10 tips to prepare for breastfeeding
May 26, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Women's Health
If you plan on breast feeding your baby or aren’t sure if you might, preparation is one of the keys to a successful breast feeding relationship. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always come easy to all women, so it’s important for those who plan on breast feeding get the support they need.
Angela, a fellow b5Media blogger, has a blog called Breastfeeding 1-2-3, where she and her readers give this support. Today on her blog is a Breastfeeding blog carnival.* The theme of the carnival is Breastfeeding Basics: Ten Tips on How a Pregnant Woman Can Prepare for Breastfeeding. There are some great tips that I wish I’d known about.
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*For those of you who don’t know what blog carnivals are (I didn’t until a few months ago), they’re a group of blog postings from various blogs across the world that all are on the same topic. One blog hosts the carnival and gathers the URLs of the blog posts to have them in a central location.
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My fiancee is a microbiologist/immunologist, so he would prefer if I breastfeed as LONG as possible. I’m hoping to stretch it a year. I’ve heard a lot of stories though about how hard it can be. I also hear fathers who feel left out from not having that bonding time with their child. I’m hoping I can use a pump so DF can be involved too. I’m nervous about breastfeeding, and I hope I can do it! I had a friend constantly complaining about sore cracked nipples and that does NOT sound like fun!
Hi RP -
If there is one thing I could tell you when thinking about breast feeding is to NOT stress over it. Most women breast feed without a problem and if you’re nervous about it, that is what could cause a problem. Think of it as something as natural as eating or drinking yourself. You may need a little coaching when you’re small to get that spoon straight into your mouth – but there’s nothing to get stressed about.
I nursed all three children and had no problems at all. I did have mastitis (infection) with my second and although it hurt, we got through it. I think I may have had cracked nipples with her too – but, most of the time it’s manageable. DO NOT listen to horror stories.
As for fathers who feel left out – there are so many other things they can do for the baby – feeding is just one part of your life with your child.
Good luck!
i adore the bond that breast feeding has given my daughter and me. the nipple soreness only lasted a couple of weeks in the beginning. I wish people had told me that the baby doesn’t just automatically just latch om and gulp it up. They seem to hardly eat at first and struggle with finding the nipple. that’s actually normal. they’ll learn.
Mary, you’re right. We’re told that they’ll latch on instinctively and not to worry about it. I found that, while they latch on, it may not be properly and they need to be taught to do so properly. Or else you just both end up being frustrated.