I have my heart set on breastfeeding – I have bought my nursing pads, support pillows, nursing covers (hooter hider – baby au lait), books from la leche league, talked to lactation consultants, etc. and now I’m having to prepare for the fact that my baby may be born 3 months premature. I know you can nurse in the NICU, but will they let you nurse a baby born that early? Will a baby that early even know how to nurse or have the sucking reflex yet? I heard babies get the sucking reflex after 36 weeks usually. If you have a preemie & pump until your baby makes it to when his/her due date would have been, is it possible to get them to nurse after months of feeding tubes and/or bottles?
I haven’t had the baby yet, I’m on bedrest, but I’d like to be prepared so I’ll have my facts together & know what to tell the NICU nurses if I do indeed go into labor within next 2 weeks like they’re preparing me for.
I read somewhere that when the baby saliva touches the areola important antibodies are released to help the raise the babies immunity. I don’t know. Mayeb someone who has breast fed already may know. I would ask a doctor, but I’m not pregnant so there is really no urgency in the question.
So… I was thinking random thoughts while washing the dishes this morning. And I got to thinking about reasons that some women choose to not breastfeed, and the status of breastfeeding education/knowlege, and I got to wondering:
When you were pregnant, how much did your OB or midwife talk to you about breastfeeding?
Did the office have an LC?
If there was a class, were you encouraged to attend, or just told (or read on the little sign by the check-out desk) that it was available?
Were you given any written information? (Books? Pamphlets?)
If you did get information from the OB, did it sway your choices in any way? Why or why not?
The point being, we tend to think of breastfeeding issues as being something the pediatrician deals with, and the hospital LC. But of course most women have made their choice long before the baby arrives. So could OBs be doing more to educate their patients and help them make knowlegable choices? And help the women who DO choose to breastfeed be more likely to succeed?
Yes, the absolute best way it to nurse your baby as much as possible.
If you have a clogged duct, try and nurse so that baby’s chin is pointing towards it to draw it out–that’s folk wisdom so it may or may not work. Make sure you massage your breasts every time you nurse, in the first few months particularly, and don’t forget under your arm which is where your breast tissue starts.
If you develop a fever, make sure you see your doctor before you develop an abcess, and remember, just keep nursing. There is no reason to stop nursing for mastitis.
i have a 3 week old and i dont know if she is getting enough milk.i feed every 2 to 4 hours and she seems to be fine when done feeding but when im pumping im only getting 2 to 3 oz. is this normal or should i be getting more milk? and if so how do i get more milk to come in?
I really want to try to breastfeed. I am a little scared of the pain I have heard you can encounter at first. My main concern is from reading I have done they say that as soon as the baby is born to try to nurse. Did you really start that quick? Does the baby come out hungry right away? I am afraid I will be so exhausted how can I attempt something so soon. I know I am just probably being paranoid but I can’t help but think this way. Also, did you attend a breastfeeding class prior to birth? Would you recommend it. I do have a few books but still feel I’m not too sure. Or do you think the nurse’s help enough? Thanks
My friend and I that I work with were both pregnant at the same time. My baby is on formula ( I breast fed with the last child and it was too painful) and she is breast feeding. During the day when she is away from her baby she uses a breast pump and throws away the milk. She doesn’t need it. Anyway so she offered it to me for my baby. She eats way healthier than I do and I think I should try it. Give me some feedback please.
I will be giving my baby up for adoption to a couple in another state, so after I give birth I will not be able to breast feed. I heard that breast feeding makes your boobs get really small. But I also heard that not breast feeding will make them sag. So by not breast feeding will my breasts stay large but end up sagging? Also, how long will my breasts be leaking milk? (nobody knows about my pregnancy). I dont want to start randomly leaking milk at anytime. Would i need to use a breast pump to get the milk out so that I wont leak milk? And if i use a breast pump will that end up shrinking my breasts? ( I would rather them not shrink!).
i feel dumb asking this question because i have read about 50 baby books throughout both of my pregnancies, my first son i tried to breastfeed for the first month it didnt go well he wasnt gaining weight so we put him on formula 5 years later with my second i didnt attempt to breastfeed because i was discouraged from the first son but since we are planning our third i will try it again but i have had my nipples pierced about 3 years and i know that if i take them out i can breastfeed (choking hassard if left in)but i dont want to take them out for good or even just for a day for fear of them healing up. my question is if anyone has this delima and how well it would work if i just took them out for each feeding them replaced them would it be painfull? my breasts were so sore when i tried to breastfeed years ago.just wondering if anyone has actually been through it.
my daughter doesn’t seem satisfied after feeds and gets quite upset on the breast some times, so i’m expressing milk as well as feeding her in the hopes it will get my supply up. i’m currently using a manual breast pump and not really getting alot of milk out with it. would an electric pump help to get more milk through? or doesnt it really make a differance? no stupid answers please, and no, im not going to give her any formula, bofore someone suggests that.
