Only 12 Weeks to Go & I'm Getting Nervous About Breastfeeding!

As a very experienced breastfeeding Mother, advocate and peer counselor - I'd advise STRONGLY not to pump for your husband to feed your child until after 3 months have passed. You do NOT want the major issue/hurdle of nipple confusion, nor the supply & demand issue bottle feeding can cause new Moms. Your husband is an adult, he should be very understanding from his emotional and mental capacities - knowing this will make nursing harder for you.

After the first month of getting to know your infant, getting some sort of a routine in place (as in you can understand infant's cues on needing to be fed, etc) Then I'd start pumping and stockpiling a frozen supply for EMERGENCIES ONLY.

To store, buy the bags from the store - generic is fine... label them date and time. Some women use ice cube trays - they give 1 ounce per cube... much easier to thaw and use. At the end of 3 months, then start allowing husband to offer a bottle once a week, but don't build up more than 5 bottles a week - nursing from the breast is more beneficial to both Mommy and Baby. Use the oldest pumped milk first. To thaw, place bag in very warm water and move it around until thawed. Doesn't take too long. Once thawed, refrigerate what isn't put into the bottle and finish by the end of the same day. What was not eaten from the bottle - pour down the drain after 2 hours.

The first month, pump maybe twice a week... the first month is to get yourself in a stable nursing relationship with the newborn, not to pump. I'd count yourself extremely lucky that you are able to be a SAHM after the baby is born - so many women - myself included wish that was an option. Take advantage of your uninterrupted bonding time. Your husband can give baths, burp, change diapers, sing and talk to the baby and co-sleep with baby to bond. Mothers are the one with the breasts full of milk and should be the only one feeding them unless there is an issue, emergency or Mother has to work long hours.

I also strongly recommend you start going to a Le Leche League meeting - now while you are pregnant and afterwards of having the baby. These are REAL Moms, sharing REAL experiences and whom are very encouraging and supportive to nursing Mothers.

I'm 99.5% sure you will do just great - but you need to be sure you don't self sabotage by allowing hubby or others to feed baby before the first 3 months are over. Most medical professionals DO NOT have much if any breastfeeding training... it's better to go to Moms who've had the experience and who are there to support and help others. I'm a Nurse too - and I can guarantee you - even OB Nurses have very little experience or medical knowledge of breastfeeding, so a new Nurse won't be too helpful - - that is why hospitals hire IBCLCs and CLCs.

***@BellaMomma***
Nipple confusion is a studied and hard fact of breastfeeding. Some infants don't have a hard case whereas some Moms had to try for months to end it.
I'm sorry being a Mother was so hard for you... that you'd have to be so mean and judgmental to another Mom who didn't have that same problem - whom has successfully breastfed and helped others out of very hard predicaments.
I was a single Mother, working full time and going to school part time - breastfeeding exclusively when I was with my child and over night (*GASP* we co-slept too!! How horrible for Mommy!! Yeah right!) and having a hit or miss with my newborn taking a bottle, or just waiting for me to come and feed her.
Most Moms would be able to handle being the main one to feed their child for 3 months, just because you couldn't doesn't mean most others would have that same issue.

Nobody warned me or talked to me about breastfeeding AT ALL before I had my kids, and I was in for a rude awakening at the beginning. I ended up nursing my son for 16 months and my daughter for 13 months though, so I feel like I've been on BOTH ends of the spectrum...misery and joy....when it comes to breastfeeding.

First and MOST important.....Breastfeeding in the first 6 weeks or so is NOT an indication of how it's always going to be. Don't let the exhaustion and struggles of the first several weeks be your final decision about breastfeeding. STICK WITH IT atleast 2-3 months because it gets sooo much better. I try so hard to encourage all new moms to just stay with it, even though it can be really rough at first. I PROMISE that once you and your baby "click" and the baby is a little older, breastfeeding becomes SO easy and wonderful and enjoyable.

