I am right around 12 week along with my 2nd baby, my first is 8 years old in October. I was unable to breastfeed my son, and was seriously considering it for my second, I just am not 100% sure how I feel about it, I need some advice on classes to take to learn more about it and or books to read just any advice would be great.
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Itâs gonna hurt. BAD! If thatâs what you really want for your baby then my best advice is just to stick with it. You could get a nipple guard which helps some with pain and if your baby doesnât latch too good. The pain goes away though, took me a month. It goes away and feeding becomes much more comfortable.
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Itâs not for everybody but I choose to because 1 I am cheap and formula is expensive I had to supplement a little bit with both of my kids cuz I never made enough when they started eating alot but the second reason was because it provides them with my antibodies and is extremely helpful when they get sick as it changes with the childâs needs ⌠my first one I had to see/ call and LC THREE times each at different stages ⌠it hurts the first week ish and a half especially if you donât have nipple butter but between the two kids i breast fed and pumped for it saved us thousands ⌠and if it doesnât work it doesnât work or if you just donât enjoy it you can stop 
I honestly believe fed is best l have done both bottle an breast âŚBreastfeeding is different for everyone at the hospital they should have someone to help/talk to you
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-Hydrate hydrate hydrate!!!
-Also EAT you need the Calories to keep up supply.
-Baby to the breast all the time
-buy a Haaka âpumpâ all my âstashâ was because of that miracle product
- not everyone has pain when breastfeeding but you could⌠moisturize!! Use coconut oil on cracked or rough nips
- silver cups help with healing as well
Biggest thing is to hydrate!!!
Donât pump right out the gate it can cause an over supply. Which will hurt.
Hydrate- body armor, coconut water, oat milk, oat meal, liquid IV, WATER! And eat!!!
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Check at the hospital you plan to give birth at. They may have classes. & Many maternity wards have a lactation consultant.
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NOT EVERYONE HAS PAIN WHEN FIRST STARTING BREASTFEEDING!!! Do not let that scare you from trying! Breast milk can help when babe is sick, pink eye, ear infections, and so much more go for it and if it doesnât work it itâs okay!
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Iâm a lactation consultant and I recommend speaking to one during your pregnancy. They are great sources of information and can answer your questions in an unbiased way.
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You gotta toughen up your nipples my sister didnt and her poor nipples actually bled. Her doctor told her to use ice cubes. But i chose not to breast feed either of mine cuz i had way too much milk the nurses said i would had enough to fed the nursery. Which made ne feel like i was part gernsey cow⌠so what was said to you after you had your first baby?? But it took weeks after my kids were born to finally dry up. Plus a shot afterwards and medication that i had to take home to dry up. But my husband tried to talk me into putting my milk in his morning coffee. And that made me feel even more terrible at this time. And if you breast feed youll get on the babies schedule and if by chance if youre running late you milk will still come in and leak and it quickly sours and soured milk smells. That and also my pòor sister never could just hold and play with her son everytime shed hold him he thought he was suppose to be plugged in⌠he was great for anyone else to hold but he got so bad it was a question if he could smell my sister cuz shed just walk into the room and hed cry to be plugged in. I think if i were you id id think this over alot. Cuz my daughter also breast fed my 3 grand babies and to this day and her oldest is 23 yrs old now, if my daughter goes to public places like Walmart and hears a baby cry her milk continues to try to come in⌠and she says this actually does hurt when this has happened to her. And when my great grandson was born my daughter couldnt be around him until he was not such a cry baby cuz her milk would try to come in⌠i really dont think youre are missing anything but everyone has to make their own minds up. But i hope you have better experiences than what my family did with breastfeeding⌠but i guess its up to you to totally decide this. But people can be really rude tooâŚabout it.
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The hospital might have a lactation consultant on staff that you could talk to and get an idea of what to expect and such
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Itâs different for everyone. For me, itâs second nature. Itâs just what I do easily. And my youngest is almost 2, and still going strong. Iâve had very few issues.
