Breastfeeding 101
I'm also planning on taking a breastfeeding class. I wasn't able to nurse the first time and am dead set on doing it this time. Crystal, if you ever have time in the near future - could you possibly post on breastfeeding 101? The pain I experienced trying to nurse was worse than childbirth and I finally gave up after 5 days. Not having had a lot of experience around newborns, I was totally shocked by this. If you wouldn't mind, I'd really appreciate it. -MegmarcMegmarc asked the above question yesterday and I've been contemplating it the last 24 hours. I feel wholly unqualified to talk about such a subject and yet, I did successfully nurse my first baby for 18 months so I guess that somewhat qualifies me to share something on it. :)
First off, let me just say that although I am a very strong believer in breastfeeding, I am not one who believes all women can always breastfeed. I've been close to a few moms who have wanted so badly to breastfeed and been unable to, despite months of effort, pumping, working with a lactation consultant, and so on. Seeing this first-hand makes me instead say that I believe most women can usually breastfeed.
God has designed mother's milk to be the best form of nutrition for an infant and I strongly encourage women to utilize this God-given food for their baby, if at all possible. However, most women are not very educated on breastfeeding, especially the first time around. I think this is one of the biggest reasons for giving it up in the early stages. Although it is a natural thing, it is not always the easiest thing. Kudos to you, Megmarc, for your determination to make it work this time around.
I was determined to make every effort possible to breastfeed with Kathrynne. I knew that it was often difficult for both mother and child to learn at first, so I tried to mentally prepare myself as best I could. I read some books, talked to other moms, watched a video from the La Leche League (I think), and listened intently to that part of our childbirth classes.
Nursing was actually much easier than I expected. Yes, it was painful at first - actually very painful. It took me about two weeks before I could nurse without intense pain. However, it was every bit worth it. Not only was nursing such a special, bonding thing for Kathrynne and I, I really feel it contributed much to her being such a healthly, happy child. In addition, it saved us lots of money and was so easy - no needing to worry about heating up bottles in the middle of the night, or messing with mixing up formula when we were away!
My advice to you, Megmarc, would be to go into it prepared to stick it out. Give it at least three weeks and see how things go. Attend the breastfeeding class, read up on it, find a local La Leche League chapter for support, if you need it. And, if you can have a lactation consultant help you at the hospital when you are first getting started, I think that would be one of the best things you can do. My midwives were great with helping me at first with Kathrynne. They taught me the best way to hold her, watched her to make sure she was getting plenty to eat and nursing correctly, and most of all, just encouraged me in it.
All in all, breastfeeding Kathrynne was a wonderful experience for both of us. In fact, I was sad to give it up when I did, even though I felt it was best for both of us. I'm looking forward to nursing again and plan to nurse for at least 18 months, if it works out.
That's my simple advice. Any advice or thoughts from other moms? Please chime in. I'm not too qualified on this subject but feel it is an important one so I'd really love to hear from you!
posted by Crystal Paine at 1:24 PM
25 Comments:
I would say probably one of the most improtant things would be to prepare your breasts before the birth. For months before having my baby, I was rubbing lanolin cream on my nipples morning and evening, and by the time my son arrived, they were very much more elastic and "ready for action". I had mild discomfort for a few days, but nothing more than that. All the best (o:
I'm not really an expert in breastfeeding, but I second Crystal's advice!
I read "The Complete Book of Breastfeeding" and had it handy for after the birth (for reference). It's also nice to have a supportive doctor/midwife/mentor. :) I went into breastfeeding with the idea that I was going to keep at it(even if it was painful at first, and it was!) and I also knew it would get easier over time. :D
One thing my midwife told me was to hold the baby "tummy to tummy" with me when I nursed. That was the one thing she said that made the most sense to me and helped me so much!
For me personally, I also didn't have pacifiers, bottles, or "back-up" formula. Just nursing simplified things for me. There weren't other "easier" options, even if I had wanted them! :)
I look forward to reading others' advice and comments! :) I think every baby (and mom!) is different and has different hurdles to overcome. :)
Hi there. I've enjoyed reading your site Crystal and have been encouraged! Thanks.
Regarding breastfeeding, I've nursed both my children, my daughter until she was 12 mths and my son until 15 mths or so. You gave a lot of great advice. One thing that struck me early on in my current pregnancy was an article from a mom who wrote that she was praying for her baby, and among other things, that the baby would be a good nurser. What a concept! To pray that breastfeeding would work smoothly. Aha, I thought. So, that is one thing I would also suggest. I had difficulties with nursing initially with both my children, so determining to stick with breastfeeding is no light declaration to me!
