Aa
Breastfeeding Anxiety!! Help
So im 15weeks and 2days pregnant with my first baby. I really want to breastfeed always have and in fact im pretty determined. However I've been feeling sort of discouraged lately. I've been seeing alot of post about how hard it is and how painful it is. Then I get these irrational thoughts like what if I can't produce milk or enough? Then I started researching pumps and realized im totally lost, theres so many options manual electric and all the different brands and accessories. I have no idea what I need or what to buy? What works best? The bottle / formula seems so easy but I've do whats best foyr my baby and I really want to breastfeed. Any help ,advice, tips, experiences are greatly appreciated....please help
Don't get frustrated before you've even tried. It is tough the first 2 weeks but then so much easier once you master latching. Here are my tips I always post:
I breast fed my first dd for 2 years and have experienced many of the pitfalls. As soon as my dd was born they placed her on my chest and she latched on right away. At first the feeding went very well. But then my milk began to come in the day I was discharged. My breasts became two large hard boulders overnight! I looked like Dolly Parton with the worst boob job in history.
The engorgement from my milk coming in made them hot and hard. Every time I went to nurse my dd the milk would squirt out like a fire hydrant and she would get milk all over her. I was leaking literally 24/7 and I thought it would never end. Because they were so full and hard it made latching so difficult. My nipples just seemed so large for her tiny mouth. In those early days the only way she would open wide enough was when she was crying. And thanks to the latching difficulty my nipples were getting so much abuse. Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt and you should re-latch if it hurts after the first 20 seconds. I was re-latching several times every session and I’m sure that is what helped save my nipples in the long run. Also expressing a little by hand before feeding (just to make the boob pliable) made latching a lot easier since I could compress my areola better than when they were hard and full of milk. Thankfully as the books promised the engorgement only lasted a max of 2-3 days and latching gradually got easier as my milk supply evened out.
Breast feeding and uterine contractions: You will experience uterine contractions while breast feeding for the first week or so, they will start out strong and get weaker with each feed as your uterus slowly shrinks back down to its original size. This is obviously ideal as it will help you return to your pre pregnancy size sooner and also reduces post partum bleeding. Some ibuprofen is a good way to ease the pain.
My best latching tips are to try many different positions but always bring baby to your breast and not the other way around. You should never be hunched over baby. Instead use pillows to support your baby in the position. In order to latch well I used the "hamburger" method. Basically squeeze your areola and nipple together and begin by inserting the bottom areola first, then the nipple, and finally the top areola. It takes lots of practice to get good at doing this quickly. Eventually you won't need to do this when baby gets big enough and learns how to latch on their own. It's easier for them when their mouths get bigger.
Using vitamin e oil and Lansinoh’s Soothies breast pads also helped to save my nipples. I tried lanolin cream too but didn't like it as much. I also had plastic nipple cups to put in my bra to keep the fabric off my sensitive nipples. I rubbed breast milk on my nipples after every feed and let them air dry for at least a few minutes. The breast milk trick is probably the best one of all of these. There are antibacterial properties in breast milk which aid the healing process and also lower your chances of getting an infection like thrush or mastitis. You should never wash your nipples with soap. Washing with water when you normally shower is all that is necessary. Washing your nipples after every feed is not recommended either as it can damage your nipples and wash away the natural substances excreted by the glands on the nipple which keep them clean and moist (this is why soap is especially bad).
A quick note on supplementation. Supplementation is fine but not until after your milk supply is established. If you supplement before that time your body will not know how much milk to make for your baby and this can sabotage your breast feeding ability. This is because breast feeding is a supply and demand system. The more your baby demands, the more your body will produce.
It's hard for ftm's to know if their baby is getting enough from the breast. Here are the main signs to look for; 4-6 wet diapers a day (starting from the 4th day of breast feeding), baby is nursing frequently (8-12+ times in 24 hours), hearing baby swallowing while nursing, baby is allowed to nurse as long as they want from one breast (this is especially important so the baby can get the rich fatty hindmilk - let baby nurse until they "pop" off on their own. This can be anywhere from 20-45 mins during a growth spurt), baby is gaining weight.
