Breastfeeding Help?

St. John's hospital in Springfield offers lactation consultation, prenatal breast feeding classes, mom's support groups, and a telephone line for questions and concerns after you leave the hospital.
http://www.st-johns.org/cjv/servicespregnacy_lactation.asp

The hospital should have a group of breastfeeding mom's that they cater to beyond leaving the hospital, or they should have information on area groups. Laleche is great and all of that, but I found them to be pushy. Breastfeeding is a personal choice and you need to do what you are comfortable with. What kind of pain did you have? I have 4 kids all breastfed, maybe able to offer advice if ya need it! Good Luck and Congrats on the new baby!

I cheated and read the other suggestions first, so I'll just try to add to theirs.
Before delivery, run around the house braless as much as you can. Wear a shirt loose enough that it will shift about as you move. If your breasts have already grown and you need support, you could cut the nipple area out of an old bra. The friction from the shirt can help to "toughen" up the nipple area so that it's not so sensitive once nursing.

I nursed all 5 of my children. When my milk came in, my breasts were HUGE and SORE (first time I went from a C to a DD cup). Nursing frequently can increase the milk supply, so isn't always recommended. A warm shower or wash cloth can help the milk to flow and release some of the pressure. (I would sometimes stand in the bathroom with a warm washcloth and hold a clean bottle to the nipple to catch the run-off - frequently would get about 2 ounces without even pumping.)

The hospital often gave me some sort of ointment to put on my nipples after nursing. I found the best thing to do when at home is to let each nipple air dry after baby has nursed that side. Once completely dry, coat generously with plain old petroleum jelly (Vaseline). This helps to keep them mosturized and to not crack. When using the vaseline at home, I would also use an old, soft washcloth as a "nursing pad". You can even put some vaseline on it. Of course, you wouldn't want to grease up when going out, but a very light coating would absorb and not get on your good clothes.

Make sure that your diet remains healthy AND that you are drinking lots of extra fluids. Remember to try to not eat those foods that make you gassy, as that can pass through your milk also.

Relax, Relax, Relax -- especially when you sit down to nurse. But try not to get too stressed about anything, as baby will sense it. And old wives tales claim that if the mother is stressed, she will pass that through her milk, and baby gets colic. Not fun.

Once last thing to remember, is that when the milk flow first starts (each time you nurse), it triggers a release of hormones through your body. These hormones can cause cramps, as they help to shrink your uterus back to its original size. Also as the milk releases from the milk ducts to flow to the nipple, you often feel pain. If you can just make it through the first few weeks, it really does get much better.
As a new mom, I would switch back and forth from breast to formula. With each successive child, I nursed more and bottled less. My last one was exclusively breast-fed, and actually would refuse to take a bottle. I enjoyed breast feeding because in our busy world, breast feeding "forces" you to sit down and just relax and enjoy your baby.

Catherine,
I am about two weeks behind you. I am 18 weeks pregnant with twins. I have 4 other daughters...my youngest one is 21 months old. I breastfed all my girls for a full year. As for the pain, all I can say is, breastfeeding is definitely a big sacrifice. But, it is truly worth it. I am so glad I did it. If you can muster through the tough times in the beginning, you will enjoy it so much later on. The bond between you and your child is amazing. It is so special. But, it isn't for everyone. Some women just CAN'T. As long as you are really trying, thats all that counts. You have to have a strong determination to do it cause it is very easy to get discouraged and give up. You also have to take care of yourself in order for your body to make enough milk. You need to continue taking your prenatal pills just like you were still pregnant. You also need to drink fluids EVERY time you breastfeed. You will need to intake more calories than normal also. I think its something like 300-500 more a day than usual. I wish you the best of luck. If you have any more questions feel free to message me!

A. R.

A. macarthur wrote:> hi catherine~ i also had a hard time with my first baby & i actually hired> a lactation consultant to come to my house to help & it was great first> she gave me the confidence that i needed & helped with getting the correct> latch on so no more sore nipples!!! she suggested mothers milk tea to> help with milk production & i think it helped alot!! i think you can > get the> tea at almost all health food stores if you google it i think you can > buy it> online also ~ I would ask the lactation nurse at the hospital if she would> come give you help at home if you need it :) i've had no problem at > all with> my second baby who is now 3 1/2 months old & one thing i did different > with> her is put her to my boob right after she was born & they handed her > back to> me which i didn't do with the first!! hope this helps :) it's hard but > totally worth> it & as long as they get latched on right it does not hurt at all!! A.>

I am a first time mom with a 5 month old baby girl. I remember that when I started breastfeeding her my nipples cracked and bled and the pain was awful. Every time she latched on my legs would stiffen in pain and I would grit my teeth wanting to cry. After a few weeks though, it didn't hurt anymore. Now I almost don't even feel her at all. I hope you can stick with it, it is the best bond you can have with your baby.