The other piece of advice I'd give is to make sure your baby is getting enough to eat (i.e. wet/bm diapers, gaining weight and length, not sleeping too much initially). We have supplemented during the first two weeks with both our children because it has taken a while to work out the kinks with nursing. I have never ever regretted supplementing; the main goal is the baby's health, not my pride or even my desire to be a "providing" or "natural" mother by nursing exclusively. When we supplemented with our first, we used a bottle due to lack of experience and because I had a few complications post birth. Nipple confusion (or rather preference!) followed, which created more problems. With our second, we had a GREAT lactation consultant suggest using a cathedar tube, slid into the corner of the baby's mouth while he was nursing -- ingenious! No confusion, he gained weight quickly, and I did not carry the added stress of deciding between my child's health and nursing.
Two last pieces of advice to Megmarc. 1) Talk with the midwives/lactation consultants in depth before going home and have them supervise your nursing.
2) Know the number before birth of a place that rents nursing pumps (if you don't own one) and preferably somewhere that will deliver to your home.
Hope that any of this helps!
You've already gotten lots of great tips!
Something else to remember though is that this is a new baby. It's quite possible your other child just had a bad latch and this one will come out nursing like a champ! I've nursed 3 children so far and all were very different in their early weeks.
My best suggestion is to pray! God is faithful. Pray for your baby to have a properly alligned jaw, an excellent latch, a strong, but not too painful suck and that your breasts are comfortable with nursing and your milk is plentiful.
I completely agree with Crystal about going in prepared to stick it out. I breastfed my son for 17 months (until I got pregnant with my daughter) and my daughter for 21 months (until almost two months ago). With my son, the first four weeks were agony. I cried every time he fed (every two hours day and night for the first six months! Hungry little man...). Then my breasts finally healed and we never looked back. I have never had any bottles or formula in the house, because I didn't really consider another option. I was never organised enough to express any milk, so neither of my two have ever had anything from a bottle.
When my daughter was a year, she bit both breasts and both sides were horribly infected for a month (took me right back to the first month with my son!), but through God's grace we got through that and were happily able to carry on feeding for another eight months.
It's not always easy being the sole "feeder", but it is the most wonderful, fulfilling and rewarding experience. Despite almost four years of interrupted nights, I wouldn't change a thing.
There is a La Leche League book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding", which I found really useful. I would also recommend finding a midwife who completely supports your decision to breastfeed and who can provide support in the first hours as your baby latches on - that made all the difference second time round, knowing how to position my baby correctly from the beginning. There is also a lanolin-based cream Lansinoh, which doesn't have to be washed off before feeding - that provided much-needed comfort.
And family and friends who can come and entertain your older child whilst you sit and feed the new baby for hours on end. Over time you get quite adept at fixing drinks and snacks, building lego constructions, supervising colouring and sticking with one hand whilst clutching a nursing baby to your breast!!!
Good luck!
Kirsten
First of all, I am sorry you have such a hard time nursing your baby that you quit. I have nursed 4 babies now. The shortest time was 15 months and then the longest 2 years, 3 months. I have 10 brothers and sisters that were nursed as well as nieces and nephews. I have seen several different kinds of nursing problems and yet still feel sort of at a loss to help someone with this!!!
First thing I think to determine in your mind is while you are pregnant. You endure the pain of pregnancy and labor and then you are ready for it to be over and enjoy your baby. But I think we think that means no more pain and suffering. It does not help to be told this by other mothers, but you need to think in your mind that mothering is hard work.
Why do you want to nurse? Learn and read why breastfeeding is important to both you and your baby. Our family has high rate of asthma. I learned while pregnant with my first that the rate of which people get asthma goes down a whole bunch when breastfed exclusively for the first year. Since I grew up watching some of my family members struggle to breathe, I thought, I would do this even though it is hard for my children.
Next after learning why you want to nurse then I would learn how to nurse. You have to be open to being taught and not just say “I have tried that already and it hurts.”
Sometimes soreness that does not go away is caused by the way the baby is latching on. If the baby is not positioned right he cannot latch on right.
I know people love those Boppy pillows and they seem great, but I think for some people that are petite they make the baby too high up and he cannot latch on correctly and it hurts. You have to position constantly, where as I had a better time with couch pillows under my arms and nothing under the baby.
