Breastfeeding worries

[Cixes]

I am really starting to worry about breastfeeding. Basically everytime i have tried to do it i have failed pretty much due to bad positioning and not really having a clue what i am doing.

Last time i went to the ante natal group but it didn't really help and now they only do this at the hospital and its miles away!

I have read all the info on here and watched some great videos on youtube, i feel more confident this time but i just don't have the faith in my own body to do it. Last time i didn't seem to get any milk, not one drop of leakage!!

I have already bought bottles and i did tell the midwife at booking that i wasn't going to bother with it as i found it too painful and stressful, but having seen the breastfeeding pictures and knowing that its the very best thing for baby i feel i should try my best at it.

My hubby hasn't really been that supportive, i think he just remembers how much pain i was in last time and he would like to be part of the feeding too.

I definately will breastfeed when baby is born and hopefully stick to it. The problem probably lies with just wanting to get home asap and not having someone there to help with latching on so i end up sore!

Does anyone have any tips on how to minimise the pain in the first few days??

 

[Mik]

I have been really lucky and not had problems with feeding but there are a few things I had to do to help things along. Always use a good cushion I have got a my breast friend one they are pricey at £45 but well worth it IMHO and recommended for c-section mums.

http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B0 ... 1&mcb=core

If I am feeding on the right I hold baby with my right arm and use my left hand to position my boob properly (and vice versa) this is especially important at first as I have big boobs and they are too heavy for a small baby to keep latched onto by themselves.

Make sure hubby knows how how important this is to you he will get plenty of oppurtuinty to feed Noah once you are established and if you can get on with feeding this time it is best for you and Noah.

Explain to your other boys that when you are feeding Noah you can't do cuddles if they find it hard to understand get a couple of bits of card and cut them up and write Mummy owes Charles 1 cuddle (for example) and then as soon as Noah has finished they can "cash in" their ticket.

Ask for help while in hospital you will be in a few days if you have your c-section so a great oppurtunity to get some help from the midwives and don't worry if one or more of them are a bit arsey with you you will only have to see them for a few days and it is their job to help you.

At the end of the day hun if you don't manage it don't beat yourself up about it no-one has a right to tell you how to feed your baby and if the breastfeeding is not working to the extent it is stressing you out then you have to think what is best for you both and a happy mummy is best for Noah.

 

[Rosebay]

Hi,

I totally get where you're coming from hun, in fact I'm there right now day 3 trying again. My first time I think I was so stressed out and tired that my body just never got itself in order in time and I was so sore from being poked in hospital that by day 6 I had mastitus and was in so much pain that I just couldn't go any further, my milk hadn't come in at that point either. This time I've read alot more about it all and I'm trying to stay calm about it and not making it as big as an issue as last time. I have the pre-made up formula all ready and the bottles standing by in case and I'm not going to beat myself up about it if it doesn't work but so far I'm not in the state I was last time.

My problem was correct latch too but I think I'm finding that he and I know when it's wrong this time and if I calm down and look at some diagrams and we try again I am getting it- I'm just trying to preserve my nipples at all costs so won't put up with pain for more than a few seconds at the beginning as that's when it's wrong. I had a panic last night as I developed my first cracked bit but I took my bra off, dabbed lots of lansinoh on and then come 4 hrs later when he wanted another feed it was feeling ok and he's had another feed since and it's not throbbing like it was last night so I'm feeling more confident that a cracked nipple isn't the beginning of a downward slide like last time!

Lots of lovely people on here are standing by to help with advice which makes me feel like I have backup! I have to say that I feel that the advice I got in hospital wasn't great and last time so many people told me that my latch was wrong that I lost all confidence in being able to do it but this time I watched one demo from a midwife and then just tried calmly on my own and tried to listen to our bodies together and watch what his face and body was doing and how mine felt and I don't know, we're still going at it when I really didn't think I'd get past the first 24 hrs.

Not sure if this is good advice or not but having read the La Leche League book and various others I think there's some confusion about the definition of demand feeding too. I think that while you just have the colostrum for the first few days that there's only about 10 mins amount of good stuff in either boob per feed and after that they're sucking in order to help your milk come in. Sam tends to fall asleep or lose interest after about 8-10 mins on each side but he doesn't always come off and a few times he's adjusted himself and then it has hurt so once he loses interest I'm breaking the suction with my finger and he seems fine about that, I give him a bit of a wind and then offer him the other one and after that he's not asking to be fed for about 3 1/2- 4 hrs by which time both boobs are feeling better. Last time they had me feeding him for 4 hrs constantly one night in hospital and I ended up bleeding and sore and I think that was a real downward point. Even this time when they took me to the ward I was advised to leave him latched on all night in bed with me but I'm afraid I said yes and ignored the advice. He fed for about 10 mins on either side and fell asleep for 3 hrs before he asked for more so I don't think I was wrong? A little but often seems to be better for my nipples than for ages, this is what the books seem to say too although I got other advice from the mw....? He seems happy at the moment and is weeing and pooing etc so it must be going somewhere and I'm not having to be peeled off the ceiling every 2hrs with the pain, I haven't even cried since I had him so unless it's all about to go dreadfully wrong I'm cautiously optimistic!

Anyway, not sure how I'll go in the next few days but just wanted to tell you that it's worth another go and to have faith in yourself but also to remember that you know they'll be absolutely fine on formula as you well know from your other kids if it doesn't go right again so be really nice to yourself and try not to put too much pressure on yourself if you can. The first night I was home I had a panic that he wasn't settling after a feed so I gave in to my fears and offered him 2oz of formula and he only took 1/2 oz and wasn't that interested so I realised that he had had enough anyway, it was just me doubting myself and he just found his finger to suck and went to sleep as he does seem to be a fairly sucky baby.

Big hugs hun
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