With pumping, I think with my son, I would be really full in the mornings, so I'd nurse him and then pump anything left over. I worked 2 days a week with him, so I would just pump at work. With my daughter, I didn't work, so I never gave her a bottle. I can't remember how long milk is good for once thawed, but I know it's easy to find out...call your local WIC office or even just google it. The lactation consultant at the hospital should give you that sort of information as well. As far as latch, I think having a GOOD lactation consultant at the hospital is VITAL. With my son, I had a horrible one who seemed rushed and never truly helped me. I ended up having to use a nipple shield with him for about 4 months until he finally latched on his own. But with my daughter, I had a GREAT LC who sat with us and showed me how to put her on the breast and watched her nurse several times so I was confident. I would be vocal....if you aren't confident leaving the hospital, ask for another LC.

Good luck! It will be great! You'll feel like a milk cow for the first few weeks, but just know that eventually everything settles down and breastfeeding can become SO great. Nothing beats that moment when your baby is nursing and reaches up and touches your face and smiles at you and then milk spills out their mouth....melts my heart!!!!!!

You sound very prepared, I'm sure you'll do great!

I just had my first and the best advice I got from the nurse in the hospital was "nipple sandwich"! She gave me a trick to squeeze the nipple like a sandwich into the baby's mouth so he could latch on better, and it worked! It was definitely a learning experience for both of us, but once we got the hang of it, we were pros!

I was pumping too on occasion so that my husband could feed our son too but we ran in to a couple problems with that. First of all pay attention to what kind of bottle you're using. My son would throw this huge fit every time we tried to feed him with a bottle. My husband interpreted it as the baby not wanting to be fed by him, but in reality my son HATED the bottles we were using. Eventually we caught on and found a bottle he liked and everything was fine! Second, try to be away from the baby and your husband when he's feeding. Whenever I was in the room my son would refuse the bottle, but if I was out of the room it would go much better.

Also, always remember that you should never feel guilty if breastfeeding doesn't work for you. I know a lot of women put pressure on other women that breastfeeding is the only way to go, but if things aren't working out and you need to switch to formula that is ok too! Plenty of health babies are raised on formula too! As long as your baby is happy, healthy and growing that's all that matters!

Good luck to you both and congrats!!

EDIT: Also, go pick up some of the Soothies beast pads (they're a gell pad for your nipples, AMAZING). I think they're made by Lansinoh. They will save your life when your nipples are sore and need some relief. And MommyJane totally has it right, it takes time to get the hang of it so be patient. When I say that we were pros, it definitely took a good 3 months to get there!

I don't have any technical advice to offer, but just wanted to encourage you!

I had no breastfeeding exposure when I had my son, and the thought of something latching onto my nipple sent me into an anxiety filled frenzy. I DID NOT want to do it. But when they handed me my son, and asked if I wanted to bf him, of course I said yes! So even with as little as I knew about it going in, we had a super-easy and wonderful bf experience.

I have one child (so far - one on the way), and for us, breastfeeding was SO EASY! I know that every experience is different, but I just wanted you to hear from some people who had super-easy and fulfilling breastfeeding experiences. My son latched on like a champ, and we had zero problems from day one. No nightmare clogged duct/mastitis/engorgement stories. He went easily from breast to bottle with no trouble (we used platex drop ins, just fyi - no idea if that meant anything! lol) I also pumped with no problem. He'd even take formula from time to time if I hadn't pumped enough and I wasn't home to fed him - I know, that's a big no-no, but we had no problems giving a little formula from time to time. He went right back to nursing just fine!

So I just wanted to reassure you that you CAN have a wonderful, easy, problem-free breast feeding experience... I did!

EDITED: OMG - just remembering about what MommyJane wrote - about how your baby will look up at you and smile, then milk runs out of their mouth - it truly doesn't get any cuter that that!! :)

Good for you for being so committed to it!!!

I don't want to lead you astray, so I will tell you this, it's not always easy and it can take some serious time for BF to become second nature for both you and baby, but DON"T give up!!!

I personally found pumping to be kind of a waste of time after the first few weeks. If you have a lot of milk, it's a great way to keep your supply up to pump after feedings and refrigerate or freeze, but after a while, I just nursed at the breast on demand.

I highly recommend taking lots of deep breaths. Get a boppy cause they help a lot, don't be self conscious or embarrassed and practice in quiet calm settings with just you and baby as much as possible and you'll develop a bond that is incredible.