I think you are having trouble nursing where it seriously hurts and is not going away, you need to talk to a lactation consultant right away. If it does not go away and you are eally sore for a long period of time and is not related to dryness, it may be Thrush ( a yeast infection in the mouth) This is common especially if you or baby had antibiotics (which are commonly given in hospitals for GBS) It can cause horrible pain, but is easily treated!
I think too not letting a bottle be an option really helps! If it is always an option then it is easier to give up.
I hope this helped a bit!
Breastfeeding made me cry the first two weeks. I bled, as well. Harry was a very aggressive feeder which was completely opposite of my first who was a lazy feeder and I never could breast feed him exclusively.
My salvation was "Soothies". I kept them cold. After I was done torturing myself, I stuck them in my bra. I breastfed frequently for only 10 minutes. I just couldn't take it for very long. I took ibuprofen as well because the cramping during the feeding was un.....................BELIEVABLE!
I only nursed my second for about 5 months. I am not a big fan of teeth and having a baby walk up to you to nurse. I guess I am too American in this regard. j/k
I have a question for you ladies who nurse for so long. How do you nurse a toddler? Do they ask for it, if they can talk, of course?
Harry is 7 mos old now and doesn't really "like" me anymore. He loves his bots. It is like he weaned himself. I am a little sad that it is over, but not too much.
When I had my daughter, the first two weeks were painful, but I was determined to stick it out and breastfeed her. The best advice that my lactation consultant gave me was this: After I shower, and after the baby nurses, express a little bit of breastmilk and spread it around the nipple, then let it air-dry (or use a blow-dryer on the "cool" setting). Breastmilk has amazing healing properties, and I never had any cracking or bleeding. Just soreness from the actual nursing during the first two weeks. I was able to breastfeed her until she was 13 months old - then she weaned herself. Hope this helps!
I am not qualified but wanted to mention i was always so hard on others who said "i just dont have enough milk"! I thought in my heart they just did not want to nurse and were using it as an excuse, but then after 3 successful nursing babies and the 3rd for almost 2 years, my fourth was born and I literally HAD NOTHING! NO LET DOWNS, NOTHING FROM A PUMP AND JUST NOTHING! I had to stop after 2 weeks because the baby was not thriving, and then WHEN SHE WAS 8 MONTHS ONE DAY I WOKE UP AND I WAS ENGOURAGED (SP) IT WAS CRAZY... But I too hope to nurse again when I have another baby (don't know if you know i miscarried my last...) so this info will be very helpful! thanks for sharing it as it comes in!
I started out trying to breastfeed my son, but it was so painful and I never seemed to get him to latch on properly. However, I wanted him to receive the benefit of breastmilk. What I did was rent an electric breast pump from the hospital (a "double-pumper", just call me Bessie the cow, LOL!). Breastmilk can be kept at room temperature for several hours without going bad, so I would pump a bottleful of milk, set it on the counter, feed it to my son at the next feeding (it was usually around 3 hours), and then pump another bottle immediately afterward, repeat cycle, etc. This worked really well, and he gained so much weight! I did this throughout the night as well, just as if he were nursing from the breast. I found that the pump was not painful at all, and would express plenty of milk. (If you are using the pump as baby's sole milk supply, you really need the electric kind that you rent. The others just don't let you express enough milk to sustain a growing baby. Even renting the pump and buying the bottles that go with it is still cheaper than formula.)Kind of crazy, I guess, but whatever works, right?
