Breast Feeding ?

Hello all, I am pregnant with my 4th and last child. I have never breast fed before and I figured this would be my last chance to experience this so I really want to give it a go this time around. I have read everything I could find on the subject but I just wanted some input from actual people who have breast fed. Any advice,tips,techniques,book titles,pros and cons,or personal experiences would be very helpful. Thanks to all in advance

[tomel]

I took a breastfeeding class at the hospital before I delivered my first son. It helped a little I knew kinda what to expect. But once I started actually doing it it was tough. My milk came in just fine, but I still wasnt sure exactly what I was doing and theres always the feeling (is he getting enough) I did consult with the lactation person in the hospital. It took a few weeks but after that I had it down pretty good.
Your boobs will be REALLY sore, but that does go away. You will leak constantly so use the nursing pads.
Sometimes at first alot of women ( I know I felt this way) want to give up cause your in so much pain, but if you hang in there it WILL get easier.
Make sure to get the name and number of a good lactation support person for help. Theres also the Le Leche League which you can find online.

Good Luck

[tomel]

Also dont be afraid to take the baby in bed with you to nurse. Just lay on your side and that way you can both get some sleep.Plus its a really sweet experience.
If you decide you want to pump for some reason the hand held ones suck. Go with an electric. And if you want to get more milk at one time have the baby on one breast while you pump on the other.
You are also going to feel like a dairy cow in the beginning because that is ALL you will do is nurse.  That is another reason I wanted to give up at first. But eventually they dont feed as much.

[nursemaria77]

There is really nothing like breastfeeding your child. It is so rewarding- not only are you giving your baby exactly what he/she  needs to grow- but you are giving him/her immunity to many different things, along with decreasing the chance of allergies- babies who are breastfed also have  higher I.Q.'s than those who are  not breastfed- and the  bond that you have with your baby is amazing. To hold your child to your breast and watch him/her nurse is something I can not describe in words (sorry to sound so corny- but I really feel so strong about it). I breastfed my 1st child for 15months, my second for 18months- and I just had my 3rd baby 8 days ago and will nurse as long as I possibly can. I remember when I was around 6months pregnant dreaming about the day I can hold my baby in my arms and nurse him for the first time- I just couldn't wait to experience that. Anyway- there is a website- LaLeche League.com I believe - it is wonderful- there is so  much info on there-  plus you can get numbers of people who are local for you who you can call anytime for breastfeeding support- it is a great organization. Good Luck to you- if you have any questions you can email me at ***@****- I hope you give it a chance I think you'll also find it to be rewarding!!!

[ShamansMommy]

Read The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. Just trust your body, enjoy ur baby, and allow urself room for mistakes. Know that some days u will want to throw up ur hands n quit, but hang in there, it gets easier. It hasnt really been that tuff for me at all, actually. Read as much as possible, knowledge is power. Good Luck =)

[shaneswife7299]

Some more questions for you all. Any info about pumping would be great, and also can you pump exclusively? How about breast feeding in front of the older children, is this akward, especially if they know nothing of breast feeding? Sorry if these questions are silly or ignorant but like I said I am trying to soak up all the info I can no matter how big or small. Thanks to all who responded the info was great!

[Mozartcowgirl]

just wanted to say that i agree with nurse maria..lol.. breastfeeding is a wondrous.. and  amazing thing. i dealt with thrush.. and painful bleeding nipples in the begining.. i stuck it out.. and have to say that its awesome.. well worth the pain.. and  now.. sometimes when i am feeding zane.. he will look up at me.. and grin.. its a wonderful bonding time..

[tomel]

You probably could pump exclusively, but nothing can get the milk out like your baby. If you want to pump so you can give the baby a bottle once in a while pump while your nursing the baby. The best part of breast feeding is the bonding you have with the baby. There really is nothing like it. I cried for days after I stopped nursing.

As far as older children Im not sure how to explain that. Someone else who has them might wanna chime in.
I know my son is at an age where I can tell him stuff about the body and he is wont be "creeped" out by it casue he's till little.

[AndiJ78]

I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old and they both are used to nursing. They were both breastfed for 14 and 15 months, respectively. When I brought my second home, my first would sit with me while I nursed and got used to seeing it. When I brought my third home, my older boys were curious (my oldest still vaguelu remembered me nursing Tristan) and they both have asked lots of questions but see it as the way it was meant to be. In fact, they are more likely to look at a baby with abottle as the odd one out than a nursing mom and baby. They don't understand why all mom's don't nurse.

On a funny note, my 3 year old has asked time and time again to nurse CJ and apparently the other day my 5 year old tried to nurse my 3 year old. Again, they see nursing as completely natural and normal and bottle feeding as strange. BTW, all three of my kids are boys, my youngest is 8 months as of yesterday.

