Questions and answers

Compare this section with Yahoo Answers and Google Answers. Questions are all related to becoming pregnant, pregnancy, birth and babies.
Go to the Questions and answers index

Breast feeding
Added: 580 days ago.
Added by: laurabeth
Section: Pregnancy.
Status: This question is Closed. (Questions will be closed after 10 days.)


I am 33 weeks pregnant and i plan to breast feed. What can I do to make it a success? Because I know who many that couldn`t do it because their milk dried or they couldn`t pump enough.

---

MelissaJoanne - 570 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Go into it with confidence, and know that it's not going to be easy. Your body is perfectly designed to feed your baby, and you will succeed if you don't get frustrated with yourself and give up.

o0kathryn0o - 570 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Just keep relaxed, even if baby doesn't latch properly the first few times. It doesn't mean b/f won't happen, it just takes patience. Definately keep water beside you all the time and don't be shy when it comes to someone else grabbing your breast and putting it in the baby's mouth! That was a little weird for me, but the lactation nurses are there to help. About pumping, it's not a good idea to start this right away. Just give yourself time with breastfeeding your baby, then worry about pumping. That has it's own problems and it's better to just bond and getting the basics of nursing down first. La Leche Leaque has a website, and usually local consultants if you have difficulty.

niki - 570 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) When your feeding have a drink beside you i found i got really thirsty at the start... i couldnt get much by pumping myself so i just latch Emogene on. They say to massage your breast before expressing - good luck x

mommauv4 - 576 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) Drink lots of fluids and make sure you learn how to latch your baby properly. Lots of women stop because it hurts. Some pain is normal as your nipples adjust but if it hurts alot you should talk to a lactation consultant. Also see if there is a La leche league in your area they provide breast feeding support.

Melanie07 - 578 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) Start by relaxing. Feed often. Drink lots of fluids. The more you feed the baby the more your breast will produce. Also, massage your breast before feeding. Talk to a lactation consultant. They are usually at the hospital. Don't be afraid to call them anytime. That is what they are there for.

KarenVG - 579 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) feed as often as you can, do not worry about schedules...For a while I felt like they were always feeding but feeding stimulates the milk production. Many of my friends who were not successful were trying to live by a schedule...it works for bottle fed babies because formula is slower to digest, breast milk is easier and faster so expect to feed on demand... eventually they will get into their own routine but not as long as a bottle baby...just keep that in mind and you should do fine.

lindamc - 579 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) I was frustrated at the very beginning becauase I didn't have any milk, my milk came in about 2 days later... so I had to supplement with formula. i felt like such a failure- then i spoke to a lactation counsultant- and she gave me some great tips! first relax! try to get the nipple as far into the baby's mouth as possible... unwrap them so that they don't get to comfortable (my kid always falls asleep- she goes into a drunken milk coma) but I try to keep her awake by tickling her feet or pumping her arm arsenio hall style (it works). hungry babies will keep their hands near their mouth.. when they are done eating their arms will be loose and not so tense! get some nursing pads and lanolin... and don't be scared when your milk comes in, you boobs will be huge and hard!!

Madisons-Mom - 579 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) all i can say is nursing the first time for me was absolute hell for the first month or so....i wasn't able to pump either....things got easier and i ended up nursing for a year!!! so just dont give up.....it isnt "hell" for everyone but if it is just keep in mind you will heal and it WILL get better if you stick with it.....in the begining i nursed many of times balling my eyes out because of the pain.....im not trying to scare you im just saying it will go away......oh and also i never had a lactation consultant, i did take a parenting class though and that was a lot of help, my good friend who had a lactation colsultant (who now has a 2nd baby) said for her she now realizes that it stressed her out way more than necesary....anyways best of wishes and good luck!!!!!!

LMO - 579 days ago Rating: 2 (1 votes) when you have the baby a lactation nurse will help you and explain everything to you if you are having problems producing then you can talk to your doctor and they can give you something to help

totallykatalicious - 579 days ago Rating: 3 (1 votes) Stimulation .... also talk with a lactation consult person and they will work with you, they had one right at the hospital with me and I tried with my son now, but I wasn't making enough mil and I just dried up .. I tried everything... so yeh some can't do it, but if you really want to, then work at it.

