What breastfeeding preparation is actually worth doing before the baby arrives?

[Anonymous]

I am expecting in a few weeks and have limited time to prepare on the breastfeeding front. I took a beginner's class at the Breastfeeding Center and have done some very general reading. Is there anything else out there that's worth doing BEFORE the baby comes (i.e., attend other classes, read certain books)? It seems like educating myself may be of diminishing returns because you have to see how things go once the baby arrives. But, let me know if I'm wrong and there's stuff that I can do beforehand that's helpful.

[Anonymous]

IMO, all of this pre-prep (including the childbirth classes) goes right out the window when the time comes. You have no idea what any of this will be like before you actually do it. Don't worry now about the breastfeeding... they teach you everything you need to know in the hospital.

[Anonymous]

for me my friends who breastfed were the most helpful when I had problems. Just knowing who I could call with bizzare questions was very helpful. Put together a call list before you go into labor.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the prior posters. Breastfeeding is not natural for most of us, so be prepared for some frustration... That being said, I thought that the La Leche League book, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, was good. It is long, but covers EVERYTHING! It certainly prepared me for some more unusual situations, like mastitis, etc. A very good reference book and if you read the first part of it, it is good preparation.

Also good to have a lactation consultant lined up. I did not end up calling one, but I was very close... if I had had a recommendation handy (or had known about this site back then), I would have called one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMO, all of this pre-prep (including the childbirth classes) goes right out the window when the time comes. You have no idea what any of this will be like before you actually do it. Don't worry now about the breastfeeding... they teach you everything you need to know in the hospital.

Don't count on it.

I took a BF class before my son and it was the best money spent. It gave me a background and some ideas of what to do with him. Some Lactation Consultants are either MIA or not very helpful in the hospital. IF you can at least read about some of the holds and latch you'll be better off when you want to try.

GL!

[Anonymous]

The best thing you can do is promise yourself to keep your self esteem out of it and to seek help if you need it.

You will probably have some trouble at first, and you will probably work it out. You may need help from a lactation consultant. If you are frustrated enough to cry, call a consultant. If that consultant isn't helpful, call a different one. Or, call a friend who has nursed successfully and have her help you latch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for me my friends who breastfed were the most helpful when I had problems. Just knowing who I could call with bizzare questions was very helpful. Put together a call list before you go into labor.

I completely agree. Know you can ask (friends, LCs, relatives) and be prepared to do so.

[Anonymous]

I think the more information you have before hand, the better. I did a class at Sibley, a class at The Breastfeeding Center, read a few books, had DH attend the hospital class w/ me, talked to friends and family, and investigated LLL. I think all of that material taught me 2 very important lessons: It WILL be hard (at some point along the way) and I CAN do this (no matter how tough if is). For me having the information ready made it very easy for me to call the LC into my hospital room and later use The Breastfeeding Center when we were having serious trouble. Knowing that bfing can take 6 weeks or more to get the groove together is key.

[Anonymous]

THEY DO NOT TEACH YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN THE HOSPITAL!!!
they often send you home with a baby that is losing weight and free formula samples.

There is an answer and it is the only answer you need: PAT SHELLY - of the Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington
She is one of the world's most seasoned lactation consultant and saves thousands of women a year from abandoning nursing because
they haven't had the right help prior to seeing her are now are on the verge of a breakdown. When nursing isn't working it is very emotional. Your post partum
hormones make the pregnancy hormones look like a birthday party-- call PAT SHELLY---and take a prenatal class at the center (free I think)
and familiarize yourself with the place. Pat is the warmest, most caring, most knowledgeable person you could ever meet. She saved me from the verge of
giving up nursing, then I went on to nurse for 2 years.