The lactatation consultant from St. Francis in Tulsa was amazing. She didn't give up helping and said we could call at anytime we had a problem. There was also a nurse that did our birthing class that said we could call her anytime for helps/tips on breastfeeding, she would have come to the house anytime if needed for guidance. They both highly encouraged to continue breastfeeding and were willing to help any all ways. Ask your Dr. if they know of someone, I'm sure they do!

I had the same problem and am eager to get a chance to try again (no luck yet!). My advice: my nipples looked like the tip of a chiseled marker when my son was done nursing. That is WRONG! It should look bigger and softer but still have the same, normal nipple shape. So, that was a big indicator that he was not latched correctly, but I didn't know that, so I just kept going until the pain was so unbearable I had to stop. So watch for that and you will know if he is not latching correctly. If he is latching on right, then the initial pain of toughening your nipples will pass, and just knowing that it is normal and will pass may be enough to help you get through that first 2-3 weeks. If you're doing everything right and he isn't latching correctly, he'll want to nurse even more because he isn't getting much, and you will have even more pain because the milk will build up. Most hospitals have lactation consultants that you can see by appointment after birth, and a postpartum doula is a great idea. You can do it!

Find a breastfeeding educator, postpartum doula, even a labor doula to help you. (www.dona.org / www.cappa.net) Breastfeeding should not hurt when the latch is correct, and there can be a bit of a learning curve getting that right. Also, the less intervention and medication you have during birth, the easier it will be. Having a birth doula present and insisting on having time immediately after the birth to get baby to latch will help a LOT.

Well I don't have time to read all the responses so I apologize if I am repeating advice. I don't know of a group for you to met with to help with the breast feeding. The only help I got was from the nurse in the hospital, of course it was one day too late. I was doing it wrong for the first day and believe me I was suffering! After she should me it was a little better. So first thing I would suggest is to make sure you tell them when you get to the hospital that you want someone there to show you how to get the baby to latch on. After that apply the cream after every time you nurse. I have breast feed both of my kids for a year each and it was about the 2nd or 3rd week that was the hardest, I would cry a lot, and I thought about giving up both times. But I promise if you push through that hard week or two the pain will go away and you won't feel a thing!! I also did give each of them one or two bottles during the hard times just to give myself a break in between and that helped a lot. Train your mind to believe this is the only option for you and that should help too. And when you are finally there and if you are having a hard time, please seek some encouragement before you give up, it might help also. God bless!

Hi Catherine,
I am a 38 yr old mother of 2....my oldest son is 15 years old and my youngest son is 16 months old. I nursed both of the boys and am still nursing my youngest. You can get additional help from your local health department....Through the WIC( womens, infants, children) area of the health dept. Here they have lactation consultants that are available 24 hours a day...they have cell phones and answer them always. You do not have to be on WIC to use the services of the lactation consultants. Also, the hospital lactation consultants are usually more than willing to help even after you have left the hospital....discuss this with them before you have the baby....schedule a meeting with them and discuss it. Hope this helps.............M.

Catherine,
Call the OB ward at the hospital where you plan to give birth and tell them about your concerns. Maybe they can plan to have someone come into your room to help you out in the beginning and they may have a home visitation program for newly nursing moms. Also, call the health department in your area and talk to the nurse in the W.I.C. (Women, Infants and Children) program. If you qualify for the program, they are a great resource for nursing moms. They do home visits, you can visit their office and you can call anytime. Even if you don't qualify as a client, they would definitely be able to point you in the right direction or give you some literature. I even borrowed a breast pump from W.I.C. with my last baby.