I nursed my son on demand from day one, pumped periodically because I had a high supply and was engorged and also supplemented through periods of low supply. Through just about every hurdle you can imagine, I kept going and still am. My son is 2.5, still nurses at bedtime and is the healthiest and smartest toddler I know and I cannot help but think the boobies helped that happen.

Best wishes and congratulations to you. This site, my mother's attachment parenting group, The Leaky Boob on facebook, and circle of moms all proved to be great sources of support for me through the trials of BF.

The big thing, imo, is to ask for help if you need it. Go to the LLL (la leche league) meetings and just listen (some of them are, um, militant about breastfeeding, and others are a "any breastfeeding is good" approach--but they have trained leaders who can help you with latching & positions & other questions).

I used Medela breast milk bags in the fridge and also from the freezer (once my milk came in, I got extra from pumping at work).

The first couple of weeks, don't worry about pumping unless you're trying to build up supply or unless your baby is having problems getting enough nutrition -- and the 2nd issue is actually pretty rare.

Do see a lactation consultant when you're in the hospital, right after the birth so that you can get help. Most insurance will cover the consult if it's done as part of the delivery. I had to have the LC in 3x when I was in (I had a bad c-section, and my baby had a lot of problems nursing at first for a variety of reasons--my situation was not the norm).

Now is the time to line up the help and people to ask help of. So locate your LLL chapter(s) and their contacts, and also locate the lactation consultants near you. Your OB may be able to give you a list of names and contact info. Your family may be helpful, but it's actually better to talk to a LLL or Lactation Consultant for some things.... Think of it this way--you wouldn't count your cousins or SIL as experts on birth just because they gave birth, although they have good advice or experience to share. Well the same goes for breastfeeding questions---you want to go with someone whose seen all kinds of scenarios with breastfeeding and helped women work through them, just like you'd want a OB or trained midwife to deliver your baby and not your cousins or SIL. :)

i think glass bottles are better, especially for storage. they won't leak chemicals like plastic can.

breastfeeding in public - you don't have to...if you don't mind your baby screaming. so you do what you gotta do in the situation. i had to nurse at a bus stop, in a bank parking lot sitting on a rock, and at meetings at work. yeah, it's awkward sometimes - but again, didn't want my baby to be screaming - that would make me feel even more awkward.

latching on - make sure the baby is put to your breats immediately after birth. this will increase the chances of a good latch, even if he or she is not ready to eat yet. it;s called "skin -to-skin" contact and it's VERY important.

as for the rest of your questions - it will come naturally for the most part. when do you pump? when your breasts are full, which you will feel. or, when you get a break at work and have no other time to pump. just nurse or pump before your breasts get engorged or you could get a clogged duct, which is not a big deal unless there's an infection. but again, you will FEEL all this! you will do absolutely fine! and # 1: TRY TO AVOID STRESS! the more relaxed you are, the better your milk flows. remember, women and other animals have been doing this since the beginning of time. if an issue does come up, don't worry until that moment comes, cuz it probably won't. and a simple call your midwife, doctor or a lactation consultant will probably help solve it.

oh, and the use of medications during labor has also been shown to affect how well a baby can nurse. so there's another thing you can do - try to stay drug free during your birth.

you GOT this, mama! and breastmilk is the best gift you can give your baby!

I have one piece of advice for you and it is to make sure you don't wait too long to pump a bottle(6 weeks I think is recomended). I waited and my son refused all bottles. It was hard. My son latched on right away but the lactation consultants should be more than willing to help you if you have trouble. Even after you go home make sure you have their number handy. You may not have a choice nursing in public especially if you have another child you will have to watch. Just buy one of those nursing aprons. They are like 30 bucks but worth it. I tried using a blanket and it didn't cover as well plus the baby will eventually pull on it so the apron stays put. Good luck!