Even if you aren't having a specific issue, have a consult with her early after the baby is born and make sure you are on track. If you have pain, the baby is losing weight,
or any flags like that, obviously call sooner than later. REMEMBER THIS NAME: PAT SHELLY

[Anonymous]

the thing that helped me was to have my mom encourage me to seek help at the breastfeeding center. she actually got on the phone and made the apointment for me.

the other thing to know is that breastpumps are A LOT cheaper from internet retailers (often work at home moms) than at the baby stores. I didn't know it and bought one at BRU for $100 too much. I had my pump from the beginning and it was very helpful as my milk came in but I presume a hand pump would work just as well.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PP's about having one or more people in mind to call when the going gets tough. I also read "The Nursing Mother's Companion," which I found very helpful, particularly in terms of explaining different nursing positions. Hands down, though, my top tips are these: (1) set a short goal in your head -- I started with two weeks of BF -- and when you meet that, set another short goal; (2) figure out ow to use the pump, and sterilize all the parts before you have the baby; and (3) have a couple of hydrogel pads (also called soothies or coolies) in your hospital bag -- they feel so good after your little angel finishes gnawing you up. Best of luck to you -- BF is hard and really intense at first, but it truly does get soooo easy once you and the baby get the hang of it.

[Anonymous]

1. Be aware that breastfeeding is a 24/7 job for about the first three months. So, lower your expectations for anything else you might imagine getting done (including cooking, showering, etc.). Let (make) other people help you with food preparation and housecleaning, etc.

2. Have the name and number of a highly-recommended lactation consultant on hand and plan to call the LC to come over for a home visit during your first week back home.

3. Know that, for many, many, many women and their infants - breastfeeding is not an intuitive process that just automatically works - it is rather a learned skill. We used to grow up watching women nurse and have babies within communities of women who could help support us early on. Now, we have lactation consultants and, hopefully, knowledgeable friends.

4. Invest in a Mybreastfriend nursing pillow and make sure you have a comfortable station set up for nursing (somewhere out of the hustle and bustle, with a table for your bottle of water, a lamp, etc.).

GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO, all of this pre-prep (including the childbirth classes) goes right out the window when the time comes. You have no idea what any of this will be like before you actually do it. Don't worry now about the breastfeeding... they teach you everything you need to know in the hospital.

Don't count on it.

I took a BF class before my son and it was the best money spent. It gave me a background and some ideas of what to do with him. Some Lactation Consultants are either MIA or not very helpful in the hospital. IF you can at least read about some of the holds and latch you'll be better off when you want to try.

GL!

I absolutely agree. Taking a class beforehand (which you've already done, OP) was hugely helpful to me. When the baby came, I knew what to look for in terms of latch, positioning, etc., and so could make the best use of my limited time with the LC in the hospital. And, frankly, she wasn't an enormous amount of help, so I was even more glad that I had taken the class. I was also glad my husband had attended with me; I think it made him much more attuned to the breastfeeding process. He was really helpful.

One class, and I bought a book to use as a reference. That was it, but it made all the difference.

Also, I'm now breastfeeding my second child, and both times it's been much, much easier than I ever expected it to be. Yes, it kind of takes over your life for a few months, but beyond that I've found it to be such an easy way to feed my kids. Many people do have problems, but don't assume that you will. You might end up pleasantly surprised, as I was. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

everyone has given you really great ideas another thing to be successful is don't let the hospital give your baby any other nipple. Let yours be the only nipple the baby experiences so he or sh won't develop nipple confusion or preference.
Also after you deliver try to put the baby to your nipple every 45 minuts or so to encourage the learning process but also to signal your body for milk production.

[Anonymous]

I can think of one additional suggestion that was very helpful for me. If you have a pump at home, figure out the basics of how to use it and clean/sterilize the parts that come into contact with the milk. I needed to pump fairly early to relieve the engorgement (others need to pump to get the milk supply up). If you end up needing to pump early on, it's easier if you've got the pump ready to go and at least have a basic understanding of how it works. I was in serious pain because of the engorgement, and was dealing with post-partum emotions, so I wasn't in the best place to learn how the pump worked or have the time to sterilize the necessary parts.