Part of why I wanted to breastfeed: it lowers the risk of SIDS, lowers the chance of childhood obesity and diabetes, itâs free (LOL), no need for cleaning bottles regularly (unless you pump or have a night out). Night feeds are wonderfully convenient, no need to prepare a bottle and worry about when the formula will go bad after being mixed, I just pop a boobie out and baby goes back to sleep.
I formula fed my first after pressure and lack of proper information. Successfully breastfed my second.
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Itâs so different for every woman and itâs a very personal choice for me it came pretty naturally for others it does not. Iâd suggest finding a lactation consultant or a nurse practitioner or something like that even a doula if youâre uncomfortable also talk to other women you know about their experiences. The one thing that surprised me was cluster feeding and I would suggest looking into it and how it increases your milk supply. It helped to remember I could give him formula if I needed to
Itâs not easy, and is 100% okay if you canât handle it. I would be cracked and bleeding every day for 4m with my oldest I couldnât take it anymore. And yes I seen an LC he just had a terrible tongue tie. My second we are 7m going strong 
. He doesnât have a tongue tie but did have latch issues the first month, I used a bottle with expressed milk to give my nips a break and that actually helped with getting a good latch. No trick is the same for everyone. Do not feel like a failure if it doesnât work out! FED IS BEST 
Using the name could be a reminder of her loss every time she hears it, and if you talk daily, it will be like opening the wound and reliving that day over and over. Stop being selfish and insensitive and find another name
Try it and see. Itâs not for everyone. I nursed my son for almost 4 years. To each their own.
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If you can manage to do it this time round and you feel it is beneficial to YOUR mental health then o would recommend. Obviously thereâs the nutrients etc but the bond it gives you with your baby is amazing (I have never bottle fed but Iâm sure there is also an amazing bond there, I am not taking away from any other type of feeding) I also enjoy being the only one who can feed my son. Fed both my sons and Iâve been very happy with it, painful at the start with the first one but if you work through it and use nipple cream itâll get better once you both know how works best for you. If you change your mind and feed another way or it doesnât work out once the baby is born then you will still have a happy baby and a beautiful bond good luck with everything xx
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It did not hurt for me with either of my children. My first I BF until 3 months and my second I went to almost 11 months. So worth it.
Read the Womanly Art of breastfeeding. It will give you all the info you need. If youâre prepared you can breathed easily and itâs not hurt.
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Fed is best. Started with breastfeeding with my oldest ( almost 5 now ) and it did not work for us. She wasnât gaining weight and i wasnât sleeping because i was nursing all the time we switched to only formula at 8 weeks. With my second we started doing some supplementing at about 2 weeks and I primarily breastfeed her until 8 months. Each child is different my best advice is see a lactation consultant and if its really what you want to do go for it. If you donât want to formula is a great option. And if you try and it doesnât work out or you canât exclusively breastfeed thats ok. Best of luck and congratulations.
There are some great resources on facebook as far as groups. Search Milky Mommas, and Dairy Queenâs breastfeeding groups they both helped me gain enough knowledge to get started. Remember only about 3% of women physically donât make enough milk. Itâs all about supply and demand nursing more means you make more milk. I nursed my son until he was almost 3 before he self weaned and it was 100% one of my greatest accomplishments in life.
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Check with your hospital or local mom groups for breastfeeding classes. Some hospital has a hotline for nursing moms. Also, nursing moms groups, Le Leche International and Kelly Mom are great resources. It can be a great experience for you and baby. Do your research, and do what feels best for you and baby.
I was lucky, no pain or other issues.
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Iâm still breastfeeding mine and heâs 2! Go for it! Itâs hard to start with but once you overcome that itâs easy! You can try and then even if it doesnât work at least you tried! Yay! Make sure you research and join a breastfeeding group. Theyâre ever so helpful. Pillows and cushions help a lot!