Slow down and breathe! :) do not introduce bottles too soon or your baby will develop a lazy latch and hurt you. 1 bottle a week starting at 3-4 weeks is ok but not earlier if you can help it. I pump 1 side and nurse the other only at the same time first feeding of the morning. This gives me extra bottles to freeze WO finding other time to pump. My baby is 5.5 weeks and I have about 50 bottles worth. I nursed my last a year and pumped 3 times a day at work once I had to go back. Latching the first time was easy with all 3 of my babies but daughter did not suckle right so I pumped till I dried up at 4 mos. It was hard even with lactation consultant help. Expect your nipples to be sore - maybe abraded- but NOT cracked and bleeding- for about 6-8 days...any longer than that and seek help as there is a latch problem and you don't want a breast infection. My best advice is to alternate nursing positions from the beginning- I alternated between football and cross-cradle- it avoids the baby putting pressure points on the same spots over and over. I would also suggest against comfort nursing right away if your newborn has huge sucking needs because you WILL get sore and crack. I store my bmilk in the freezer in lanisoh bags, laid flat and labeled- laying them flat leads to faster thawing. I use BPA free opaque plastic bottles and glass.

Best wishes! Enjoy the newborn period!

The first few weeks of breastfeeding can be hard (whether it's your first child or your fifth!), but don't let that discourage you! It gets easier! Nothing can beat that milky smile on your baby's face. It can take a little while to learn get the baby to latch properly, so don't feel like you can't do it just because there is a bit of a learning curve. Take advantage of the hospital's lactation consultant and any experienced nursers that you know. I agree w/ previous poster who recommended holding off on the bottles (at least for the first month or two).

You may surprise yourself about breast feeding in public - I wasn't comfortable with it at first either, but it just becomes such a normal part of life that I don't give it a second thought anymore.

Good luck and enjoy this amazing time!

Take a deep breath. Stop reading so much about it... it's not easy, but it is natural. There will be people there to help you in the hosptial and afterwards. You can always call the hospital to speak with the lactation consultant (I did it several times).

Read the pump's manual completely b/c each one is different. Use it EXACTLY as they suggest and clean it thoroughly.

After giving birth you will probably have a different definition of "modesty", I know I did. I didn't breastfeed my son in "public", but became pretty comfortable feeding him with company in the house. I used a "hooters hider" and it was great. My son latched easily and nursed like a piggy regularly, which was great but no one warned me that it can be painful and to keep my nipples from chapping! So, consider yourself "warned" :)

Good luck.

The best advice I can give you is to follow your instincts, and your body, and your baby. When my first was born, I got so stressed out by all the things I was "supposed" to be doing and how things were "supposed" to be. I finally stopped listening (and reading) and just did what felt right and worked for me and my baby. As you yourself pointed out, every baby/mama is different. You are lucky to have a great support system in place (and the La Leche League is great), so stop worrying!! And don't set up all kinds of expectations for yourself. You will be the perfect mommy for your baby, no matter what. :)

It took me six weeks to get my first baby to latch correctly!! :-( I wanted to give up sooooo bad, but I am sooooo glad that I didn't. :-) My biggest mistake was using a nipple shield (somebody told me it would help)...that only decreases the amt of milk that the baby can get, plus creates nipple confusion--it was a nightmare to switch back to breast without shield!!!! Thankfully I found an AWESOME lactation consultant at our local health dept. and she was so encouraging. It all worked out. Good luck to you!!!

