I am 32 having my first child in May. I have decided to have an epidural and I would like to breast feed. Does anyone have any suggestions on reading material to know what to expect with birth and also breast feeding tips?
Your Dr can recommend good ones specific to what you want to know, however "What to Expect when you are expecting" was by far the best book I read about what to know was going to happen. Epidurals are AWESOME! :) Had them with both and enjoyed the process much better after it kicked in.
At your hospital they will help you with breast feeding, most hospitals have lactation specialist on hand to help you out. Good luck and CONGRATS! VERY EXCITING!!!
I Agree that the "what to expect " book is the best! And definitely use a lactation specialist and don't try to do it on your own! Get a good breast pump so you can sleep and your husband can do a feeding or two once breast feeding is established.
"The Working Woman's pregnancy book" is a really good one, even if you're not a working mom! I thought it was much more informative than the What to Expect book.... it talks a lot about what to do if you plan on going back to work afterwards, but if you don't then the information is still useful. Hope that helps! Good luck!
The "girlfriends guide to pregnancy" and "birthing from within". Both should be at the library.
As for BF the only tip I will give is to stick with it for 4 weeks. Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up.
Amber,
Congratulations! I agree with the "Girlfriends Guides" by Vicki Iovine, they are so hilarious and so true! I wasn't a big fan of "What to Expect" they're written by doctors, and just facts, not experiences like "Girlfriends". For breast feeding, the La Leche Leagues book is very good. They have tons of information and tips.
Honestly, no matter what you read, nothing will be exactly what YOU go through! My labors were loooong, my epidurals were great! With my son, I brought in my milk with a pump, then we nursed happily for 14 months. My daughter latched on 15 minutes after she was born, and I haven't got her off since! Breast feeding will be hard the first 2 to 6 weeks. I give a large range because it depends how you heal and how fast you and baby get in the groove. Sites like this are great, just ignore the perfect moms with perfect babies lol.
Veronica
My favorite books were:
What to Expect When Expecting
The Girlfriends Guice to Pregnancy
Jenny McCarthy Baby Blues (I think this is what it was called)
Favorite websites (which I used a LOT):
www.babycenter.com (you can sign up for weekly e-mails that have GREAT info)
www.babyfit.com
www.kellymom.com (great breastfeeding site)
Check out The Baby Book, by Dr. William Spears. What to Expect When Your Expecting, is another good one. Congratulations and good luck!
Congratulations! I found "The Birth Partner" by Penny Simkin to be really helpful! It's written for the person who's going to be in the room with you (ex: hubby), but it walks thru every stage of labor, what to expect, coping techniques, epidurals, and all the different styles of delivery. Loved it.
Tips for breastfeeding: it can be a wonderful challenge ;o) Ask the nurses to send the hospital's lactation consultant your way. She can be a great source of free help, even after you leave the hospital! The nurses or LC can help you get the baby to latch on properly. Get some gel breast pads, like Soothies (at Walgreens) or Medela (I've seen them at Target in the baby section)... helps soothe the nipples when they're sore. Lanolin helps too, but these pads offer a cooling relief. They helped me alot! I bought two sets of Gerber Hot/Cold Breast Packs... soft gel rings that you can microwave and wear in your nursing bra a few minutes before nursing to help your milk let down, and I place the other set in the freezer to help soothe when feeling engorged. And get a fun nursing cover/cape, like Hooter Hiders, with the great neck opening that makes it easy to see baby while you're nursing. Nice for nursing in public! Loved Lansinoh Breast pads- very absorbent. Nursing bras: I had better luck with soft cup (underwire can press on milk ducts, better chance of mastitis)- I liked the ones at Mimi Maternity. Really comfortable. Also get a few sleep bras... like a soft sports bra that keeps your breast pads in place while you're sleeping. Phew... that's alot of info! Sorry for getting so long-winded... but I remember after my first kiddo and having some challenges with nursing (I didn't know about mastitis!), I wished that my friends had told me more of what I'd need, etc ;o)
Good luck! Praying that you'll have a wonderful delivery and great nurses available for all the different stages of labor/delivery/aftercare... they can be such a great resource and help!
Amber,
The baby book, by Dr. Sears, is a great resource for that first year and his book called The Pregnancy Book, covers pregnancy and birth. Both are really helpful, and cover breast feeding.
With my first, I remember breast feeding being REALLY HARD for four to six weeks. So hang in there with it if it is tough.... It does get better. I would recommend seeing a lactation consultant in the hospital and even later if you are having trouble.