Baby3OnWay - 579 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) Make sur eyou are eating healthy, drinking a lot and staying VERY hydrated. I havd to drink non-stop to keep my supply going. Also check out a bf class or speak to a lactation nurse before and after... i had one come to my home ofr free once a week to help me with questions and to watch the baby and catch any problems I was having before they got worse!

Mommyof2boys - 579 days ago Rating: 4 (1 votes) Be consistent and don't give up, you will soon develope a routine and schedule and your baby will thank you one day.

mommy-of-3 - 580 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) Every woman is going to have a different experience with breastfeeding. The best thing you can do for you and your baby is just give it a try and stick to it as long as you can. A lactation consultant should be able to help you with any concerns while you're still in the hospital to get you started on the right path. :)

mcbender3 - 580 days ago Rating: 4 (1 votes) People say the first six weeks aren't the best but i nursed my son for 7 weeks and I had soo much milk then one day i dried up! The best thing to do is to be well hydraded and eat well. My son never really latched on from the beginning because my nipples weren't pertruding out enough for him to grab on to but once he was home from the hospital I just pumped my milk and fed him. The hospital gave me a nipple shield for him to help latch on but that was one big mistake I made. It made my milk supply go down because he wasn't sucking only on my nipple. BUt i hope you DO give breastfeeding a try and keep up with it.. it's the best thing for a baby!

brandi j. - 580 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) It is most important for you to know that the 1st 6 weeks arent't going to be the "beautiful" breastfeeding experience that you are picturing, it is going to be hard work. For some it is hard the entire 6 weeks, but for some it is only hard the 1st few weeks. For my first breastfed child, it was hard the entire 6 weeks, but for the 2 babies since, it has only been hard for the 1st 2-3 weeks. I learned alot along the way, but even w/ that, every baby is different. I only recommend you to pump only to help increase your milk supply, and only if it needs to be increased. I make too much milk, and so I could not pump, b/c it is hard enough for my babies to empty a complete breast to get the hindmilk that is important as well. Also, I gave 2 of my breastfed babies a pacifier, but only after they had been fed, never to take the place of feeding, those 2 babies just had a greater need to be pacified, but I did not give either of them a pacifier until they were older than 4 weeks old and breastfeeding was going well, b/c it CAN cause nipple confusion. Do not give your baby a bottle, only offer the breast, especcially the 1st 6 weeks, same reason as the pacifier. Some will tell you it doesn't cause nipple confusion, and for some babies it doesn't but your baby may be one of the ones it does confuse. My oldest was one of those babies, and I hated that he would not breastfeed afterwards. Also, babies will go through growth spurts, very frequently in the first few months, and your baby will breastfeed around the clock, and you will most likely be tempted to give a bottle, b/c you will not believe that your baby is getting enough, but try not to, b/c the baby is trying to increase your milk supply and if you offer a bottle then your body will not be stimulated to produce more milk. On those days, just relax, keep something to drink and snack on close by, and watch some good movies or read a good book, this will pass in a day or 2, and then your body will be once again producing the exact amount of milk for your baby! If you are not sure that your baby is getting enough to eat, there is a very simple way of knowing, remember what goes in, must come out! Count the diapers, a newborn should have 5-6 wet diapers/day and 3-4 dirty diapers, my babies always have more than this. Here is a good site to read http://www.promom.org/bf_info/enough.htm