[Agiesmom]

Wanted to add that my 11 yo son wasn't the least bit fazed by my nursing.  Then again, he has seen my friends nurse (they aren't overly obvious, but they're pretty open about it--don't make a big deal about it).  It's a natural beautiful thing and I think your kids will follow your lead.  If you are open and comfortable with it, they will be too.  If you are uptight and embarrassed, they'll think it's something to be uptight and embarrassed about.

[Liza55]

I'd say keep in mind breastfeeding is more of your gift to your baby. It is the healthiest and most helpful thing you can give your baby. I stuck w/ it for over 6 mos., but honestly didn't care for it. It hurt so bad, despite lactation consultants swearing the latch/ position, etc. looked perfect. Some women would say how bonding it was. I didn't find that. I loved sleeping w/ my baby more. What got me thru it was knowing it was best for baby. You should absolutely try it and try to stay commited thru month 3 (and those first few weeks are hard). But don't be disappointed if you aren't one of those who just looooove it. If you do, great! Also join a support group, they offer advice for each week as well as fun ladies to talk to!  

[anxiousmomtobe?]

First of all, don't be worried about older kids being creeped out by your nursing.  That's what breasts are for.  I know men think they are there for them to play with, but they are wrong.  Nursing is a natural, loving thing and you are setting a powerful role model for the next generation.  I usually put a blankie over my baby while nursing, but I wasn't anal about it.  They see more boobs on the beach than they ever will due to nursing.

Pumping is okay, but it does not give your baby the skin to skin contact that they love so much.

Call LaLeche League.  Be prepared for the first few weeks to be a huge challenge.  Rally support among your friends who nursed.

[Agiesmom]

What Mozartcowgirl said.  My 4 month old daughter and I have had thrush and I had an engorgement issue...and with my now 11 year old, he didn't latch on for several days (I didn't know he wasn't latched on)--I had bleeding, cracked nipples and he was becoming dehydrated when my pediatrician told me to pump and use a medicine dropper until I could get to La Leche League meeting later that day--LLL helped us.

Don't give up--give it at least a few weeks.  Once you get it, it's amazing.  And those loving eyes looking up at you and the milk running down their little cheek when they pull away and smile.  Melts your heart.

With my daughter, I had a lactation consultant at the hospital visit daily and she was really helpful.  But I'd call LLL to get the name and number of someone who can help you if you need help.

[simone24]

i stopped nursing my 2 month old son for 2 weeks because i had a hard time nursing him. now i want to try and nurse him again is it to late. im also concern that my milk might have dried up and if so what can i do about it.

[simone24]

I have a 2 month old son that I have breastfed for six weeks. But decided to stop 2 weeks ago because he cried every time I tried to put him on the breast.I want to give it one more try but because I didnt breastfed for 2 weeks I think my milk already dried up.Do you have any advice on how I can start breastfeeding again.

[April2]

I didn't breastfeed until my third child was born. I wish I would have done it with my first two. I did have a little trouble to begin with. I would get engorged and my baby acted hungry all the time and cried. I finally called a lactation expert to come over and watch us nurse and offer tips. She really helped and reassured me. After awhile we got the hang of it and actually enjoyed it. And it was so convenient! No sterilizing bottles or midnight heating up bottles. I could just pick him up from the bassinet near the bed and nurse him right there in bed with me without really getting up!
I took him to a Christian Womens conference too one weekend when he was about 3 months old. It was so nice to not have to worry about keeping bottles cold or warm them up. I just brought a blanket to throw over my shoulder when I was nursing him. No one cared because it was all women and they did say nursing mothers and babies were welcome. No one even paid any attention to us when I would have to nurse him. I learned to be fairly discreet about it all. I even tried it a few times in public with a blanket thrown over my shoulder. Who wants to sit on a toilet seat to nurse? Ugh! That was my only pet peeve is that there aren't near enough bathrooms equiped with a nice place to sit to nurse. You know what I mean? But I really enjoyed it. It is such a bonding experience with your baby. It was great! I loved it. I just wish I could have done it longer but I wound up having health issues and had to quit when I had surgery.
I definately recommend it. It's the best for the baby. It's convenient and oh so much cheaper than formula! I think it's worth giving it a shot. Best wishes to you and your new baby!

[April2]

That happened to me too. There's some pills your doctor can give you to help the milk flow going again. They gave me some, I just don't remember the name of it. It's tricky and hard to get it going again. You just have to really nurse a lot and/or pump to get it going again. It can happen though if you work at it. Don't give up yet! Ask your doctor for help. Best wishes.