Breastfeeding Advice - Kalispell,MT

When I was pg with my son, I was determined that I would breastfeed him. I did however tell myself that it is ok if it doesn't work out and I at least had to try. I set myself up for it to be extremely hard, and that way I was ready for whatever happened.
It ended up being easier then I thought it would be and he did great. I recommend reading some books on breastfeeding if you haven't already, one of my fav's is The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Higgins, it was recommended to me by my OB and it was great. I have since lent the book to two others and they also loved it.
I am a nurse and I would highly recommend using the lactation consulant at the hospital as much as you can before you go home and find out what resources you have close by that you can call on for help once you go home with baby.

Good luck, it was a wonderful bonding experience.

hi M..
congrats on the engagement and the little one. i am a first time mom also, my son is five months old. i breastfed him at first also, convinced i was going to make it work! well it didn't for him, he didn't want to eat. he would latch and then within a minute he would unlatch and trying to get him to stay latched was hard. it didn't hurt me at all, i didn't get soar nipples or anything, and when he did stay latched on it was awesome. i wish i would have tried harder. use the lactation nurses as much as you can, and keep at it! it is much better for your baby. but if it doesn't work out, please don't beat yourself up that doesn't help either. i did the same thing.

With my second I thought it would be as easy as the first but it certainly wasn't. By day 2 in the hospital my nipples were bleeding and the mere thought of her wanting to eat made me cry! I was at a wonderful hospital that was pro brestfeeding and had LCs there when you needed them. I broke down and did a ton of crying on her shoulder but realize my milk had come in and it would be smooth sailing. I suggest you get a tube of lanolin and bring it to the hospital with you and keep it with you the first couple of weeks and use it after every feeding on your nipples. Don't get discouraged. You are learning just as much as the baby will be and it is the best thing for baby (and you!) My youngest is now 19 months and still happily nursing and that pain in the beginning is like childbirth-you soon forget all about it!

M.,
First I want to congradulate you on your choice to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is so wonderful for both you and the baby. I'm sure you have read and your doctor has told you all the great medical reasons for breastfeeding. What I will tell you is from my own personal exprience. My daughter is 6 months old, and is still breastfeeding. People tell me she is old enough to stop, and that I'd get more sleep, but I made a commitment to my self and to her that I would not stop until she was a year old. I think that is the most important factor, is that you make a commitment and do not waiver. Some people say, "I'll try" or "I'll do what I can". But if you are truly commited, you will get through the tough times and find a bond and moments that are irreplaceable. It was VERY difficult the first few weeks. I actually had blisters on my nipples. I took care of myself and used cooling pads, and other measures to pamper myself, and I stayed committed. Now breastfeeding is a breeze. My daughter and I are like a well-groomed machine. It took about 3-4 months to get there, but it is so worth it. I am back to work now, and pumping is difficult, but in my mind I feel better because each day I leave my daughter with a little bit of something that no one else can give her but me. I love the connection we have, even after a 12 hour work day, I can come home and nurse. We cuddle and she gazes at me with so much happiness. She has even started to twirl her foot when she nurses. This is the only time that she does this, and I feel so great knowing I make her that happy. Please find a la leche league in your area. Get with your doctor to find support from other mothers. Also, when choosing a pediatrican find one that is 110% suppportive of breastfeeding, it can make all the differance in the world when you have a support group behind you. Also, express your commitment to your partner and ask for his support. My husband lovingly encouraged me when things got difficult. Congrats!

M.-

Breastfeeding seemed pretty easy for me. It really helps having a lactation consultant visit you and the baby in the hospital. The one thing though that bothered me is that the nurses would try to get me to put my daughter in a breastfeeding position that she didn't like at all and I wasn't comfortable with it either. So I just did a position that was comfortable for me and for my daughter too. You should check to see if there are any La Leche League meetings in your area, they are helpful. You can even go to one before you have your baby. Also, they have breastfeeding classes at most hospitals. It can be a little sore on your nipples at first, what helps though is getting some breastfeeding cream to rub on your nipples before you have the baby and after each feeding. I love breastfeeding, my daughter is 10 months now and I'm still breastfeeding. Hope you'll be able too! It's a nice bond for you and the baby and you get lots of rest too!

