Breastfeeding help : What helped you when starting out

Question: What helped you when starting out?

Answers

Determination. Being 110% determined to BF'd my son. I had planned a home birth, and ended up transferring and having a c-section. I was sooooo disappointed, and for me BFing made me feel more in touch with my son, more bonded and just closer to being a mother.

Finding the Le Leche League. Their support group meetings are great. It is awesome to sit in a room with other mothers knowing they are going through the same thing, have been there done that, and know where you are coming from.

Just letting my son take the lead, and nursing him on demand. I didn't worry about how much he was gaining in weight, I just nursed him, and nursed him and nursed him. I trusted in my body to feed him and trusted him to know when he needed to nurse.

Getting comfy on the sofa, especially for those marathon sessions. I was able to watch movies, and just relax, and not watch the clock. I found for the first month, I usually just watched him, staring at his little perfect face.

Remembering there is a light at the end of the BFing tunnel, and it would get easier.

I didn't see FFig as an option I was so committed.

I BF laying on my side because I couldn't sit up after my C-section.

I BF through a yeast infection in my milk ducts!

I BF through mastitis.

I have BF when it hurt so bad I was crying.

But, now I have a fabulous milk supply and a healthy totally boob crazy baby!

I think BFing is like labour - it hurts more than you could ever have imagined, but you survive it!

Preparation: I went to three sessions of breastfeeding classes when I was pregnant, which gave me a good knowledge base to refer to.

Staying in hospital a bit longer after delivery: This allowed me to learn from the midwives and lactation consultants expertise. Just being able to push a button and get someone to help me with my baby's latch or her positioning was invaluable.

Having my mum on the end of the phone: She breastfed all of us but she lives abroad so I was constantly on the phone or webcam to her asking her questions about feeding and getting her reassurance about various niggles I had.

My hubby's pride: He seems so proud that we have come this far, especially when no-one he knows breastfed and he wasn't breastfed. It was all so alien to him and now he revels in telling people that Poppy is breastfed and I can see that he loves it when people come round and I feed her, allowing him to tell them all about it!

My pigheadedness: I have encountered various problems with feeding (all the usual stuff, I suppose) and people have often said the ubiquitous "oh, just give her a bottle!". I have dug my heels in even further each time and it has made me more and more determined to continue.

I just love it now. I find it difficult to ever imagine stopping to be honest. It's great and I'm so glad I have stuck with it! x