Hi, April 17! Sorry for the intrusion! Just wanted to welcome y'all over to the BF board - no lurking or intros necessary, just pop by anytime you have a question.
Check ins divided by age are posted each Monday; they're a great resource to chat with other moms at the same place as you or peek ahead to see what might be coming.
No matter what your BF journey looks like; we're here to help. Congratulations and good luck to all the new moms & those still with inside babies!
Post by onesweetworld on Apr 3, 2017 20:48:35 GMT -5
Thank you so much for the post! I was going to come over and ask for all the advice on things to have on hand before baby to make it a smoother transition after birth.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a wonderful book though sometimes a bit intense in time.
Couple latch/positioning videos I usually recommend if those early days are a bit of a struggle. There are many positions for breastfeeding, not a right one or a wrong one. Remember to bring baby to the breast (not breast to baby) and that baby's chest tummy & thighs should be snug against you while nursing.
Things to have: -nipple cream (lanolin or non lanolin, such as earth mama angel baby nipple butter or coconut oil) -breast pads for leaking -large glass/cup/bottle for water, and a straw is nice -one handed foods for snacking while nursing -patience. You and baby both have to learn how to nurse. Lots of skin to skin, and let baby latch as much and as long as S/he wants (barring medical condition contraindicating that, sometimes happens with preemies.)
Less necessary but sometimes nice -gel pads (sometimes called soothies or hydrogel pads depending on brand) -breastfeeding pillow or a collection of regular pillows to assist in supporting you & baby (many brands available, comes down to personal preference. I liked the boppy breastfeeding pillow that has a soft & firm side, similar to the my breast friend pillow)
Oh, for visitors in those early days - yes everyone wants to hold the baby and yes it's special to see favorite auntie myrtle snuggle your child. But when baby wants to nurse, do it. Take baby back. Take your shirt off. Nurse. Feeding baby is the number one priority (again assuming neither of you are dealing with overwhelming complications.) An overly hungry overtired overstimulated baby is much more difficult to nurse than one showing early hunger cues. If you're interested in learning to nurse under a cover, you can do that after you've figured out nursing. Don't be afraid to kick everyone out if you're more comfortable that way, just don't let the goodbyes take another half hour.
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