Hi everyone,
I have been reading the comments and appreciate moms speaking out of their own experiences. I have been teaching breastfeeding classes and supporting women through childbirth and beyond for almost 8 years now by the Lord's grace, (I also have 3 children and am currently nursing my youngest son). Let me lovingly set the record straight. First, it's so important for you to make sure your baby has a good latch. Your midwife can help you with this. Breastfeeding can make you feel a little tender but it shouldn't hurt the way some have described. If it hurts that much, review your latch and positioning of the baby. Go to www.lalecheleague.org to learn about proper latches. Second, you do not need to "prepare" your breasts for nursing. This is a myth. A good latch will be forgiving to your breasts. Third, exclusive breastfeeding is very important. Avoid supplementing, especially in the first few months. Breastfeeding is about supply and demand and if you reduce the demand by replacing a feeding with formula, you will affect the supply and this could lead to more frustration. Plus, prolactine, which is the hormone involved in lactation, is most effective at night so don't skip those night-time feedings. Instead, try sleeping or resting during the day in addition to the night to give you extra go-ing power through those sleepless nights. Even with other young children around, it is possible for you to find time to rest (you may have to get a little creative)... Bringing baby in bed at night to nurse can give mom much needed rest. But, I'll leave that decision up to you. And, when extra tired, nurse lying down whether by day or by night. Breastfeeding on demand (when baby shows signs of hunger-sucks his fist and fingers, searches with his mouth *rooting* for the breast) is also important. Don't try to schedule feedings as this can also reduce your milk supply. And, keep in mind there are growth spurts... when you feel like you've been nursing non-stop all day! The first few days of nursing after birth are EXTREMELY important. After a drowsy first 24 hrs, babies need to be encouraged to nurse on demand and often to build up your milk supply and reduce the discomfort of engorgement. This is also the time when a little goes a long way. Colostrum, the first milk, is extremely nutritious and filling. Fourth, don't be afraid of nursing a toddler... biting is infrequent, and, you can train your child not to do it. In my own experience I have found that once you pass the 6 month mark, breastfeeding becomes so much more relational. My toddler just turned 2 and we are planning to wean naturally.. as in, when he's ready which is usually between the ages of 2 and 3. A baby who weans very early on may do so, in part, because of supplementing with formula or even because mom has mistaken things like teething pain during nursing for a lack of interest. If you want to go the distance, don't give up. It really does fill me with joy to see how it soothes my toddler when I nurse him and fills him with joy (he's the first one I nursed past 3 months by the way). Did you know that the World Health Organization and Unicef recommend 2 years of breastfeeding (www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/infant_exclusive.htm)? The longer you nurse, the greater the health benefits for you and for your child. And, yes, your toddler will ask to nurse. But, you can teach your child a discreet term for nursing like "milk" or "drink". My little guy uses the sign for milk we learned through baby signing. It's our secret language! Also, toddlers nurse for very short intervals so it becomes MUCH easier. For more info on breastfeeding go to www.breastfeedingonline.com. And, finally, support is key for postpartum and breastfeeding. Remember, the majority of breastfeeding relationships go off without a hitch. Hard to believe? I know. And, if you do run into a complication, consult someone like a lactation consultant, the La Leche League or any local breastfeeding support group who has the know-how to help you resolve the problem. Remember, breastfeeding is God's design and He can guide you through it. Happy nursing ladies. In love, Julie-Anne
All you women who've been able to breastfeed are so blessed!! I'm one of those woman who would have loved to but couldn't both times.Baby no.1 had to be ceasered & I had post-op complications.I tried for 2 weeks with intense pain.Bubs wasn't getting anything & was chomping even harder trying to draw something out. So we bottle fed.
Baby no 2 I had an unplanned VBAC(lovely surprise, but I very nearly died) & so my milk didn't come in. I comfort suckled her for a while,but she was happier on the bottle as at the end of the day they need to be fed!
If we have more children I'll certainly try to breastfeed again, but won't be discouraged if I can't.I have 2 happy, healthy little girls who love their Mummy regardless. I just want to encourage some Mums on the other side of the fence.
Blessings,
Claire
I have nursed one child so far - I'm pregnant with #2. I had a hard time with nursing for the first 6 months. It got a lot better, though, and I successfully nursed him until 15 months.
One thing I found very helpful: My midwife insisted that I read an entire book on breastfeeding before the baby was born. I read The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. I had several breastfeeding books, and I found Dr. Sears book to be the most helpful to me after the baby was born. His advice made more sense to me in those early days. So, I would recommend reading a lot of different books, and finding the book that makes the most sense to you.
I am exclusively nursing my 5 month old son - my first & only nursing experience! Some things that helped me:
1)La Leche League - The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - I read it cover to cover and could tell anyone how to get a proper latch. I had read it so many times and "practiced" that when Gibson came, I knew what to do
2) I did not keep any formula in the house. I did not want to be tempted to use it - and believe me, there were nights where the thought of my husband doing a nighttime feeding sounded SO good -but because I didn't have the formula right there, I wouldn't give in, and during the day I was focused enough to keep myself in check. =)
3) When Gibson came, I nursed him every two-three hours continuously in the hospital, even waking him up to feed. The doctors and nurses kept telling me that he didn't "need" to eat until he was a few days old, and that he would take in what colostrum he needed on his own. However, I still fed him every couple hours. The bonus was that when my milk came in - I didn't even know it!! I never suffered from engorgement or any of the other "side effects" of your milk coming in because I nursed so frequently.