Well I have large breasts so everyone acted like it would for sure be a breeze for me. Well let me tell you it wasn't. My son didn't latch on the entire time we were at the hospital! Not once. They STILL sent us home and told us to call Le Leche the next day and see a consultant. Went to a consultant. She evaluated my breasts, technique, my sons capability to latch on etc. Finally she sent me home with a breast shield (a plastic fake nipple to put over my own, and these little contraptions that were round and hard had holes for the nipple, were hard plastic by the way. They were to draw my nipples out when I wasn't nursing. They were worn under my bra at all times and were a funny shape. It looked like i had somthing goofy in my bra at all times and everyone stared at me. Anyways, I endured all this to do the natural thing for 6 MONTHS!! I kid you not. Not to mention all the conventional stuff like constantly leaking then having to walk aroud with milk all over your shirt, sore nipples, nursing bras, etc. So I guess what i am saying is don't listen to a soul!! LOL!! It won't necessarily be easy or even enjoyable. All i really had was that It was better for my son. No wonderful enlighting moments likes some claim. So if you can't do it at all or for very long don't beat yourself up. I know people go crazy one direction or the other about how they feel about nursing but don't sweat it either way!! I know I heard constantly to stop doing it cause it was a waste of time, or that i had to do it or my baby would be dumb and or ill. My daughter was a bottle fed baby and she is just as healthy as my son, and just as smart! So do whatever feels right for YOU!! Hugs

Hi M.! GOOD FOR YOU! That's the best decision you can make for your baby! But that's not the hard part. ;) For some women, Breast feeding is a breeze. They and their babies take to it with no problem. But most of us have some challenges along the way. did it hurt? Oh yeah. But that didn't last all that long. Here's my story (I'll try to keep it short).

When Bright was born, we knew we would have some problems because I had flat inverted nipples and very large breasts. And we didn't know it at the time, but we had a very stubborn baby! He wouldn't latch on right away nad because he had a little low blood sugar (I had gestational diabetes) we had to start finger feeding him with formula right away. But we kept trying. Sometimes he would latch, sometimes he wouldn't. So while in the hospital, we mostly formula fed until I could get home and start pumping. So I joined my Lactation Group at the hospital (BTW, I had WONDERFUL LC's beside me every step of the way in and out of the hospital) and pumped for the first 9 1/2 weeks of my son's life. Finally, after 9 1/2 weeks of pumping, he did it! And he is 19 months now and still nursing (though he's eating solids and drinking milk and all that other good stuff). NOW I have to figure out how I'm going to wean him because he is in no way ready to stop! :) And right now through the winter I am not going to get serious about it because we've already had rotavirus this year (though it wasn't as bad as last year).

So in a nutshell, it's not always easy. As a matter of fact, it's almost NEVER easy. And you will get stressed out, and you will get discouraged, but you will also make the best decision for you and your baby whether it be to continue to try to nurse or to start supplementing.

See if your local hospitals have a nursing support group or something that you can join at first. That helped me out immensely knowing that everyone has issues at first and the help they provided was priceless.

Speaking of the 19 MO, he's having a melt down as I type. Visit my new blog post at http://mybrightboy.blogspot.com and read the post "Boobies make me smile...A Thoughtful Post"

I have a three year old and a 4 month old, both are soley breastfed. I found the pain was reduced by using the Lansinoh cream before I actually even had them. Also around week 6 it feels like all you do is breastfeed. The baby has its first major growth spurt and it may seem like it cannot get enough milk, but if you are diligent and patient the hard week will pass. It takes some practice, but the benefits are great. Congratulations to you on your new little one, and on the decission to breast feed.

Breastfeeding is different for everyone. Some people find it hard & painful, others don't have problems. I nursed my son for 16 months, and plan on nursing the next one. I bought myself a Playtex pump, and loved it! I would pump when I'd take him to my parents to watch, or for my husband to help feed when I needed extra rest or to sleep in on a weekend. If you have more questions, or run into problems if you try to breastfeed, the hospital will normally have a consultant that will visit you in the hospital & give you their # as well to call any time of day. Best of luck if you do breastfeed, you will find it rewarding, help loose baby weight faster, cheaper than formula, and is the best for your baby!

Congratulations on the new little bundle of joy! I have a 15 month old and she is a blast, we are still nursing. I was also a little anxious about breastfeeding and no one told me for 2 weeks about a wonderful little devise called the Nipple Shield. It is a life saver. You can get them at Target or Babies R Us, places like that. They are inexpensive and really work great. By the time I got one I was so raw and was ready to be done nursing but I tried them out and here we are 15 months later and still nursing!

You are going to be a little sore anyway just because you have to get used to the whole nursing experience and some babies do not latch on as well as others do, the nipple shield will help them to latch on better and eventually you will not have to use it. I would start out without the nipple shield just to see how baby does latching on. If the latch on is not so great then use it.