Also, some women are prone to mastitis. I know that I am. I would have the Mastitis Remedy by Wishgarden Herbs on hand (you can get it at Vitamin Cottage) as well as some Bromelain (an enzyme from pineapples) on hand to use in case of mastitis. As soon as you feel a clog or a lump, you can start using those and avoid full blown mastitis--which is like the flu with aches and exhaustion.
Good luck! I wish you the best as you are starting this new adventure!
FWIW, I am 32 and having my second child in late April or early May. Lots to look forward to!
Congratulations, Amber! How exciting for you. I think every pregnant woman should be required to read A Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer. For breastfeeding, you can't beat LaLecheLeague's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. It is extremely helpful.
Best wishes,
Tonya
When I was pregnant, the doctor's office gave me "What To Expect When You're Expecting". It covered every possible topic -- I literally never had a question that wasn't answered in that book. I didn't have to ask other moms or get other books or call the doctor with questions, not even once.
Same with "What To Expect The First Year".
BTW, I used that book through three children.
The best information I got was from taking a birthing class. The hospital you are useing will should have a reasonably priced class that meets a few times a week for a couple weeks. The nice thing about the class is that they will let you know the proceedure at their hospital. Most hospitals have a lactation staff too that will help you with breast feeding if not ask them for a referral.
I loved the "Idiot's Guide to Breastfeeding" It was easy to read, but had a ton of good information. Good luck!
A great resource book is The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins. I am a RN and on my hospital's lactation support team. They had us all read this book as a basic text for problem solving. I remember when my first was born that I poured through it for answers to my questions and it was very helpful.
There are a number of breastfeeding sites as well. You can look at la leche league information or anything by Jack Newman. He's a world renowned breastfeeding expert. I had the privelege of attending a conference he spoke at. He has articles at www.breastfeedingonline.com and his own site at www.drjacknewman.com.
Good luck to you! You won't regret breastfeeding, it is so great. Just go into it realizing that it can be difficult for the first few weeks and after that it's fantastic. Such a great bonding experience and it really helps with weight loss. I couldn't believe how relaxing it was for me, it actually helped me with my stress levels!
Everyone has given some great advice. I just wanted to add a couple of things about breast feeding. If you want to breast feed, then stick with it. I actually had nurses suggesting to me to supplement for a few days with formula but I said no and my son has been exclusivly breast feed and he's about to turn 1 next week. I had a couple of friends have babies after i did and the nurses talked them into giving some formula. They were never able to breastfeed and gave up after a few weeks.
Also, I didn't read this in any book ahead of time so it freaked me out. Breastfed babies lose more weight after birth than formula fed babies. So be prepared for that and just keep going on the breastfeeding.
In terms of breastfeeding the very best thing i did was join a breastfeeding support group that met weekly. it was not la leche league, but rather a group that met at the hospital where i delivered that was led by a lactation consultant. ask at your hospital to see if they offer one or know of one. i started this group right away, as soon as my son was born, and it helped so much. as for epidurals, i apologize; i was so confused by the information out there that i can't really help you there.
good luck!
I suggest "The Girlfriend's Guide" and birth is just like taking a huge poo. Push the baby out your bum, not the top of your head - holding your breath doesn't really help, and epidurals are God's gift to women. Bam. You are now ready to have a baby. :D
I was 32 when I had my first also, you sound exactly like me! First of all, the epidural RULES. I highly recommend it. I was super scared about it cause I don't like needles but honestly, I didn't feel a thing.
Breastfeeding ... all I can say is stick with it! It's such a great bonding time for you and your little one. Mine is 6 months old and I just love that it's "our" time. Buy a pump, Medela makes a $150 model called the Swing. It's much easier to leave the house if your baby will also take a bottle. Nursing in the back of a car or wherever isn't ideal (it wasn't for me anyway). If your nipple gets cracked, pump for a day or two on that side to give it a chance to heal and buy some Lansinoh cream. Let your nipples air dry before you put them away, then put cream on them EVERY TIME. It will help. Once you make it past the first few weeks, it's all good and you'll be so glad you did!
You may want to look at books written by Dr Sears, try www.AskDrSears.com, Laleche League is also there for support you may want to try to contact a local member they are Moms that would love to assist. I was working full time and didn't know if I could nurse or not; however, between the support of these two resources my daughter became a veteran nurser. And is now a very healthy, secure, smart, well adjusted 14 year old.