Bound and determined so I need help!!

[Sydsmom]

I am pregnant and due in August with my third kiddo. I gave up on nursing dd because i was terrified she wasn't getting enough to eat and never nursed ds bc he was adopted. I am bound and determined to ebf this baby. Is there anything I can do to prepare myself? I checked out the nursing mothers companion from the library and read some of it but it was sooo much information I'm a little overwhelmed. It seems like there are soo many things that can go wrong. My dh is very supportive but he hates to see me struggle so afraid he won't push me to continue if I'm having a hard time and I will never forgive myself if I don't do this.

[Mommy Bre]

Have you attended a LLL meeting? I am sure you could find someone there that would be more than willing to help you get ready for your new baby and then offer support after the baby is born.

P.S. I had the same worries with my baby boy and all went fine. However, I do pump a lot (probably more than neccesary) because I have always worried about my supply being low. I have a huge supply now but that does not bother me!

[HugeBabyBoy]

I would suggest you do a breastfeeding class. If you feel you're negatively influenced or discouraged by posts of thing not working for other moms, then walk away from the forums for a while. Although, they can be helpful, they're also are the common place for lots of breastfeeding mishap & abnormalities that leaving wondering if that can happen to us. It's not customary to read 100 posts about what went right but rather what isn't going right.

Try not to second guess yourself, your body will make enough milk, no 2 babies are alike & no 2 nurse for the same amount of time, either. While surfing the Internet, it's easy to be consumed by other people's [horror] stories. I took 1 breastfeeding class at a hippy-mommy place (as my husband calls it), and i found breastfeeding to be really simple & easy. Good education will go along way.

Arm yourself with a class, and in most cases, that's all you need. And no pacifiers or bottles until 1 month old. You may also find a breastfeeding app for your phone to be helpful. By tracking the length of baby's feedings, you'll probably feel more confident that baby is getting lots of nourishment. All those 5-10 minute mini-feeds and 10-20 minute feedings really add up!

I am curious, though... why did you think the baby wasn't getting enough milk?

[HugeBabyBoy]

Originally Posted by Mommy Bre Have you attended a LLL meeting? I am sure you could find someone there that would be more than willing to help you get ready for your new baby and then offer support after the baby is born. P.S. I had the same worries with my baby boy and all went fine. However, I do pump a lot (probably more than neccesary) because I have always worried about my supply being low. I have a huge supply now but that does not bother me!

What is "more than necessary"? I'm sure I pump less than necessary (2x a day) but nurse from the moment I get home to the moment I leave for work. I pump enough milk for when I'm gone 9-10 hours... And he just turned 5 months and is 21 lbs, LOL!

[tibeca]

"more than necessary" is completely subjective. If you have enough milk, then you have enough milk. Enough said.

[Mommy Bre]

Originally Posted by HugeBabyBoy What is "more than necessary"? I'm sure I pump less than necessary (2x a day) but nurse from the moment I get home to the moment I leave for work. I pump enough milk for when I'm gone 9-10 hours... And he just turned 5 months and is 21 lbs, LOL!

I can sometimes pump enough one day (3-4 times) for baby boy to eat for almost 2 days. However, like someone above said "enough is enough!" A 21lbs 5 month old def sounds like he is getting enough

[mom2corag]

The biggest thing is to relax! If you are worried that you will fail, you'll have a harder time of it. Enjoy breastfeeding. I nursed my dd until she was 2, and exclusively until 9 months when we started solids (never had to do formula), but set mini goals, like 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, because it was daunting to commit to a full 12 months. Then, when I got to 12 months, I didn't want to stop!

[songbird516]

Yes there are a lot of things that CAN go wrong. But, there are things that you can do to minimize the chance of those issues, like not being induced, birthing without meds if possible, having baby begin nursing within the first hour after birth, etc. And even if those things don't work out, you'll still probably do just fine!
Here's how I think of it. Your body built a baby. Do you not believe that it can FEED a baby? which is more complex?! Let baby nurse as soon as possible. Nurse on demand, no schedules in the first few weeks. EAT!!! Eat nutritious, calorie-dense food. Don't introduce a bottle until absolutely necessary, and not until breastfeeding is well established. Avoid antibiotics to cut down on chance of thrush. Stay positive and don't freak out if baby seems hungry in the first week or so, because babies just like to nurse and need to do it as much as possible to help establish your supply.

You can do it, don't worry.

[Sydsmom]

I'm having a csection, is that going to make things harder for us? With my DD she nursed right away and like a champ but then she went to the nursery and me and DH fell asleep and they NEVER got us up in the middle of the night and they fed her a bottle instead. This time I'm making a sign for his bassinet that says NO vax, NO circ, NO bottles, NO pacifiers so there isn't any confusion. Also, how do you nurse in a carrier? It seems kind of difficult but with my VERY active DD I'm going to need to be hands free sometimes. I'm also large chested so it might not be an option and I might need to try different holds to make sure he can breathe.

[Mommy Bre]

I had the drugs, induced, etc and everything was fine for me. However, I did make sure I nursed as soon as I can (the 1st hr is most important) so just let them know that is very important to you. Having a sign will help but I still think you need to be very verbally adamant. I think that sometimes nurses think they know more than you. (I would have been furious if they had not brought my baby to me and gave him a bottle!) Have the baby room in if you are worried about that.

I am no help on the nursing while wearing. I wear all the time (in a Beco Gemini) but I have never had to nurse while wearing. You might post that on the Baby Wearing forum.