Best of luck on your labor and delivery! It is a wonderful experience

Good to hear about your breastfeeding plans! It's the best thing you can do for your kids. A lot of breastfeeding advocates will tell you that it doesn't hurt and that it's easy. Well, don't believe the hype. It will only make it harder for you when reality sets in. Breastfeeding hurts a ton in the beginning! It's really hard on you and the kid in the beginning when you're both learning how to do it. But, after you give it a while, it gets easier and easier all the time. Give yourself short goals to reach. One week, then two, then three. Educate yourself about breastfeeding as much as possible before your due date. Contact La Leche League for support and advice. Make sure that you make your breastfeeding wishes known to hospital staff before the birth and (very important!) see a lactation consultant before you leave the hospital. You will need all the help you can get because it is not easy at first. There are many online chat groups you can go for knowledge and support. Try pregnancy.org's site. And always keep in mind the real goal for this is to give your child the best start in life. My twins are 4 mos. old and we never got the hang of breastfeeding full time. We only breastfeed once a day but I pump for them the rest of the time. Good luck on your new mommyhood and with breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding can go anyway, even if you are set at making this happen the little one might thing a differant story.
My little girl wanted to breast feed for the comfort of it so she tried to feed every min. at least that is what it seemed like to me. But every person is differant and you might not have a single problem breastfeeding or you might have all of the problems, you aren't going to know untill your little one comes along and you find out.
There are also breastfeeding specialists in the hospital for aftor you give birth, and they jump right in and make sure that you are comfortable breastfeeding and that your baby is doing a good job too.
So don't worry too much, you'll be in good hands.

I found breastfeeding to be a little challenging at first, just like learning any new skill. A friend recommended using lanolin in the third trimester to soften up my nipples. I never had any pain while breastfeeding, so consider it good advice. (Available in a purple tube at Target.)
Another piece of advice I got was to give it 6 weeks and if it wasn't going well then, to reevaluate. By 6 weeks it was second nature.
I would highly recommend taking a class so you feel as ready as you can be!
If it ever gets tough, just remember how good it is for your baby.

That is so great that you are so committed to breastfeeding! It is the best thing you can do for your baby. My son rarely got sick until I stopped breastfeeding him at around 13 months. He never once had an ear infection and now in this year since we have stopped nursing he has had 3-4 ear infections, not a coincidence in my opinion. Unfortunately at 13 months he weaned himself otherwise I probably would have done it longer because of the health benefits for him.
Anyway, the best advice I got was that the first 3 months are hard but stay the course and after that it gets SO much better! It is so true it takes a few months to adjust and establish a in sync feeding arrangment with your baby. Most hospitals have a breastfeeding advocate who usually works for La Leche League so make sure you let the nurses know you want her to visit you. The nurses tried to help me but it just wasn't working and I was so frustrated! The breastfeeding lady came in and it was like a miracle! She immediately got my son to latch and gave me great tips and pointers. Also the first 3-4 days don't worry if you feel like your child isn't getting much. My milk didn't come in for 4 days and it didn't seem like my son was getting much and he actually lost weight but his wonderful pediatrician assured me that it was completely normal. Babies are meant to lose about 10% of their birth weight in the first few days after birth because not everyone's milk comes in immediately. It is perfectly normal and your baby will be fine.
Make sure to buy Lansinoh for your nipples, because even if your baby has a good latch, a first time mom usually has some pain and dryness. Lansinoh is a miracle cream and safe for baby. In fact I still use it on my son if he has a patch of dry skin or an irritated nose from a cold.
Other than that always keep a positive attitude and realize that this is the best thing for your baby and when your child is done nursing you will miss that special bonding time that only you and your child can experience.

The very first time I nursed, I was also nervous. I had no problems and REALLY enjoyed it. I believe the more relaxed you are, the better things flow. Its a wonderful experience.

I didn't take any BF classes or read any books and I really reget it now. My baby had a very poor latch in the beginning and because of that she made my nipples very, very sore but once we got our problems ironed out, we did great! I am proud to say that she just turned 16 months and I still nurse her at wakeup, naptime, and bedtime.

I would highly recommend a BF class or meeting and a new mom support group (which I was fortunate enough to find one) after baby is born.

The first couple days are difficult. This is something that is brand new to both you and the baby. Just keep on trying and don't get frustrated. It will work! Definitly take advantage of the lactation consultant at the hospital and your ob/gyn if they have one. Read all the pamplets and articles that you can. It took us about 2 weeks to get it down,and it wasn't fun. It hurt, she wasn't getting much to eat, and it was getting frustrated. But once we got it figured out everything was smooth, and so rewarding. I've been breastfeeding for 5 months now and plan to continue until its time to stop.
good luck, you'll do great!

I will be honest with you.. breastfeeding takes practice and it does hurt a little bit at first. Just stick with it breastfeeding is soo good for your little one. It is worth the effort at first, and it gets so much easier and more convient the more you get used to it. I breastfed my son and he was never sick while I breastfed, but the week after I stopped he got really sick and has been sick a lot since.