brandi j. - 580 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) It is most important for you to know that the 1st 6 weeks arent't going to be the "beautiful" breastfeeding experience that you are picturing, it is going to be hard work. For some it is hard the entire 6 weeks, but for some it is only hard the 1st few weeks. For my first breastfed child, it was hard the entire 6 weeks, but for the 2 babies since, it has only been hard for the 1st 2-3 weeks. I learned alot along the way, but even w/ that, every baby is different. I only recommend you to pump only to help increase your milk supply, and only if it needs to be increased. I make too much milk, and so I could not pump, b/c it is hard enough for my babies to empty a complete breast to get the hindmilk that is important as well. Also, I gave 2 of my breastfed babies a pacifier, but only after they had been fed, never to take the place of feeding, those 2 babies just had a greater need to be pacified, but I did not give either of them a pacifier until they were older than 4 weeks old and breastfeeding was going well, b/c it CAN cause nipple confusion. Do not give your baby a bottle, only offer the breast, especcially the 1st 6 weeks, same reason as the pacifier. Some will tell you it doesn't cause nipple confusion, and for some babies it doesn't but your baby may be one of the ones it does confuse. My oldest was one of those babies, and I hated that he would not breastfeed afterwards. Also, babies will go through growth spurts, very frequently in the first few months, and your baby will breastfeed around the clock, and you will most likely be tempted to give a bottle, b/c you will not believe that your baby is getting enough, but try not to, b/c the baby is trying to increase your milk supply and if you offer a bottle then your body will not be stimulated to produce more milk. On those days, just relax, keep something to drink and snack on close by, and watch some good movies or read a good book, this will pass in a day or 2, and then your body will be once again producing the exact amount of milk for your baby! If you are not sure that your baby is getting enough to eat, there is a very simple way of knowing, remember what goes in, must come out! Count the diapers, a newborn should have 5-6 wet diapers/day and 3-4 dirty diapers, my babies always have more than this. One last thing, buy some lanolin and use it after every feeding, it will help your nipples not to get sore or cracked. Here is a good site to read http://www.promom.org/bf_info/enough.htm

jen - 580 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) What made me feel better when I decided to bf my son (my 1st), is that I told myself in the beginning that I would have problems, but I would overcome them. I knew it was going to be difficult, and it was in the very beginning because my milk didn't come in for the first 4 days, but once it did, and I got past that first week, I was just fine with it. Get it in your head now that it's going to be a chore to begin with, that way when you do do it, and it's not that bad, you won't be as frustrated. Also, I went to a bf class that was offered thru my local hospital, that helped too. And because your nipples will be used more then ever before, start now with "toughening" them up...squeeze, pinch, and pull on them now, and it won't be so bad when your baby does it for a half an hour at a time! Believe me, it helps!

leahs - 580 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) It is harder for some than other, I successfully bf all 3 kids with no problems, my best friend has had nothing but problems, the important thing to remember when you start out is that the first week to ten days is the hardest and that is when most people give up. It is real work and like anything else it takes time and effort but you will be surprised how easily it will all come together and how good you and baby feel. Best of luck.

gr8scottswife - 580 days ago Rating: 4 (1 votes) Drink lots of water. Never feed your baby from a bottle or any thing but your breast at least for the first month. Read. Nearly every website about pregnancy has information about breastfeeding and how to make it successful. Best wishes. What a wise choice!

jay-dee - 580 days ago Rating: 5 (1 votes) Perseverence is the key to ....success!!!! Dont let anyone fool you. Breastfeeding is extremely difficult in the beginning because there is a fear of not enough milk, constant crying and constant feeding. Breastfeeding is draining. BUT if you persevere...i promise you it the best thing you can do for you and your baby. Get LOADS of support from your partner and rest when your baby comes. Pump pump pump. Whatever you can pump...give to baby. Good luck. If its meant to be, it will be.

klasnaya - 580 days ago Rating: 3 (2 votes) You know this lady told me once that your body remmembers how much milk you needed with your first and makes about the same amount with your next babies. My point is its very important to get that first milk out fast! Dont let yourself get too engorged. Having a breastpump is like a life saver. All the milk that comes in dont let it dry out just keep pumping and your body will make enouph. See i was told not to pump body will make enouph for baby...its actualy not always true! The first milk that comes in is the very most important milk to keep pumping out so your body thinks it needs it. I hope i dont confuse you but if you let it dry out then you will have a hard time trying to get your body to build it later. It was hard for me cuz in the beggining i had so much milk and breastfeeding counseler kept telling me that body will keep up with baby and i let baby do it and i never had enouph. And now with second baby when my fist milk came in it wasnt much cuz it remmembered i didnt use much. It sucks thats why women stop breastfeeding cuz there isnt enouph. In other contries they teach women to pump it all out. When baby is done..pump the rest out. And women in other contries usualy dont have problems breasfeeding like we do! Good Luck mama!