Breastfeeding book?

[rbp]

I didn't take a BF class and now I'm starting to get concerned that I don't know anything. Does anyone have a good BF book to recommend, or does such a thing even exist?

Also, how do lactation consultants work? Will someone come to visit me in the hospital or do I have to find my own?

[Ashley&Scott]

Depends on your hospital, at my hospital the LCs will come visit & they do free outpatient appointments too. Check out kellymom.com for BF info.

Is there a BF group in your area? That might be a good way to get some info. They're usually free & lead by a LC. Check your local hospitals & LLL. Since you didn't take a class I would recommend attending a group before you deliver.

[MamaMaui24]

"So That's What They're For" by Janet Tamaro

Most hospitals do have them but not all. Just be sure to tell your nurses you want help/want a LC to visit you. If not an LC, most labor/delivery/post partum and nursery nurses can be very helpful.

[halfpint]

I liked Womanly Art of BFing (I would actually send you a copy free for shipping if you want). It's a little intense sometimes, with little mention of what to do if you're concerned about supply, etc., but overall a good resource.

They should have a nurse or LC at the hospital who will help. I took the class, read books, and still needed a nurse to help me latch the first few days.

[ssmjlm]

My hospital has them on staff 7 days a week. Plus the nurses were very helpful.

Our pedi also has one on staff. The first 2 appointments are scheduled as pedi and LC. The LC at the pedi was invaluable for me.

[halfpint]

I would do some Kelly Mom or Belly Belly reading. It's helpful to understand how supply works, what to expect, etc. And a group is wonderful if you can find one. Asking questions from other moms, seeing nursing in action makes it so much easier. Definitely look for that support after delivery if not before.

[simpsongal]

If you have time to read about BFing, it can't hurt. But I went in without knowing anything and it's worked out fine. LCs are very helpful - for me, it was the hands on stuff that's the most difficult (making a "sandwich" and getting a good latch).

There are so many variables w/BFing - no sense worrying about or learning those that don't apply. We broke all the rules with our NICU baby (pumped right away, paci, supplementing days 2 & 3) and BFing worked out fine from there. I'm still EBFing at 5.5 months.

ETA: I like Kelly Mom & this board for information.

[lilac05]

KellyMom.com and MMMoms should be a big help for you, but a face-to-face meeting with a LC should be incredibly helpful in the hospital. One should make an initial visit, but be proactive and call them back if you have more questions.

Your milk will probably come in after you leave the hospital & things will change again. Get to a LC or Breastfeeding support group ASAP. I had to pay for my OP LC appointment ($125, I think). Most are free, though. It was the best money I spent that year, I think.

Do you have any good friends who are still Breastfeeding (or did recently)? Maybe they could help you, too.

Classes are great, but it's also one of those things where you can study and prepare, but all bets are off when baby arrives anyway.

[nonsenseabound]

I read the Nursing Mother's Companion. Kathy Huggins. I felt like it was informative without being preachy. I also liked that while it stressed the benefits of breastmilk it didn't make a mom feel like a failure for using formula.

I really have a hard time with books that basically say formula is poison. No mom should be faulted for feeding her child.

[nonsenseabound]

also my LC came right to my room. Some LC are better than others. The one I had with my DD was fantastic. I saw her again with my DS. But there was another one who came on my second day with my DS who was the most evil bitch I ever met. I gave my son some formula because my milk wasn't in yet, he was hungry after being on the breast for 30 minutes, and I was wiped. He ate 4 ounces and promptly slept. The evil LC told me how it was such a bad idea and chastised me that he would never learn to take the breast, etc etc. When I saw the good LC I told her that if I had been a first time mom, I would've cried my eyes out.

I should add that I nursed both kids past age one.  DD to 15 months, DS to 14 months and both self weaned at that age.  I knew I could nurse so having a LC get all preachy made me get ragey 

[simpsongal]

Also - don't be shy - the LCs at our hospital were amazing. But they preferred to show me things by doing (including hand expressing milk).

[andthentherewere10]

Nursing mother's companion is great

[lishie]

My doula was also a LLL leader, and she recommended this book to me.

www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Breastfeeding-Book-Answers-Problem-Solving/dp/0307345580

I really liked it.

[Deleted]

Start here: kellymom.com/category/ages/newborn/bf-basics/

I liked "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding", but it is pretty hardcore. Just reading on kellymom is probably adequate. My hospital had LC, but only 1 or 2 for the whole floor. My kids were born on busy days, and I never saw the LC at all despite requesting a visit. Knowing a bit of how things work was very reassuring to me. I see people freaking out of very normal things all the time.

[rbp]

A class/group isn't happening at this point as I have a broken ankle and can't get around. Turns out that my hospital does have LCs, so I will meet with one after I deliver and go from there. Thanks for the book and website recs as well!

[badtzmaru22]

I loved Breastfeeding Made Simple- seven natural laws. That was the only book I read. I didn't find the LCs in the hospital terribly helpful, but they did give some advice that helped over the phone when I was at home dealing with oversupply.

[D2M]

I read two books before baby arrived: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding. I thought I was so prepared. Ha. My hospital had a breastfeeding class every morning and that was helpful. The nurses also were great with getting the baby to latch. I still had problems, though, and had an independent lactation consultant come to my house a week after I gave birth. It was $250 out of pocket, but I live in a big city. The lactation consultant was very helpful but I found the breastfeeding support group I attended when baby was a month to be even more helpful because I was able to do a weighted feed. It was also nice to connect with other moms who didn't find breastfeeding to be super easy. My takeaway is that you can do a ton of research beforehand but it's hard to really figure things out until the baby is in your arms. Good luck!