You can do it!
My favorite 2 books to have are
"The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League http://tinyurl.com/43mazx8
"The Breastfeeding Book" By Dr Sears http://tinyurl.com/3bl569a
I have a whole bookshelf of books I've picked up over the last 10 years and 3 kids but these are the easiest reads at 3 in the morning when you're having an issue and you need some reassurance :)
Get yourself some Lansinoh HPA Lanolin http://tinyurl.com/27l4oqd
Use it after every feed and after getting out of the shower. This helps prevent dry cracked nipples and keeps things comfortable. I used it whether I needed it or not with all 3 and it felt wonderful. I used it at the end of my pregnancy with one as my nipples were irritated when wearing a bra at that point.
I was nervous about nursing around people when my first was born. But it was only a week or 2 before I got over it. He needed to eat and people were coming over or we were going to go out places. The best way to get comfortable is to practice. As you nurse longer you will feel like it's second nature. I always wear tops I can lift from the bottom and a nice nursing bra. I reach up, unhook the bra cup and pull up the hem of my shirt only enough to expose what the baby needs. I don't lift up the other side, the back doesn't lift up and I have virtually no side or belly showing. Baby's head, body and arms covers most all of what is exposed. People rarely know I'm even nursing, they just think I'm holding my child. My oldest would scream like he was getting murdered when I tried to cover him so I stopped and never tried with my other 2. By then I was an old pro LOL
A couple great websites are Kellymom http://kellymom.com/ and La Leche League International http://www.llli.org/
I highly recommend looking at the LLLI page and look for a chapter near you and maybe attend a couple meetings with your husband before your baby is born. Every woman I have met from LLI have been amazing! They helped me a lot in those early, uncertain days with my first child. They are so helpful and caring and understanding. Never condescending. Best part, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like Lactation Consultants most often do. Membership for a year is something like $40 a year and you get their magazine and discounts on items in their store. Worth every penny!
The one thing I can't offer any advice on is pumping. I have never once pumped or given my children bottles. They only began getting a sippy cup of water when they started solids so they had something to drink and not choke. My husband found plenty of ways to bond with our children without feeding them. He changed diapers. Sat with them on his lap and talked to them. He'd get them when they woke up, change their diaper and then bring them to me to feed. He'd take them when they were asleep after eating and put them back in their crib so I could go right back to sleep or go to the bathroom. He'd hold them so I could take a shower. There are so very many ways for a dad to bond with their baby that have nothing at all to do with feeding them. A baby has so very many needs to be met, feeding is simply one of them.
All 3 of my children took to breastfeeding right from the beginning. It helps to relax. Your baby can sense the tension and will often react. It is true that a baby can have issues breastfeeding after a medicated birth. Yes, people are able to overcome it. With that said, don't beat yourself up if you need it but just be prepared that it might be a little more work to get things started. Don't give up!
My first son was born Feb2001. I have 3 kids, the youngest just turned 2 a couple weeks ago. I have been nursing this entire time. I extended nursed, tandem nursed, nursed during pregnancy. It is the greatest thing I feel I have done next to growing and birthing my babies! It wasn't all a cake walk but it came a ton easier than I ever thought it was supposed to when you hear all the woman going on about it. The longer you nurse the easier it gets too. The first 6 weeks are challenging as you are recovering, your baby is learning about the world around them. They grow so extremely fast in those first 6 weeks. Your baby will seem to nurse all the time as your body learns how much milk to make to feed your baby.
You can do it! I know you can :)
Congratulations on your baby to be!

The key is to have support if/when you need it. The class and the reading will help a lot, but when it comes to getting a good latch you may need help. See if your hospital and pediatrician have a lactation consultant available and make sure you ask for them. Even if you think you are doing it right it is a good idea to be sure before you leave the hospital.

I'd also check to see if there are local la leche league meetings in your area. They are usually free and a great resource for all kinds of support, not just breast feeding.

Here are some milk storage guidelines http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html and kellymom is a great breastfeeding resource.

As far as nursing in public you may be surprised how you feel about it once you actually start nursing. The bottom line is you should do what you are comfortable with.

Good luck! It's a wonderful experience and while it can be difficult I think it's totally worth it for all of the benefits for you and your baby.

I think you are putting way too much pressure on yourself.
All you can do is give it your best shot, right?
Good luck!

Congrats to you for being willing to breastfeed. I wish every mom would at least give it a try! It's a great experience, but let me warn you that it can be tough for some moms. The first few weeks for me were tough. Many tears! But I was determined. I would give it at least 6 weeks. For me, it seemed like she'd be doing fine and then all of a sudden, she wasn't. It was tough at first, when my milk came in, and again when my milk supply stabilized. If your hospital has lactation consultants, take advantage of them. They can be of tremendous help! And when you're exhausted and sleep deprived, it makes it hard to not get frustrated. My daughter would latch on, but she wouldn't stay latched--she kept pulling off (the LC called that the bobble head baby syndrome). And until she got more efficient, it took her about 45 min-1 hr to nurse (I made sure she got a full feeding so that we only had to nurse once every 2 1/2-3 hrs in the beginning).