Quick note on which breast to use. What worked for me was 1 breast per feeding (alternating each breast at each feed) unless my dd was going through a growth spurt and then I would offer the 2nd breast and start with that same breast at the next feeding. This allows maximum hind milk. Also, it is normal for one breast to produce more than another. For me, it was my left breast. This didn't change the way I fed my dd though. And yes, you might look slightly lopsided but it won't stay that way. ;)
Bottle feeding too early can also interfere with breast feeding because it can make your baby a lazy nurser since breast feeding requires more work to get milk out than bottle feeding. Yes, there are bottles on the market that claim to work more like breast feeding. However, it's not true. There are no bottles like breast feeding. Its the special tongue movement on the nipple that can't be duplicated with a bottle. A good rule of thumb is not to introduce a bottle until after the 3 week mark. Of course, there are some babies that don't have a problem going between breast and bottle from day 1. But you never know what you will get so IMO it's better to wait the 3 weeks until bf is established so you don't have any possibility of sabotaging your breast feeding ability.
The more you have baby at your breast the better for your supply.
Growth spurts: your baby will nurse even more frequently and for longer (and can be irritable) while going through a growth spurt. In my experience this can last anywhere from 3-7 days. It can make you feel like baby isn't getting enough when they suddenly want to nurse more but this is actually a good thing. It's natures way of increasing your milk supply to accommodate your growing baby. The typical growth spurts are 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (there are some after that but less frequent). The best thing you can do is nurse nurse nurse during a growth spurt!
I’d say breastfeeding for me significantly improved after 2 weeks and then became completely second nature around 2 months. I really fell in love with breast feeding so I wanted to share my experience to help other moms be successful breast feeders too.
I breast fed my first dd for 2 years and have experienced many of the pitfalls. As soon as my dd was born they placed her on my chest and she latched on right away. At first the feeding went very well. But then my milk began to come in the day I was discharged. My breasts became two large hard boulders overnight! I looked like Dolly Parton with the worst boob job in history.
The engorgement from my milk coming in made them hot and hard. Every time I went to nurse my dd the milk would squirt out like a fire hydrant and she would get milk all over her. I was leaking literally 24/7 and I thought it would never end. Because they were so full and hard it made latching so difficult. My nipples just seemed so large for her tiny mouth. In those early days the only way she would open wide enough was when she was crying. And thanks to the latching difficulty my nipples were getting so much abuse. Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt and you should re-latch if it hurts after the first 20 seconds. I was re-latching several times every session and I’m sure that is what helped save my nipples in the long run. Also expressing a little by hand before feeding (just to make the boob pliable) made latching a lot easier since I could compress my areola better than when they were hard and full of milk. Thankfully as the books promised the engorgement only lasted a max of 2-3 days and latching gradually got easier as my milk supply evened out.
Breast feeding and uterine contractions: You will experience uterine contractions while breast feeding for the first week or so, they will start out strong and get weaker with each feed as your uterus slowly shrinks back down to its original size. This is obviously ideal as it will help you return to your pre pregnancy size sooner and also reduces post partum bleeding. Some ibuprofen is a good way to ease the pain.
My best latching tips are to try many different positions but always bring baby to your breast and not the other way around. You should never be hunched over baby. Instead use pillows to support your baby in the position. In order to latch well I used the "hamburger" method. Basically squeeze your areola and nipple together and begin by inserting the bottom areola first, then the nipple, and finally the top areola. It takes lots of practice to get good at doing this quickly. Eventually you won't need to do this when baby gets big enough and learns how to latch on their own. It's easier for them when their mouths get bigger.