I am sure everyone is giving you the same advice, but find a lactation consultant! It sounds like there was a latch problem before. Breastfeeding is not easy in the beginning and both you and the baby have to "learn" the proper way to do it. When my first was born I had some trouble getting her to latch on correctly. I made an appointment with my hospital's lactation consultant and she helped me find the right position within minutes. I am sure your OB/GYN would have the name of a good consultant in your area. Get your husband involved as well. I found that sometimes an extra pair of hands is invaluable! If you develop sore nipples I highly recommend Lansinoh and a product called Soothies. They are great for sore nipples!

Good luck to you and congrats on baby number two!

different hospitals have classes.. I took one it was a 2 part class it was very good.. I learned alot.. the ladys were helpfull..

I did not get anyyyy sleep or help cuz hubby was working 12 to 14 hour days so I did not stick with it very long.. I did try to pump as much as I could.. but No sleep = no milk...

I know Bromenn in Bloomington has a get together.. bring your kid and such and all nursing moms... I was told it is great!!!

I would just check at what hospital you will be at or what is near you.. call them up the Labor and Delevery floor ask them for the lactation consultant and they can guide you!!!

Good luck!!! I am sure it will work out soo much better this time for you!!!!!

Hi. I am so glad you have decided to try and breastfeed. The benefits are so numerous! I nursed both of my children. They are so much healthier than many of my friends' children who were not breastfed. It also creates more of a bond between you and the child.

You might check with some of the pediatricians in your area. We don't have a Le Leche League here, but one of the pediatricians started a support group that met once a week. You have support from other mothers and advice for any problems you are having.

I had a little problem getting started with my son and the hospital gave me a shield (I can't remember the exact name of it) but you put it over your nipple and the baby is able to latch on easier. You may want to ask about getting one to help you get started.

Good luck!

M.

Hi Catherine,
I too had a difficult time the first time I nursed my oldest. My nipples were cracking, tender--I remember sitting there on a few occasions as my son ate literally with tears running down my face because it hurt that bad. My nipples had never been pushed to the limit like that before and they were revolting! :) Well, I really almost gave up at about 4 or 5 weeks wondering if he wasn't latched on right or I was doing something wrong, but I didn't b/c I REALLY wanted to breastfeed for all the benefits for him. Finally around 7 or 8 weeks it got 100% better, no more pain while nursing and my nipples were "broken in" so to speak.

With my 2nd child breastfeeding was a breeze and I had no problems getting going with her. I hope you have the same experience the 2nd time around too. I did use the lanolin cream as well (and ruined a few shirts b/c it left oil like stains on them!) It seemed to help relieve the dryness and cracking, eventually though I just let them airdry for a couple minutes after feedings. And I never had luck with pumping either, I tried 3 different pumps and none seemed to have enough suction to get more than 1 or 2 ounces. You said you went about 3 weeks last time and you weren't getting much milk out. That's not to worry b/c at that point your baby is only eating maybe 2 ounces at a feeding which is hardly anything. You will produce more as the appetite grows, it just goes hand in hand. Good luck! :)
~B.

Just a word of encouragement, I also gave up by week 3 with my first child. I tried again with baby #2 and successfully breastfed for 6 months before stopping for medication reasons. I think #2 is different, because you have some idea what to expect.

I also found that wearing breast shields helped with some of the initial tenderness.

Best Wishes!

I breastfed my daughter for a year with minimum problems.I worked full time and pumped while I was at work so I don't know if that makes a difference on how sore you become. If and most likely when your nipples get cracked there is an oinment you can put on them and it works wonders. It is sold most places that carries baby products. It is called Lansolin I'm not sure haow to spell it exactly. It is alnatural so it won't hurt the baby. You can even start using it a few weeks before the baby is born and definately take it to the hopital you will need it!While you are in the hospital ask to speak with the lactation nurse and she can help with any issues or concerns. I went through several periods where my nipples became cracked and sore and I just started using the ointment again and it would go away. I was able to get a book from the health department abput breasfeeding and it answered many questions. You could probably refer to you Health department and they would have some one to help after you get home.If you feel like you are starting to dry up you can call you dr and they can prescribe Reglan and it will increase milk production I had to do this and it works really good. So if you are set on breastfeeding there is an answer for everything. Good luck with it, You'll do fine!