I stayed home for 12 weeks and pumped at least once a day after the first 2 weeks so that daddy could feed her in the evenings. I would also pump after my first feeding each morning b/c that way I could build my supply and have some in storage (I think they recommend having 3 days/milk in storage in case you have to go on meds or for some other reason can't nurse). I stored my milk in the Medela freezer bags (don't use Lashinosh--they will leak after being in the freezer). The important thing is to warm the milk up in hot water not the microwave. If you go to the Medela site (http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/) they have guidelines for how long you can store your milk depending on where you store it (you can keep it in a deep freezer longer than in a regular freezer).

I was also not comfortable nursing in public, but did a lot of nursing in the car! I carried my boppy pillow with me! Also, Babies R Us, Motherhood, and most malls have a place you can nurse your baby. I nursed for almost a year (my daughter was in the hospital for 5 days when she was 11 months and didn't want to nurse so we just decided to wean her then to make things easier).

My SIL's mom & dad run a medical supply shop and provide a lot of support to new nursing moms. She told me that the only time she's seen a mom that REALLY wanted to BF but couldn't was when the dad wasn't supportive or the mom had had implants--so let that be an encouragement to you.

Also, I would suggest getting a Medela pump if you think you're going to nurse/pump for a year or more. They are heads and shoulders above the rest. I invested in their best pump b/c I knew I'd be going back to work and pumping several times/day--I have never regretted it--and never had a problem with my pump. (I know you didn't ask for pump info, but I thought I'd share anyway). Oh, and get good nursing bras! Don't just go to Target! Go somewhere where they'll help you find what size you need--you'll pay more, but totally worth it!

You'll do fine!!! I'm due with baby #2 in about 13 weeks--I'm looking forward to nursing again!

I breastfed my 2nd child for about a month and my 3rd we are going on 11 months now. One piece of advice i have is don't be affraid to ask for help, especially while in the hospital. I was once told that if you can make it through the first 3-4 weeks your off to a great start because its the hardest to do and I believe that. The first time I pumped and gave 1st bottle was around 6 weeks. Im a SAHM so I dont pump much, usually only when i feel a little full or he doesnt want to nurse. I pump into the plastic Medela bags and put them in the fridge for up to 24 hours or freeze them up to 6 months-after thawed I only keep them for 20-24 hours. Fresh milk i leave out up to 6 hours at room temp. My 2nd child was hard to latch, I was it tears so much but did have alot of help from nurses while in the hospital. With my 3rd he latched without any problems. Also, what i learned with diff pregnancies my milk came in at diff times. #2 my milk came in within 24 hours and with #3 it was almost 2 days! I recommend a good nursing cover, the Balboa is what i have its pretty big and covers everything while nursing in public. Good Luck.

You'll be fine, don't worry! I was nervous about it too, and it can be challenging at times but you'll get into the swing of it after about a month or so. Just stick with it. You'll be nursing all the time at first, but it's so worth it. Good luck!

RELAX and ENJOY MOTHERHOOD. What we worry about usually never happens and you have wasted all of that energy --- just plan on having a wonderful experience with your new baby. If you feel stressed and full of worry you could be transfering those feelings to your child.
Nursing your offspring brings out in you a fantastic new love of your child. Let your husband share in the care of the child. He needs to feel needed.
Your baby knows what it needs and you need to interpret its requests. My babies cried when they needed changing, were hungry,were cold or needed a little loving. Respond ASAP to their needs and you will have an appreciative little happy bundle of love.
Babies grow up all too fast -- ENJOY EVERY MINUTE. Give your baby a wonderful feeling of security and he (she) will grow up to be a wonderful loving individual. Love is all there is!

You can do this!!! My first son with in the NICU for 10 days. The only way they would allow us to stay in the hospital is if I was a nursing mom. So, I did everything I could to try and nurse my baby. He did have diffulty with latch and we needed to use a nipple shield for a while. Also, I could not pump for a darn. I'd get maybe 1 oz for 40 minutes of pumping. I had to return to work right away, so when I was at work my husband had to feed him formula. Lactation consultants would tell you this is a no-no, but you do what you got to do for your baby. There will be some challenges in nursing ~ but it is so worth it! You will save $, have the convenience of not lugging around bottles/formula, and have an amazing bond with your child and peace with your body.