Using vitamin e oil and Lansinoh’s Soothies breast pads also helped to save my nipples. I tried lanolin cream too but didn't like it as much. I also had plastic nipple cups to put in my bra to keep the fabric off my sensitive nipples. I rubbed breast milk on my nipples after every feed and let them air dry for at least a few minutes. The breast milk trick is probably the best one of all of these. There are antibacterial properties in breast milk which aid the healing process and also lower your chances of getting an infection like thrush or mastitis. You should never wash your nipples with soap. Washing with water when you normally shower is all that is necessary. Washing your nipples after every feed is not recommended either as it can damage your nipples and wash away the natural substances excreted by the glands on the nipple which keep them clean and moist (this is why soap is especially bad).
A quick note on supplementation. Supplementation is fine but not until after your milk supply is established. If you supplement before that time your body will not know how much milk to make for your baby and this can sabotage your breast feeding ability. This is because breast feeding is a supply and demand system. The more your baby demands, the more your body will produce.
It's hard for ftm's to know if their baby is getting enough from the breast. Here are the main signs to look for; 4-6 wet diapers a day (starting from the 4th day of breast feeding), baby is nursing frequently (8-12+ times in 24 hours), hearing baby swallowing while nursing, baby is allowed to nurse as long as they want from one breast (this is especially important so the baby can get the rich fatty hindmilk - let baby nurse until they "pop" off on their own. This can be anywhere from 20-45 mins during a growth spurt), baby is gaining weight.
Quick note on which breast to use. What worked for me was 1 breast per feeding (alternating each breast at each feed) unless my dd was going through a growth spurt and then I would offer the 2nd breast and start with that same breast at the next feeding. This allows maximum hind milk. Also, it is normal for one breast to produce more than another. For me, it was my left breast. This didn't change the way I fed my dd though. And yes, you might look slightly lopsided but it won't stay that way. ;)
Bottle feeding too early can also interfere with breast feeding because it can make your baby a lazy nurser since breast feeding requires more work to get milk out than bottle feeding. Yes, there are bottles on the market that claim to work more like breast feeding. However, it's not true. There are no bottles like breast feeding. Its the special tongue movement on the nipple that can't be duplicated with a bottle. A good rule of thumb is not to introduce a bottle until after the 3 week mark. Of course, there are some babies that don't have a problem going between breast and bottle from day 1. But you never know what you will get so IMO it's better to wait the 3 weeks until bf is established so you don't have any possibility of sabotaging your breast feeding ability.
The more you have baby at your breast the better for your supply.
Growth spurts: your baby will nurse even more frequently and for longer (and can be irritable) while going through a growth spurt. In my experience this can last anywhere from 3-7 days. It can make you feel like baby isn't getting enough when they suddenly want to nurse more but this is actually a good thing. It's natures way of increasing your milk supply to accommodate your growing baby. The typical growth spurts are 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (there are some after that but less frequent). The best thing you can do is nurse nurse nurse during a growth spurt!
I’d say breastfeeding for me significantly improved after 2 weeks and then became completely second nature around 2 months. I really fell in love with breast feeding so I wanted to share my experience to help other moms be successful breast feeders too.
and athlete's foot cream. apply to your nipples at the first sign of thrush. I did and by the time I got to my doctor after the weekend it was gone and didn't transfer to my son either!
Buy you some lanolin cream it works wonders on sore cracked nipples. This will be my 4th breastfed baby and that is always one of the first things I buy. They sell it everywhere I got mine at Walmart.
in my personal experience, ameda is much better than medela (I own top of the line machines from both companies). just research both the medela pump in style and ameda purely yours to decide for yourself. I'm like you and have had to go to work (my second was only nine days off work) and you'll want to shell out the money for the best. both are around $300. make sure you get a closed system because if your workplace is like mine, I didn't have the time or space to clean the pump until I got home. if you get an open system and milk gets in the tubes you will probably end up having to buy more. the ameda is closed. medela was open but I think I heard that their new pump in style is closed.