4) I was very aware of growth spurts. Because of this, I was able to keep my milk supply up accordingly because I was paying attention to my baby. I have fed my baby on a schedule since he was 3 weeks with great success, but I wanted to make sure that I knew when he was having a spurt so I could keep my milk production up. We hit them right on time, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, etc.
*Now, I realize that I had a VERY VERY easy nursing experience. The only pain I had was a small blister which only lasted for about a week. The first month I would express milk and rub in on the nipple area after every feeding and let dry. Lansinoh also helped the first week. I think that I had so prepared myself for breastfeeding to "be hard" that it was really easy in comparison!
One more tip - drink LOTS of water. Every time I feel my milk is a little low (and usually my cup overflows), I up my water and my milk ups too.
-Tiffany
This is a tip, due to my breast size the only way I was able to nurse was laying down.( which you can only do at home). If you are having a very hard time with latching on, etc. but have pleanty of milk it is well worth renting or buying a first class pump and doing nothing but pumping and giving it in a bottle. A hospital grade pump will cost you $300 new, but a year of formula will cost you $1,200 + and doesn't have nearly the same nutrition.
I agree with going into it prepared to stick it out. My 2nd and 3rd child had poor latches in the first day or two. I couldn't get them to open wider, but I kind of had to feed them!
I ended up with cracked nipples. The pain was very bad for 2-3 weeks, but not nursing was not an option to me. No bottles, no formula, and I was going to tough it out regardless. The latch got better after the first couple days, but it took a few weeks for the damage to heal (since baby was still nursing), but it did get better.
For many women, lanolin (look in baby section of Walmart) helps with cracked nipple pain; I just happen to be one of the few that does have a skin reaction to it. But, it may help you if cracked nipples are your problem.
I would guess from what you wrote that your problem was a poor latch. Read what you can about breastfeeding, talk with a lactation consultant/midwife/experienced mom, pray, and have a mindset that you will stick it out.
HeatherHH (mom to 3 children 5 & under, #4 due in June)
I know this sounds crazy, but make sure that the lactation consultant (whether at the hospital or health department) had actually breastfed a child herself. You wouldn't believe how many times the opposite is true. One day I will post on my blog about the breastfeeding instructor I had once- HIS name was Joel. Yes, ladies, HIS name.
I agree w/Crystal-just don't give up! That's the most helful advice. Also, talk to the lactation consultant in the hospital. If possible, have your husband there when you talk to the consultant so that if your sleep-deprived brain doesn't remember all the info, maybe he'll be able to fill in the blanks.
This is hard, but try not to think about it too much or you'll stress yourself out. I'll be praying for you!
I second Julie-Anne completely. It is crucial that your baby has a good and correct latch (experience has taught me this - with my 4th son who is now 7 months old, he had a bad latch and I was in PAIN like you can't believe - I was popping 800mg of Motrine left and right, but after thinking about it for a while and then checking out the videos on LLL, I discovered "bad latch syndrom". After correcting the latch problem, life was 110% better for us both.)
Nursing on demand: DO IT. If you want to nurse and be successful and keep it up, then you need to nurse on demand. It is NOT a horrid time, it doesn't make for a spoiled baby and it IS the best thing you can do for yourself and baby. And to be blunt, if you are trying to put your baby on a schedule through the night - you are pretty much depriving your baby of needed nourishment and your comforting arms. Even if your baby sleeps for 3 - 5 hours at a time (note in the first weeks) you are missing hunger for these little ones. It makes your milk supply decrease and therefore you are messing up a perfectly designed system of supply/demand.
If you follow the nurse on demand system, your baby will put himself/herself on a schedule pretty soon - my experience is about 2 - 3 months along.....also too, those schedules change as baby grows too. Nothing is set in stone with a baby, and especially one that is growing and NEEDS all the nourishment you can give him.
I would also encourage nursing mothers to prepare themselves before hand with getting in the habit of making snacks and drinks for themselves. You can eat them while baby is nursing and therefore it gives you a chance to relax a little and get some nourishment too. :-) If you have little ones, teach them if possible before baby comes to serve you. Put the snacks (raw veggies, cut up cheese, meat, fruit, puddings, nuts/seeds, hard boiled eggs, teas, juices)on a low shelf in the fridge so they can pull them out and bring them to you. Help them master this BEFORE baby comes and you will have a great helper PLUS the little ones will not feel left out at nursing times. Also too, teach them to stay close and do quiet things while nursing (reading, listening to a tape, if a girl, nursing her baby too, putting puzzles together even watching a video). Do these things now and so you have a routine and nothing is a surprise to you or your other small children when it comes to sitting with mommy while nursing the baby.
