD was a very hungry girl and the first 3-6 weeks are the hardest for breastfeeding. Im sorry for your struggle, sometimes it just doesn't work out but fingers crossed for you this time round xxx

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One of the main issues with the milk factor is that there is very little scientific research around it. One study does come to mind though about delayed lactogenesis in new mothers which shows up to 44% of first time mothers may experience it. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/92/3/574.long. This isn't really relevant though to this scenario though. There is also a figure of 5% of mums that don't produce enough milk but I've never found the study supporting it.

Having also ended up only able to feed from one breast myself, the duration between feeds is so short its impossible to function. There is feeding around the clock and feeding around the clock. Yes there is enough milk coming from the breast, in that it will top itself up like a cup of water but for a mum with insufficient supply this cup is very small. If you really have to feed non stop, day and night and this isn't just a phase believe me no amount of pumping, fennel tea, oat biscuits will cut through exhaustion like that.

I applaud you @Rach4910 for continuing as long as you did if baby didn't loose any weight and your milk supply was low. Honestly you are a superstar!

I don't want to offer you any unsolicited advice (as I appreciate you just asked about a book!) but I can give you some support around supplementing if your milk only comes in on one side again - just PM me.
 
I can second 'the food of love' witty and wonderful xx
 
Just to add my own experience, DS2 was an absolute nightmare to feed. He has tongue tie and would not take to a bottle at all. He was a boob boy through and through. I bfed him every 2 hours day and night right up until 10 months. There was much confusion in the beginning as midwives told me one thing, hvs another. The only people adequately qualified to give the correct bfing advice is a lactation consultant. Their support and advice is absolutely invaluable.

It's so hard to boob 2 hourly all the time. So many times I sat there sobbing my heart out from the pain, the lack of freedom and sheer exhaustion. Looking back now (DS2 has just turned 1), it was so worth it. Please don't give up based purely on a mw's (often incorrect) advice, please discuss your symptoms and experience with a lactation consultant as they will give you the right advice for you. If you still feel it's not working, then there is absolutely no shame in making the decision to move to formula.
 

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