Hi Kaz,
Just posting this message to let you know of my breastfeeding experiences. I breastfed all of my 3 children up until they were 12 months old.
My first baby knew I was inexperienced, and demanded lots of attention all the time, and lots of breastfeeds too ! However, the only bad experience I had was in hospital on day 3, my breasts became so big I couldn't latch her on (the nipples sort of flatten out). It was so disheartening, especially when I had been feeding her so well. Fortunately, I had a sympathetic midwife who got me to try nipple shields, which I used for a week until my breasts settled down. After that it was fantastic, I have to say breastfeeding may seem very time consuming (visit the library alot, and enjoy some good books while sitting and feeding) in the early days but baby soon falls into a pattern by about 3 months old.
A few pointers, drinking caffeine drinks can make the baby a bit sicky and windy (coffee can give baby very smelly wind), switch to decaff tea and coffee. And a few checks to make sure baby is latched on properly, their cheeks should not be sucking in as they feed and the ear facing you tends to move up and down very slightly (if they are not latched on properly it doesn't move), and when baby is latched on properly, their open mouth has the same shape as a baby bird's when they are crying for food.
I was told by other mum's who had breastfed that you must give it 10 days before quitting.
However, once you get the hang of it, it will become like second nature, and it gets easier the more children you have.
If you get a swollen milk duct, just massage it, with your fingertip, towards the nipple, and that can help to alleviate the tight feeling.
And when the breasts are really huge and swollen, there is nothing nicer than lying in the bath with a hot flannel draped over them....bliss !
I'm not sure if breastfeeding helped with weight loss ? While breastfeeding you still have that rounded appearance, and it wasn't until I stopped feeding, my shoulders lost that rounded look, it is hard to explain. Before cutting down on calories while breastfeeding, I always waited until the baby was 4-5 months old, when breastfeeding was well and truly established and baby was weaning successfully, but always check with your health visitor. And then I was still eating around 1900 calories, and I didn't gain weight. I always found it hard though to eat the extra 500 calories a day because my appetite always seemed to be quite low after giving birth. My Health Visitor told me to eat normally and supplement with a Mars bar, which is what I did quite often, not very healthy though. So, I guess, breastfeeding helped after I stopped feeding the baby, my shape became more defined. It is supposed to be very good for getting the womb back into shape, as the suckling action strengthens the muscle surrounding the womb.
Breast feeding will make you quite thirsty, so always sit down to feed with a glass of water.
And the other thing is in the early days, try and keep very calm when attempting to latch baby onto the breast, because the chances are you may have to try an latch baby on a couple of times, and the more stressed you become, the more upset baby will come.
When baby is about 6 months old, your breasts will be so in tune with your baby (it is very weird) that they will leak just as baby is about to wake up in the morning. Very odd - it is like having psychic breasts !
Can I just ask, Kaz, are you reading up on the actual labour ? Please can I recommend a good book, it is called 'Labour Pain' by Nicky Wesson. I read it while pregnant with my second child, and my god it was such a big help. It is only a small paperback book, but it is written by a lady who has had 5 children.
I had Backache labour with my first child, and it was unbelievably horrible, I could not cope with the labour, I ended up having an epidural, and a forceps delivery. Please read up on Back ache labour, because it isn't like a normal labour....by reading up on it, it will teach various things you can do in labour to alleviate the pain. Backache labour is chronic back pain, and the contractions are all in the back, whereas normal labour pains are at the front, like period pains. Anyway, this book helped me focus on the pain, and made me realise it isn't a bad pain, it is a good pain, and it doesn't last for long. When I was pregnant with my first, I didn't even know backache labour existed ?
Fortunately, I didn't have backache labour with my second and third baby, thank goodness.
Breastfeeding is brill, and think of all the money you will save, because it is free !!!!!
The nipples can get sore but the midwives recommend a certain cream to rub on after each feed, ask your midwife about it and pack it in your hospital bag. They crack because the constant suckling dries the poor nipples out (and the nipples aren't use to it), and if not treated will bleed, and it is usually a sign that baby is not latched on properly, too. I got it a little bit with my first baby, but didn't suffer at all with my second and third baby.
Another good thing to buy in for post-birth is some tea tree oil and lavender oil, excellent to put in 2 drops of each in a warm shallow bath for stitches. Be careful not to get the oils on your breasts if breastfeeding, and don't use tea tree oil on baby until they are at least 2 years old.
Oh my, I have written a book, I could talk for hours on breastfeeding !!!!!!
Hope this was some help if you haven't fallen asleep during the reading of this message !
Anna
Anyway, I recommend the La Leche League. The book Womanly Art etc. was helpful. I had sore nipples for two weeks, it was very painful, but eventually I barely noticed she was there.