Conact the hospital you will deliver at and ask if there is a lactation consultant on hand to help you after the birth of your child. Usually a lactation consultant teaches the class and then follows up after the birth. At the hospital I went to they offered the consultant if you attended that class and if you requested her help in your room. She didn't have time to see every breastfeeding mom, but she sure tried to get in to those that requested help. Sounds like before you had a latch problem. My consultants big joke was boys are much harder to nurse than girls, but once you get them to like the breast they never stop. I had the most trouble with my oldest son as he would latch on wrong many times and cause me to get blisters and cracks in my nipples too. I had to learn to break suction and relatch until he was on right. When they are latched correctly it doesn't hurt. The lactation consultant can help you get latched and can even follow up with you after your milk comes in. Most moms have trouble when milk comes in. I nursed very often (every 1.5-2 hrs) with my 1st guy round the clock that 1st night which caused me to get my milk in on day 2 just before leaving the hospital. With my other kids I started a schedule from day one and nursed every 3 hours except at night I left them sleep up to 6 hrs before nursing them. My milk came in on day 1 for both of them, but they both had powerful suction too and I had just stopped nursing halfway through the pregnancy so I am sure things were still flowing at some level. I would seriously practice as much as you can in the hospital and ask for as much help as can be offered by the lactation consultant in the hospital. You can do it! If you have any questions for me, I have nursed my kids 16 months, 13 months and 20 months respectively. Good luck!

B. :)

Hello! I breastfed my son without any trouble however my friend had a HORRIBLE time! She wasn't producing enough and was bleeding too. She worked a lot with her OB-GYN. I don't know exactly what they had her try but they had her on certain herbs to help her produce milk. I would suggest talking with your OB or whoever you see and ask him/her if they know of another out reach group other than LaLeche. Also the hospital I went to her in Joplin has a MOMS line. If the hospital has something like that talk with them and ask if they may know of another out reach group that will be more hands on than the nurses or classes at the hospital. Nursing can be a very rough journey however my friend said that with all that she went through it was VERY worth it. She had to buy a special bottle that had a tube connected to it instead of a nipple, the bottle would sit on her shoulder and have formula in it and then she would have her baby latch on and would have the tube right along by her nipple. This stimulated her and made her body think that she was nursing and also helped get her milk flowing however the baby still got a full feeding from the bottle. Pumping can also work too however I had a rough time with that because pumping made me very sore. My doctor told me to start rubbing a damp/wet wash cloth on my nipples to toughen them up along with using the lanolin cream. Start doing so BEFORE the baby is due though so you will be used to the friction and the sucking from the baby won't bother you as much. I don't have a clue how this responding to "?"s work because this is my fist time so my acutal email is ____@____.com if you have any "?"s about what all I just wrote and want to know what the herbs were. I am also having my second son in June! Good Luck!! S.

I just want to say good for you. A lot of women wouldn't try to breastfeed after what you went through. I have breastfed both of my boys with little trouble, but there were a few times I had to ask for help. The LaLeche League meets at the Brentwood Library in Springfield. The boys' Dr. also has a nurse that helped me. Anyway, breastfeeding should not hurt (well, not much). The trouble you had sounds like your baby was not lached on right. You probly needed to get more of your nipple in his mouth. I hope you have better luck with your next baby.

I took a breastfeeding class at the hospital my son was born at, I was interested in breastfeeding but wasnt something I thought or was able to do, after taking the class and learning so much about it, I was so ready to breastfeed my son. He latched on great and nursed very good, they teach you how the baby should latch on if latched on correctly, and if the baby isnt latched on correctly it will hurt. Its good to learn about it, I know it helped me alot by going, I didnt know half the stuff I learned from the class. It was very educational.

Congrats and good luck.

G.

Catherine,
I also had a very difficult time breastfeeding my first child. When I was expecting my second child I went to a breastfeeding class the hospital offered which I didn't do the first time. It was 2 classes that were about 2 hours long. You may also want to see if your hospital has a lactation consultant or knows of one. If they don't check with your OB and your child's pediatrician. Good luck to you.
M. V.

You poor thing!! I remember the bleeding nipples well!! But it really does get better I promise. Just because there is not a laleche league close does not mean you do not have support. You have US!! I have an AWESOME book that I would love to let you borrow, it's called "So That's What There For" and it is written in a way to make you want to read it. I loved it and it got me through everythihg, I nursed my daughter for 1 year then my next for 8 months you can contact me here or at ____@____.com if you are interestesd in the book and I will send it to you. I live in Mascoutah!
Take Care and don't stress that is the worst thing you can do!
K.