It does seem overwhelming when you look at all the info, and I'm not going to tell you that its easy, but it is natural. Your body was made for it. The first couple weeks are the hardest, but then its over. I highly highly recommend the book The Womanly Art or Breastfeeding. Its comprehensive, but simple to understand. Definitely look up a lactation consultant and classes. When baby gets here just take it one day, one feeding at a time, and get help if you need to. Its so worth it!
@mrs.farris thanks alot that information was really helpful. Especially the pump recommendation. Going back to work is really concerning me but I have to. Thanks again for the tips .
Ask the lactation consultant in the hospital to walk you through latching. Have Your husband Or S.O. record her instructions. If you're going back to work you will need a double electric pump. Medela has a better motor than ameda. If you're on wic, then they provide pumps. Your insurance also covers them. You will want to start pumping immediately if you only have six weeks, this will increase your supply and create a store of milk to feed baby while you are working. When you go back to work, make sure you pump on your breaks and lunch, your employer has to provide a place other than a bathroom.
You may notice a drop in your supply. To counter it, exclusively nurse whenever you and baby are together.
You may notice a drop in your supply. To counter it, exclusively nurse whenever you and baby are together.
If your baby latches on correctly it doesn't hurt. You can always try the nipple guards if your worried. I had a breast reduction when I was 20 so I got to BF a little with my son. I can't produce enough on my own so I had to also feed him formula as well. So don't feel bad the hospital has someone there to help you out.
Thanks again ladies. Really appreciate it. I feel better now. I really hope I can do this im gonna try my hardest.
Ask for a lactation consultant I had one at the hospital right after I had my first she was the best she sat with me talked me through everything until me and baby were comfortable with the whole thing I got to breastfeed him for a whole year I'm hoping to do the same with this one...also some insurance companies actually provide breast pumps but they won't tell you you have to ask
i breastfed my first son. the only thing i really needed was those little pads that make sure your shirt doesnt get wet when your breasts leak milk. it does hurt at first, for me it was like the first two or three days. but my nipple got used to it and after that it was nothin'. i didnt use any pumps because my son was with me all the time. so i guess what i want to say is dont stress. if you're planning on having baby with you all the time then you dont really need a pump. and if you're embarrassed about perverted men staring at you while you breastfeed in public then you can cover up with a small blanket or towel.
I was told that using a loofa or rough washcloth on your nipples now, when you shower, can help toughen them up ahead of time.
There's also a breastfeeding community
Www. Kellymom. Com sorry forgot this app doesn't let you type websites
It's really not that complicated and I never was really in any pain from breastfeeding. It depends on the latch and the sensitivity of the woman. I breastfed my first son and now my second son and he's going on 5 months. Www.************ is a GREAT resource. I would begin reading now to calm your fears. Good luck!!!
Just wait until you can try it out. My friend loves it. says it was painful at first but she has been doing it for almost 2 years with 2 kids.
I want to. I haven't read much on it bc I don't want to be stressed out. I'm just gonna give it a try for as long as I can
I want to. I haven't read much on it bc I don't want to be stressed out. I'm just gonna give it a try for as long as I can
@countryboysangel. Thanks I had no idea wic offered that service. I will most definitely be contacting them. @ mrsonens thanx and I will be needing a good pump because my maternity leave is 6weeks and then I'll be at work and away from baby at least 8 hours a day.
Best advice I can give....contact your local Wic office. They have a lactation consultant that can explain everything, show you videos, and help with any problems you have. Mine has been invaluable!!!!!
Also (copies it from my Facebook lol)..