Teach your children quiet time. 2 hours I think is a good space for nap/quiet time. MAKE it happen. If they don't sleep - fine, but quiet time restricted to everyone's bed is mandatory. Books or tapes are a good thing to have for this too. During this time you can lay down and rest with baby - even if you don't go to sleep, resting is the best time for your milk supply to build back up. If you have ever nursed before, did you ever notice that when you woke up from a nap or in the morning that you were pretty full? Rest = milk. :-)
I have loved every minute nursing my children. Even when the strikes came, the biting and when they were ill especially. A mother feels very satisfied when she CAN comfort her baby when he is ill by nursing him. It is the best thing you can do for them.
Get the "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" from LLL or you can probably check it out from your library. I think this book is the best for encouragement and HELP at 3a.m. if you run into a problem. It addresses almost EVERY nursing "emergency" - and believe me, when your baby won't nurse or you feel something is wrong - it is an emergency to you. :-)
Happy Nursing and may God bless you!!
My son WAS latching on correctly. He was a very high stress baby. It still hurt very bad. I had all the different lactation experts tell me what to do. His tongue was in the right place and everything. I have very fair skin which is also a reason for the pain. Just like redheads tend to bleed more, fair skin people have more sensitive skin. I don't think you can find that info in a book anywhere. I learned that from many OB nurses with years of experience.
I know the health benefits for breastfeeding, but just wanted to encourage other moms who can't breastfeed that my first was mostly formula fed and he is very healthy and off the charts big, at two years old. He is hardly ever sick and has no allergies. I was not able to breastfeed him because he was an early baby which made him sleepy and was losing weight. I had to supplement. My milk never picked up with all the pumping I did every two hours. If the pediatrician is worried about the rapid weightloss of my baby than I am going to whatever he says to reverse that. I am just thankful that we live in a time that we have easy access to other means of food for infants.
Again, like Crystal, I think that normally, mother's can and should breastfeed, but not everyone can. This is not a perfect world.
Re. nursing toddlers.
I am nursing my 18 month old along with my newborn. It's really not a big deal. My son has been signing to ask to nurse since he was about 7-8 months old and he continues to use this as the way to ask to nurse, now adding, "peez?". Nothing embarrassing about that!:-) There are heaps of health benefits to breastfeeding beyond a year, not to mention that if a child just isn't ready to wean it's rather traumatic to force it.
Lactation consultants helped me tremendously with all three of my babies. I had latching issues with each one. Our hospital runs a weekly nursing support group, so I was able to see a lactation consultant once a week (for free). It took awhile, fixing one positioning problem after another, and dealing with overactive letdown, before things settled down. And yes, it was painful, curl your toes painful, before we got the latch right. The support group also had a medical scale so you could weigh your baby before and after feeding to see how much he had taken in. I don't know if such a group exists in your area, but it was very helpful to me.
I have breastfed all four of my children for varying lengths of time, the shortest 8 months and the longest 24 months (and counting!!!).
I read a book when pregnant with my first called "Best Feeding - How to Breastfeed your baby" and it was wonderful. It had photos with examples of how to get baby to latch on, different feeding positions etc. I would highly recommend this book.
The only other advice I would offer is to RELAX. When you pick up your baby to feed him position him on the breast and RELAX - physically let your head drop back, breathe deeply, try to relax your whole body.
I have breastfed all of my children with very minimal discomfort. Please do not be afraid thinking you will experience two weeks of pain before breastfeeding becomes an enjoyable experience. I have had some problems but because of the book mentioned above I was able to correct baby's latch and sort out the problems myself.
When my children were born I had little success due to completely wrong advice by hospital with my first son.I fed ok with my second son until the health visitor interfered and I put him on a bottle this resulted in severe excema followed by asthma as he was allergic to cow's milk !! I resolved to feed my third baby myself come hell or highwater. I live in UK and heard of a La Leche League group in Cambridge,I read everything they had,sent to US for more books etc.After my daughter was born I breastfed her for 3 years without a problem and became a La Leche League Leader.Join them they are wonderful.
Thank you for telling us your experiences on breastfeeding. I am pregnant with my first right now and this is the one area I hear so much conflicting advices (my own mom an and my mother in law). Honestly, I do wince when I read about all the cracks, blisters, and infections that occur for many women. But I do believe in my heart that this is the best way to feed my baby and therefore, I do plan to do it no matter how painful it can be. I am reading up as much as possible and I pray that both my son and I can have a wonderful nursing experience.
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