You have gotten lots of good advice here. Yes, it probably will hurt a bit at some point, but stick with it and it will work itself out. There are lots of things to try to releive some of the pain, so if you get to that point, post again and I'm sure you will get ideas from everyone.

I nursed all 5 of my babies, and each one was different. Hang in there through the engorgement, the cracked nipples (if it happens), and the eating all the time moments. It really is a special event!

I would encourage you to get to a few La Leche meetings ASAP! The better your support network before you even start the more successful you will be.
There are monthly meetings in Fargo & Grand Forks (even this week!). Email me at ____@____.com if you want more information.
Sincerely, R. K.

I am not going to lie yes it hurts, hurts alot. I am a mom of 3 and the first one I did not breastfeed, the second one I did for 3 weeks because he would not latch on right and I had to let him scream for him to open his mouth up to get him to latch on right. I thought there that I was done having kids and oops here comes number three. I breastfeed from the first nine minutes and am still. He has 4 teeth and he does bite but I do keep going. I admit it still hurts but hang in there the first 6 weeks are the hardest,after the 6 weeks you should have an easier time but don't give up even if you are tired, the baby is always hungry they want to nurse every 2 hours that is normal. I did not know that until my 3rd child, I am glad that I am still breastfeeding at 9 months and I hope that if you have any questions you can email me at ____@____.com question is a dumb one. Congrats on the new baby and all the luck breastfeeding it is the best but if you can't or the baby won't cooperate don't feel guilty into giving the babay a bottle or formula. It is ok to bottle feed. My daughter was and she is healthy. Good luck.

Hi M.! Congrats early on your new Aquarius arrival! I have to say that you will have a special person to care for! Aquarians are wonderful people! I am one. I don't mean to be conceited!

Anyway I wish I would have seeked advice before hand. We have come along way and I am still nursing my almost 7 month old. We had some issues at the begining and a few along the way. Mostly- I was blessed with milk! I was engorged before I left the hospital, I had stayed my extra day, a 4th since I had a section, and so glad I did otherwise I wouldn't have known I needed a nipple shield!! It helped her latch on when my breast where to full for her and it also helped with the pain. I eventually got her off and I don't remember it hurting too bad for too long. I did a pretty good wean from the shield I think. The other problem I had was her being very ansy and fussy when I would feed her. This was due to my overactive let down. In the end I wish I would have known about Milkworks in Lincoln. They have lactation consultants and a physician. They take insurance too! If I were to do it all over I would make a visit when she was 2 weeks old to see what she thought of things, she would have recognized my problem, where I thought we were still learning. I didn't have any luck with the LC in town, or my OB so that's when I decided to make the drive!! I also kept getting plugged ducts- due to so much milk!! Thanks to Milkworks, everything is going great and I am so happy to be nursing my daughter. I will tell you that I was one of those people who assumed I wouldn't really like breastfeeding but since I am in the healthcare field I knew that was what was best. I was going to pump and feed. But once I started feeding her myself, I just couldn't imagine it any other way. It gives us our time and a great excuse to be alone if you need one, because you will those first few weeks and months!!

M.- if it's what you really wan to do make sure you family, especially your husband, supports you. It makes all the difference in the world. I had many people telling me to just give her a botlle or tell me she wasn't getting enough. I politely listened and did what I knew was best: kept on BREASTFEEDING! If you have any doubts or problems, which you will seek advice of other BF moms!! We are each others best support- next to our husbands. By the way be prepared for rooming in occasionally and waking every 2 hours. Remember- this only lasts a short time, and we can never get this opportunity with our baby again!!

Good Luck- you and your precious little one will figure it out!!

Hi M.! My name is A., Im a 24 year old first time mom of a 7 month old little girl. I breastfeed my daughter and we had a bumpy start! My nipples were very tender and she wouldent latch correctly so I had some blisters on my breasts, I was going to give up because it hurt so much until a nurse in the hospital saw I was having issues and offered me a breast sheild. That breast shield was a god send, it protects your breast from friction. Because of the breast sheild I have succsesfully breastfed for 7 months! You can get a breast sheild at the hospital or at some stores like, Target, Shopco, etc. I hope this helps you, good luck :)

M.,

No, breastfeeding doesn't hurt when you first start if may feel different but, it doesn't hurt. You will get a lot of advice from the hospital staff. I would look into the different holds that is second to the proper latch. I know that we have a local support group that meets every thursday at one of the local hospitals. I would suggest that you see if there is a group that you could attend like that where there are a lot of women who ask questions and where you can ask questions. I breatfeed all of my children for different length of time the shortest being a few weeks to the longest of 17 months. I am still currently nursing my youngest who is 7 months.

I wish you the best of luck in both delivery and breatfeeding. If you are in the IC area let me know and I can tell you more about where to go.

A.