Haha stop googling!!!!!! Right mastitis is only a problem if u don't drain your boon properly. Baby will naturally drain the boob this only happens if you keep changing boobs during each feed. Your supposed to use one boob at each feed and alternate your boobs. So one feed from left side and next feed from right side. Use a piece of ribbon to tie onto ur bra strap to remind you which one u used last. You feed on on demand so whenever baby is hungry, this is important to establish good milk supply. It's amazing ur boobs know exactly the amount to produce and when.Emily averaged a feed about every 4 hours but sometimes I'd put her on to give me some relief if a boob feels a bit full. They recommend you don't express for a couple of weeks because it can confuse ur milk supply eg. Make too much milk. Expressing is eAsy enough, u put the pump on and the pump lol! It doesn't look very elegant but meh! U wud only need to express if someone else is looking after baby or something, it's not something u do much. X
Haha stop googling!!!!!! Right mastitis is only a problem if u don't drain your boon properly. Baby will naturally drain the boob this only happens if you keep changing boobs during each feed. Your supposed to use one boob at each feed and alternate your boobs. So one feed from left side and next feed from right side. Use a piece of ribbon to tie onto ur bra strap to remind you which one u used last. You feed on on demand so whenever baby is hungry, this is important to establish good milk supply. It's amazing ur boobs know exactly the amount to produce and when.Emily averaged a feed about every 4 hours but sometimes I'd put her on to give me some relief if a boob feels a bit full. They recommend you don't express for a couple of weeks because it can confuse ur milk supply eg. Make too much milk. Expressing is eAsy enough, u put the pump on and the pump lol! It doesn't look very elegant but meh! U wud only need to express if someone else is looking after baby or something, it's not something u do much. X
I felt the same way, everything on Google was jus giving me a huge head ache so I asked my SIL this is what she said, I hope it helps ...
Right breast feeding...it's really not as complicated as people make out. You'll need a couple of good nursing bras but there's no point buying them until your at least 37 weeks and then I think u measure yourself and buy them one cup size bigger than you measure cos they grow when your milk comes in. Other than that you just need a load of breast pads because you'll be leaky for a few weeks. No special brand or anything but I liked the tesco ones or tommee tippee but they were more expensive. It's easy enough to do but I'll show u how to position and the midwives will help too. Does it hurt? Well yeah to start with. It takes about 48 hrs for your nips to toughen up to the constant sucking but then the more baby feeds the quicker that happens. You'll find you will have much stronger afterpains this time coz he womb will find it harder to shrink after delivering...breast feeding helps with this...it's a hormone thing. Once it nips have toughen up it doesn't hurt at all actually it's quite nice! It's like a gentle tickly massage feeling, I enjoyed it it's really relaxing lol. X
Right breast feeding...it's really not as complicated as people make out. You'll need a couple of good nursing bras but there's no point buying them until your at least 37 weeks and then I think u measure yourself and buy them one cup size bigger than you measure cos they grow when your milk comes in. Other than that you just need a load of breast pads because you'll be leaky for a few weeks. No special brand or anything but I liked the tesco ones or tommee tippee but they were more expensive. It's easy enough to do but I'll show u how to position and the midwives will help too. Does it hurt? Well yeah to start with. It takes about 48 hrs for your nips to toughen up to the constant sucking but then the more baby feeds the quicker that happens. You'll find you will have much stronger afterpains this time coz he womb will find it harder to shrink after delivering...breast feeding helps with this...it's a hormone thing. Once it nips have toughen up it doesn't hurt at all actually it's quite nice! It's like a gentle tickly massage feeling, I enjoyed it it's really relaxing lol. X
Bump
I feel the same way! I tried to breast feed my daughter.and she didn't.do.good at all. I hope with this baby.will be easier
You are reading content posted in the Pregnancy: Ages 25-34 Community
Get information and tips on how to help you choose the right place to deliver your baby.
Get the facts on how twins and multiples are formed and your chance of carrying more than one baby at a time.
Learn about the risks and benefits of circumcision.
What to expect during the first hours after delivery.
Learn about early screening and test options for your pregnancy.
Learn about testing and treatment for GBS bacterium.
