Excellent advice, everyone!! I had fun reading it, I would have normally jumped right in to share all the tips and tricks that worked for me, but... I was nursing
My new little one is just 7 weeks old, and apparently on the growth spurt now, so he is nursing a lot, and typing with one hand, while trying to protect your computer from curious toddlers is HARD
I would second all of the advice!
Yes, it is a commitment, and it can be hard in the beginning. Yes, you get used to it and learn tricks that work for you and your baby. Yes, it may hurt at times, but it gets better. And yes, it is definitely worth it!
With baby number 3 nursing now ( and my other two nursed till 11 and 22 months respectively) I faced all kind of nursing problems, and collected a "bag of tricks" as well
ShenLi, thank you for mentioning
http://kellymom.com I recommend it left and right. It has advice for new mommies and seasoned BF veterans alike. I think it is the BEST and most complete collection of breastfeeding resources and information.
Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is also a must have.
You can also get all kind of good advise and support on
http://www.mothering.com/community/f/27/breastfeedingOne important thing I meant to mention, because I learned the hard way.
When your baby is born, ask your midwife to check his tongue. It is not uncommon for babies to be tongue-tight -- It results when the frenulum (the band of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is too short and tight, causing the movement of the tongue to be restricted. That can cause your baby to struggle with nursing and you ending up with VERY SORE nipples.
Both of my boys were born tongue tight. With the first one it took us 4 months to find someone who was qualified to snip the frenulum ( tissue under the tongue), with the second one -- our pediatrician had another doctor in the office who does the procedure, and we did it about 20 hours after birth ( since it was detected right away) -- the difference was amazing!!
Some of the following symptoms may be a sign of tongue-tight:
- Heart-shaped tongue tip -- probably the most obvious sign. The tip of the tongue may be heart shaped or have a “v” shape indentation in the center when the baby sticks out the tongue or cries.
-- Square tongue tip. The tongue looks square on the tip instead of pointed when extended.
-- If your baby is tongue tied Your baby has difficulty extending the tongue past the gum line. Tapping the tip of the tongue should cause the tongue to come forward, where it should cross the gums.
-- Tongue does not cup well. When your little one sucks on your finger the tongue should wrap around it
-- If you rub your baby’s lower gum, the tongue should follow your finger, side to side. If the baby has difficulty moving it side to side, his frenulum may be too short.
-- Failure to gain weight. Baby breastfeeds very frequently and yet may fail to gain weight appropriately.
-- Sound of sucking air. If your baby loses her seal or suction at the breast causing her to come off the breast frequently and creates the sound of sucking air.
-- Clicking sounds. Your baby may have a restrictive frenulum if the click while breastfeeding is associated with an increase in nipple pain at the time of the click. (The click can be the sound of the tongue snapping back in the mouth or the sound of the loss of suction.)
-- Extremely sore nipples. If your nipples hurt through the entire feeding despite the use of good latch and position technique your baby may be tongue tied. The soreness is created by the tongue rubbing against the tip of the nipple when the tongue is in the retracted position.
-- An increase in pain near the end of the feed as the baby tires and the milk flow slows. Some babies can extend the tongue properly for the early part of the feeding when the milk is flowing faster and they have more energy, but are unable to maintain the correct suck through the whole feeding.
Some of these may be also markers for some other problems, but if a few of them fit, -- do consult lactation consultant or midwife.
Like others mentioned already -- demand equals supply. The more you nurse/pump, the more milk would be produced. Sometimes newborn babies have a hard time latching to an engorged breast, that is when you can use pump to simply prime it a bit and make your breast a bit less full to make it easier for your little one. You do not need to pump it a lot, just enough to make it comfortable. And you probably would not need to continue it, as your body would regulate milk supply to meet the exact needs of your baby!
I hardly ever pumped (hated it too...). But I always kept a small supply of breast milk in my freezer for the times I would leave my baby with husband, in case I would be delayed on the way home. And even then we never used bottle, he would feed baby from a dropper or tea spoon. It is slower, but we did not want to cause any nipple confusion.
Pumping for me was more painful then nursing. And nursing... well it did hurt a few times during the first 3 weeks, mainly because of engorgement. They say, if will will make it through the first 6 weeks, you will be able to do it for as long as your baby would need it
And it is true.
A few other tips that helped me:
Painful engorged breasts -- nurse, nurse, nurse and use Rosemarie warm compresses in between nurses
Sore nipples - lansinoh breast cream ( it is purest lanolin, so you do not need to wash it off before nursing the baby!!)
First few weeks - spend a lot of time in bed, resting and cuddling with your baby skin to skin -- you will be able to form an amazing bond with your little one and your milk supply will get established; frequent nurses would also help your uterus to get back to normal faster!
Sorry for random thoughts, hope some of these would help!
Digg