[AmyRI]

Good that your hospital has LCs.

I'd also recommend looking up other LCs. They are not all created equal, and some are much better than others. For example, the LC that was working at the hospital when I delivered DS handed out nipple shields like candy and failed to list any of the downsides or problems to watch for when using them. Seeing a different LC, at a different hospital, was necessary to get us back on track.

Also, look up BFing support groups. Even if you aren't having issues, a LOT of your time is consumed by BFing and having a place to socialize where it's perfectly normal to whip out a boob is invaluable. Several of the hospitals local to me have meetings weekly, and LLL meets monthly in several different towns within driving distance.

[ssmjlm]

Jul 18, 2014 10:02:37 GMT -5 Jennyanydots said:

My biggest recommendation is to get your H to attend the class and read all the materials too. Having a supportive and knowledgeable partner is one of the biggest factors in successful BFing. Being in pain, tired, worried about feeding your baby - all the stuff you learned can sometimes go right out of your head - having your partner to help with positioning, encouragement, etc is really important.

Even if you all can't attend a class, so much the above.  Having a helpful DH is so important.  I would have given up with all of my issues (which weren't even that bad, looking back) if DH hadn't basically shouldered everything else.

You really are a human dairy cow in the beginning and you spend most of your time with a baby on the boob, chillin on the couch.  Make sure you and your DH keep you hydrated and fed.

[rbp]

Jul 18, 2014 10:20:10 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

Jul 18, 2014 10:02:37 GMT -5 Jennyanydots said:

My biggest recommendation is to get your H to attend the class and read all the materials too. Having a supportive and knowledgeable partner is one of the biggest factors in successful BFing. Being in pain, tired, worried about feeding your baby - all the stuff you learned can sometimes go right out of your head - having your partner to help with positioning, encouragement, etc is really important.

Even if you all can't attend a class, so much the above.  Having a helpful DH is so important.  I would have given up with all of my issues (which weren't even that bad, looking back) if DH hadn't basically shouldered everything else.

You really are a human dairy cow in the beginning and you spend most of your time with a baby on the boob, chillin on the couch.  Make sure you and your DH keep you hydrated and fed.

I'm actually ok with this as I physically can't manage much else.

[spanikopita]

They'll come to you in the hospital. You don't need a book - just an LC and the MMMs .

[mrshandy]

Your hospital should have some on staff. If you're doing a hospital tour then they will explain how it all works.

Also your pedi might have some on staff. We chose our pedi because of their awesome bf support. Ask any potential pedi about their bf support.

[sillygoosegirl]

My SIL sent me a copy of The Nursing Mother's Companion. I've read the first 60 pages so far (the part the introduction suggested reading while pregnant), and I'm liking it so far.

All my LLL friends talk about how great The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is, and I do intend to check it out too. Though I'm a little worried it will be kind of preachy and rose-colored-glassesy... Since they are a bit that way about BFing. (Not that I've ever really considered not BFing, but I also intend to be back at work at 6 weeks....)

[satsuma]

I have The Nursing Mother's Companion and like it. It has a lot of info on challenges to breastfeeding. I ignored the section on sleep training. I looked over the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and felt like it was anti-WOHM.

[rbp]

Thanks ladies. I have enough emotions right now that I don't need to add guilt to the list, so what I have seen about The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding makes me a bit nervous. I ordered the Nursing Mother's Companion. It will be totally worth the $10 to feel like I'm not completely clueless (unless I have the baby before the book arrives on Monday, hahah!).

[scsarah]

It sounds like you've gotten great advice, and I'll echo that the board has been really helpful. I'm glad your hospital has LCs, and I'd check to see if you can see them again after you leave or if you need to find someone else.

My hospital had LCs, and I met with one once, but my milk hadn't come in yet. When it did, things definitely changed, and I realized I needed help again. We met with a second LC who was AMAZING, and realized that DS had both a lip and tongue tie, and recommended that we get that fixed. No one in the hospital (four nurses, his pedi, the hospital LC) had seen it, and once we got those fixed, it made a huge difference in his feeding.

[gibbinator]

I'd say the most important thing is to gather together a list of resources available in your area that you can call on immediately post partum. That includes finding out if there's a LC at the hospital or elsewhere, finding out numbers and meeting times of breastfeeding support groups like LLL, find out if your hospital runs any newborn care classea/groups where you can get hands on help etc.

IME, breastfeeding either works pretty much right off the bat, or not, so knowing what support is available immediately is very important. Also visual explanations (in a prenatal breastfeeding class or YouTube videos) are more helpful than reading about latches. It's one of those things where a hands on approach is really best. Although if you have time for a book, being armed with knowledge certainly won't hurt!

[magpie]

I know that I'm kind of late, but I'd just read the kellymom website, watch a few videos and ask the nurses and LC's for help in the hospital. I took a class, which was helpful, but I got the most help from kellymom as well as a few very nice nurses and LC's in the hospital. Oh and MMM is very helpful to post questions, of course! I don't think I would have made it these past 9 months without the help of everyone here

[kershnic]

I didn't read any books, but I will echo kellymom and internet friends, and I will add that when I needed a lactation consultant after I was discharged from the hospital our pediatrician was able to refer me to a great one Who did home visits. Many pedis also have them on staff.

[greycat]

I liked the Nursing Mothers Companion and found it helpful when I did have a problem. I took a few different books out of the library and liked that one best. My hospital has LCs on staff and my Pedi has one now too. I also got a ton of great advice here too.