My first little bit of advice is to be prepared for when your milk comes in. That was the biggest shocker to me and no one told me that my boobs would become bigger than my head overnight. Seriously they were massive and I was a small B cup before. As for the actual breastfeeding part, I dont think that any one person can tell you what it will be like because it truly is different for everyone just as each pregnancy is its own. I know that at the hospital most of all nurses are usually excited that you have made the decision to BF and are more than happy and willing to help you and to do all that they can to make sure that it works for you and to answer any questions and concerns that you have. With the pumping thing, I am a SAHM as well and I used the Medela hand pump (my personal preference was a handheld because I felt weird about being hooked up to a machine) but the pump came with a book that discussed all about how to store and freeze and thaw the milk and what could and couldnt be used, its shelf life and how long you should do this, etc. Very helpful. I started pumping at 6 weeks and I would pump a bottle once a day so that my Husband could feed our DD her bottle before we put her to bed at night, every night and she never had an issue with nipple confusion and my supply never suffered from pumping once a day. I also had to contact LLL (Le Leche League) once about an inflammed breast at about 6 months in and they were super helpful. Just relax and listen to your body and even if (worse case scenario) it doesnt work out at least you tried and thats all you can do but Im sure you will be just fine
Good Luck and Congrats

The only thing I can say is that it's really hard, so expect some bumps. Know that it has NOTHING to do with you being a good mom - lots of moms think if they are frustrated or whatever it makes them bad. NOT TRUE. So, know that breastfeeding (like EVERYTHING else you are about to experience) is about finding out what works for you and baby and family. And sometimes that takes time and practice.

As far as b'feeding in public - i didn't b'feed very long, but I found that in booths if I sat with my back to everyone else I was more comfortable (sorta cuz I had my head in the sand and if I couldn't see them they couldn't see me!!!!).

Also- I don't think you want to do bottle and breast all the same time at first. But hubs can help by burping the bundle of joy in between breasts!!!!!! That can be his job.

The other thing that was really helpful to me when I couldn't tell how much she was eating is weigh her before she eats and weigh her after and the difference between the 2 is her intake - invaluable advice from my lactation consultant (don't be obsessive though). So that can be something else that daddy can do.....

Good Luck!

Most any woman can breast feed IF, she has the propper support at home, a GOOD professional lactation consultant, and the will to succeed. I failed to BF my first. I can pinpoint it to lack of support at home and not getting professional help. (note on lack of support, my husband had to focus on keeping a roof over our heads after his co. went into a tailspin of layoffs the day I went into labor )
With my second child I had access to a very good lactaion consultan, had my mother stay with me a month, and my husband was helpful this time since his job was stable. I had serious trouble to work through BF. But if you have the above mentioned things lined up, and you are determined, there is a very slim chance you will fail.
Also FYI, with all the things that I personally tended to worry about, none of them came to fruition (ugly baby, sick baby, pain of engorgment, water breaking in public, tearing), and a lot of the things I didn't anticipate struggling with ended up being my stuggle (emergency C-section, and trouble BF, horrible hospital staff, long hospital stay, infection, mastitis)

You are tense because you have little control over what is going to happen, you don't know what its going to be like, and all these unknowns can drive an expectant mama nuts. Good job gathering information. Thats a good way to get back some control and feel informed and prepared. But, with that said, you are going to encounter some difficulties, though right now you don't know what those are going to be. And some things you feared will not come to be at all. So try not to worry.

Find out if your hospital or pediatrician have a lactation consultant on staff. If any problems do arise, a lactation consultant can be a huge help! Also, for the first month or so I wouldn't worry about pumping, just working on getting nursing down and you can start pumping once you're feeling confident about that -- there will still be plenty of time for your daughter and husband to do lots of feeding. You might want to looking one of those covers that some women use for nursing in public. Good luck, once you get in the groove of things breast feeding really is great!

