Women have been breastfeeding their babies since the beginning of time. That doesn't mean, however, that it's something that just happens on its own. After all, you've never breastfed before, and your newborn has never eaten before, from a breast or otherwise. So before you pack your bag for the hospital -- or get frustrated with breastfeeding postpartum -- become acquainted with this important new job.
Nursing may be tough in the beginning, but with patience, effort, and lots of support, both of you will get the hang of it. The best part? Your baby will thrive on your milk and the cuddly closeness that breastfeeding offers. Trust us -- and trust in your body!
It's a good idea to try breastfeeding in the hospital as soon as you can, preferably with a nurse or lactation consultant on hand. Though a newborn knows instinctively how to suck, getting his lips and your nipple in the right position (called "the latch") may take some trial and error: The nipple may slip out of baby's mouth, he may not know what to do with this big thing in his face and cry, or he may just be too sleepy from the birth process.
Don't get discouraged; the nurses and lactation consultants can help you position him properly. And even if you don't get it right for several hours (or a whole day!), your baby won't starve. He's born with extra energy stores to get him through this phase.
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wish you had mentioned tips for woman planning to nurse with inverted nipples.
7/25/2011 08:07:54 AM Report AbuseWhen I went back to work the baby wouldn't really eat for the nanny. That is, until we bought the Soothie brand bottles. Since she will only suck on Soothie pacifiers, it makes since that she will eat better from the Soothie bottles.
5/13/2010 09:10:36 AM Report AbuseI love the breastflow bottles also. I never saw them with my first daughter, and oh how much I love them now. I found mine at Target. I would only recommend them even if your not breastfeeding.
4/19/2010 10:01:22 AM Report AbuseMy son did excellent with the Breastflow bottles as well. I was able to feed him his second week home and he latched right on to the bottle. They arent as easy to find as other brands but if you google them you should be able to find them.
3/24/2010 12:16:10 PM Report Abusewhat is breastflow bottles? does it has a brand? and where can I find them? My baby is having prob with bottles too. She wouldn't eat till I come home :-((
3/12/2010 08:36:42 AM Report Abusei had the same issue when i went back to work.I tried the platex bottles, in all sizes, then the nuk, the breastflow bottles were my solution too!!!! i swear they work wonderfully! i even soaked the nipples in water sterile water so they had more of a breast like temp to them before he began to eat. to get them to understand how it works you can fill the resivor space between the nipples to really get them interested in getting the food out.i now have no problem going from ANY bottle to breast
3/10/2010 09:07:55 PM Report AbuseJAYMELYNNSHEA, try the breastflow bottles from the first years. They have a double nipple (one inside the other) and babies have to use compression and suction similar to the breast. My little girl did so well with these.
3/10/2010 07:01:44 PM Report Abusei find it easy to pump during the day so i am sure what she is eating.then br breastfeed at night. but some days i do only breastfeed. but with her dad going to irq i try more to pump so he can feed her too. it helps him feel more invole with her.
2/24/2010 10:09:08 PM Report Abuseoh and jaymelynnshea try the NUK brand bottle and have somone else feed it to her. its smaller and softer so its not a harsh stimulant on there mouth =) goodluck!
2/23/2010 12:47:42 PM Report AbuseIf you got sores and or bleeding then her latch probably wasn't deep enough. i am having the most amazing experince with breastfeeding. though i also had my aunt who is a lactation consultant to help me. =)and now my little 4pound preme is almost 13pound chunky 5mnth old! (with out any formula! though the docs weren't to happy about that until they saw her progress!) though i do NOT recomend letting nurses help you. they where just aweful and forceful! Find a REAL lactation consultant ^-^
2/23/2010 12:46:24 PM Report AbuseI need help gettin my 5 month old on a bottle!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!! SHE SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER!!!!!
2/10/2010 05:16:11 AM Report AbuseMine actually just started crawling and crawls over to me and starts nursing on his own. It is such a good support for him knowing he can get that comfort whenever he wants. The latch is the most important thing. Go braless for a few weeks before your baby is born you to toughen your np. And BTW people think that BF ruins their boobs but in reality being pregnant ruins your boobs. The damage is already done so don't think you are saving your boobs by not BF.
12/16/2009 07:04:57 PM Report AbuseIt the beginning it was hard, specially cause i go to school and i will have to pump out milk to leave him some. After a while you get use to it and it becomes a routine easy to follow.
11/30/2009 05:50:46 PM Report Abusemost young ppl my age dont breastfeed (18). in the begining i wasnt sure about it, but now im so happy i did. it was frustrating at first but gets so easy after you get the hang of it. i would recommend everyone to give it a shot and be patiente with it.
11/20/2009 10:27:27 PM Report AbuseI have two children... one that I'm nursing now. It was painful in the begining which resulted in sore/bleeding nipples. I found a way to relax my body and trust it to produce the right amount of milk. I applied warm washclothes to my breast to ease the pain and let them air dry. To help heal my nipples I pumped in twick daily to give my breast a chance to heal. Upon healing, I was able to nurse regularly again. Stay encouraged... the milk will come. Don't give up.. it's worth trying.
11/15/2009 12:19:54 PM Report Abusei breastfed all of my children I have 5 and the only one that my nipple were so sore and started bleeding was with my daughter and it actually was the way that she was latched on I started to try to lift her higher ane allow her to take the entire nipple and as much as she can get in her mouth and that seemed to help me
11/11/2009 07:58:00 PM Report Abuseit is all about the proper latch! You shouldnt have sore nipples if you are using the proper techniques! Definitely attend a lactation class! It is worth it!
11/10/2009 08:13:17 PM Report AbuseI want to encourage moms of premature babies, all three of my boys were preterm and I breastfed. You can do it, it just takes time and a little bit of work!!!
11/10/2009 09:21:15 AM Report Abusei breastfeed my daughter and still am,, my nipples were sore at the begginig but i use a nipple shield and they dont hurt anymore its relaxing good for baby and keeps the supply going!!!
11/5/2009 09:14:52 PM Report AbuseI have been getting soar nipples and it started bleeding some time i pump and it seem like it getting better but everytime i go back to breastfeeding it happen again
11/4/2009 01:28:02 PM Report AbuseI'm having the same problem : ( , My baby is going to be 6 months and she hasn't nursed since she was 10 weeks old. I'm still trying, but no luck. I'm getting tired of pumping and my supply is getting really low.
10/23/2009 12:02:24 PM Report Abusemy son is now 5month old and he refuses breast feeding any suggestions?
10/21/2009 08:59:52 PM Report AbuseI beastfeed all five of my kids and it was the best
10/8/2009 11:07:05 AM Report Abusehere are a few things i did when my nipples are soar. after a nursing session, let your nipples air dry for a few minutes before you put on your bra. use lanolin around the nipples (it really helps). invest in nipple shields (found at babies r us...it might look and feel awkward, but it will give the nipples some breathing space. I am also thinking you can get some valuable advice from Le Leche League.
10/7/2009 12:06:42 PM Report Abuse