Breastfeeding... where to start?

Question

So I know there is a ton of info out there on breastfeeding but where to start? Does anyone have any resources or books they highly recommend on breastfeeding? I'm a nurse but I'm also a first time mom so I wanted to educate myself on breastfeeding info. Any tips or tricks that really helped you as a first time mom with breastfeeding? I'd love to hear what everyone recommends!

Answer

Lactation consultants are like gods gift to breasts! 15 minutes with mine and I learned so, so much! If there is a class in your area, take it!

As far as reading, "The Womanly Art of Breadtfeeding" is a recommended one.

Answer

La Leche League has a lot of great info on their site. Thankfully I didn't have any difficulties with latching with my first two, but I did have oversupply and engorgement issues that resulted in mastitis with the first one. Their info and consulting a lactation specialist with the first kiddo was extremely helpful in learning to manage the situation.

With breastfeeding, the truth is you can read all you want, but every baby is different and nothing beats the experience of a lactation consultant. Most hospitals have one on staff and available for new mamas. I highly recommend you take advantage of them to make sure baby's got a good latch and that everything looks good before you go home.😊

Answer

I second kellymom.com

Answer

A lactation consultant. Your Hospital or OB probably has one.

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My hospital provided a free breast feeding class which was SO helpful. I'd look into that 😀

Answer

I don't have any reading material for you but from experience two things that helped me. To get a better latch I would place my thumb on his chin to help open his mouth wider and would let go once he latched on.  A smaller latch is more painful in my opinion. Also to get him off I would just slide my finger into the side of his mouth and pull back. Made the mistake of just pulling away and he bit down so hard I thought my nipple was gonna come clean off. I'd rather he bite my finger. Haha. Good luck and congrats on the baby

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I joined breastfeeding groups on mom boards and Facebook and read the problems people were having and suggestions other members had for them. I realized a lot of problems I didn't know could come up and felt better prepared for them

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Thank you so much everyone for all the great suggestions!!

Answer

Kellymom.com had a lot of good info and usually easy to find what you're looking for. I used it as a reference a lot, especially on my phone late at night while nursing.

Answer

What to Expect the First Year spends a LOT of time talking about BF, whether exclusive or in conjunction with bottle feeding. It's a good read for a lot of what happens in the first year but I felt like it spent a fair amount talking about BF

Breastfeeding... where to start?

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