Your putting WAY too much pressure on yourself and you could be setting yourself up for failure. Take a deep breath and relax.
That said, if you decide that BF is NOT for you, please don't "beat yourself up" if you decide to quit and don't let ANYONE pressure you into it. This is YOUR body and YOUR choice and you alone know what's best for you. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then switch to formula. There are many good formulas out there and babies do well on them.
Good luck and congratulations!!

Hi K., I too, was extremely nervous about breastfeeding. Research is great but trying to learn everything about breastfeeding all at once, ahead of time, might make you even more stressed out about it! Just try to relax and take one thing at a time. #1 getting the baby to latch on for the first time and then figuring out what positions work for both of you :-) I will admit, the first 3-6 weeks are the toughest - you will experience pain, exhaustion and frustration. Just try to hang in there, I promise you it will get better and then it is so gratifying and enjoyable to spend time breastfeeding your baby! My baby just weaned at 10 mos and it made me so sad, I will really miss that special time with her :-( Also, I must strongly disagree with Pamela who is telling you not to pump... First of all, there is NO SUCH THING as nipple confusion! I successfully breastfed both of my babies and gave them bottles and pacifiers within the first two weeks of their life. The did not care what was in their mouth - they sucked on anything :-) Keep in mind that if you pressure yourself to only breastfeed for the first 3 mos and never pump like Pamela is saying then you will literally get NO break from your baby. That's fine if that's what you choose to do, but I truly feel that it's important for a new mom's health and sanity to be able to sleep longer than 3 hours at a time occasionally or get out of the house for a little while. Please just don't let people like Pamela pressure you and put ridiculous, unrealistic expectations on you and rant about all the things you are "supposed" to do. I let that happen with my first baby and it made me feel like a miserable failure that I wasn't meeting everyone's "expectations". I now know that it's wonderful that you are giving your baby a chance to have breast milk AT ALL, no matter how little or how long. I know you will do great, good luck!

I breastfed all four of my kids and each one was different! Although breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world it is not always the easiest. My best advice to you is DON"T GIVE UP! You are learning and the baby is learning so keep that in mind and just keep trying! My second could just get near and latch on so easily! My fourth breastfed right after birth and stayed latched on for a half hour! After that? It was a total nightmare getting him to latch on for the first week. Ugh. After that? He never wanted to stop! Hahahaha.

.

Right now, say to yourself: I AM going to breastfeed my baby.
Every time you think of your baby or your boobs ;) say this to yourself.
BE CONFIDENT!
And you will succeed.

I had a lot of obstacles in my way when my 1st was born, she had a low birth weight and jaundice and was basically held captive from me for her 1st 3 days of life. She also had/has my small mouth. Never had a great latch...
But I was as determined as I could be and I succeeded.

I pumped for her because I had to return to work. But if I did not w/ my 2nd and only pumped occasionally w/ a manual pump. This supply was only for the very rare occasion I was away.
DH is very bonded w/ his children despite rarely feeding them.

Neither time was it simple for my babies to latch. #1 was soo tired. I could not keep her awake. #2 I could not settle. He cried for the first hour+ of his life...but eventually he did ok.
Like the mama said about #1 or #5...it is not super fun in the beginning. But it gets easier!
And when your milk comes in! The think that caught me off guard the 1st time at 4am in the morning...milk isn't just suddenly there-it was like small rocks forming in my boobs. I freaked out and I'm sure the nurses laughed at me. :(

W/ my 1st I was pretty uncomfortable nursing in public. I would always go to the car and once there I was pretty immodest. Lol.
I did not have a nursing cover the 1st time around and w/ my 2nd it made a world of difference. Udder Covers usually has a promo code floating around online to get a "free" one for $10 shipping.
Really as long as you have a good nursing tank on w/ the cover no one can see anything. I have happily nursed my son all over town.
I would recommend getting a cover to have on hand...you never know...you may be braver than you thought. ;)

Ok two last thoughts then I will shut up: Yes, get yourself to LLL prior to baby's arrival. It's such a good idea to get established. When I went half the mama's were preggo.
Did you read "So That's What They're For!" by Janet Tamaro? I think this book will help calm your nerves. So informative and funny.

And last but not least: Congrats! Cherish these moments! They are so precious! :)