I breastfed my first until he was 2.5 y/o and baby #2 Iâm breastfeeding now at 7mos and still going strong. I agree with everyone else saying see a lactation consultant. My son had a posterior tongue tie and the lactation consultant found it at around 3 weeks old. My nipples were wrecked but he wouldnt take formula so I powered thru. The tongue tie release helped immensely. Also if you do breastfeed and either use daycare or have some other form of child care, make sure they are familiar with paced feeding. If they arent your little one will quickly eat more than you can produce. They should only need 1-1.5oz per hour that they are away from you. Good luck if you try it. Its an incredible bond 
The lactation consultant at your hospital should be able to help also google Le leche meetings in your area. Theyâre a mom support group dedicated to helping momâs be successful who wish to breastfeed
I couldnât breastfeed my first, I did for like 2 weeks but my milk never ever came in⌠i was 15, I was still only producing colostrum. Breastfed my other 4 successfully
Definitely talk to a IBCLC as soon as possible.
I planned on breastfeeding my last son even though I had latching issues with my other 4 and never could. Well plans go out the window sometimes so I pumped but dried up after 3 months. I was so glad I planned for everything beforehand and had formula on hand. So my only advice would be to have a can or 2 of formula JUST IN CASE.
I breastfed my son, am now 5 months pregnant with my daughter & plan to breastfeed her too. With my son it was fine at first but before i even got out of the hospital it started hurting my nipples soo bad, i told my husband i wasnt sure if i could keep going but the lactation consultant brought me a couple nipple shields & i used them the entire time i breastfed him. Idk if youâre supposed to use them the whole time but they helped me sooo much & i got to breastfeed my baby like i wanted. She also helped me get him to latch.
Breast fed twins with no problem. Relax.
I couldnât breastfeed my first but successfully breastfed my 2nd firv6 months and then pumped and bottle fed another 6
Join this group Redirecting...
It was a wonder of information and really really helped me this go around. Oldest is about to be 9 and Iâve been successfully breastfeeding my 2nd going on 7 months and I owe it all to that group!!!
I wish I could haveâŚmy biggest regret
All I can say is my baby is 2 and a half and still bf⌠Plus I have another baby on the way
If your baby latches right it shouldnât really be painful. But letting milk build too much is what really hurts. My son is tube fed and I pumped for 8 months. I would not do that again.
Its not easy for everyone. Every pregnancy is different. Maybe you can this time. Maybe not. Donât get your hopes up and try really hard if you want to breastfeed. Itâll be worth it!
It takes one month to get it. Sleep to make milk and drink as much as possible. I had several lactation consultants. Then you get the sweet sweet oxytocin let down. itâs 24 7 to begin with.
I know! We donât have mythical villages!
DO IT DO IT DO IT! worth everyyyy bit of health and assurance of wellness for your child
They will assign you a specalist to talk to at the hospital if you want one.
Find yourself someone from La Leche League theyâre Motherâs helping mothers from direct experience. 
Thereâs some breastfeeding ointment.
La Leche League is a great resource. This is a helpful book. Good luck and congratulations! I had the reverse, couldnât nurse my 2nd but nursed my 1st for years. Both nursing and bottle feeding with lots of cuddles enabled great bonding with each baby. You canât go wrongâŚ.
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Itâll feel weird at first. Make sure to have a lactation consultation check your babyâs sucking. They check for tongue-tie too, which makes it hurt really badâŚ
It shouldnât hurt if theyâre latched right.
Any position works, as long as youâre both comfortable.
At first your breasts will be swollen and youâll be sore and might have to pump⌠but after a couple of weeks theyâll feel better and the swelling should go down.
Also with breastfeeding⌠patience is a virtue. You need to have it, not only for your baby but for yourself. I pray it works out for you all
I have no interest in breastfeeding whatsoever. It actually GIVES me anxiety to think I would actually be the only capable adult to be able to feed the baby.
However that also being said, I know breast milk is liquid gold and very good for the baby. So I for me I exclusively pump and bottle feed.
Check out âbreastfeesing the thompson methodâ. Its a lady with years lf experience and her own research for a more natural, less painful approach. She has lots of videos available and courses 
my advice is make sure baby latches properly and you shouldnt have problems swap boobs each time
I personally would reach out to a breastfeeding consultant ASAP. I have 5 and didnât try to breast feed my first and thereâs so much good current information you need to know. Also join breast feeding groups on Facebook. Those helped me a ton. I breast fed with breast feeding from birth to 12+ months
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My daughter never said that it hurt.
Check out The Leaky Boob 
Luna Lactation Medicine Hat
Your hospital probably offers a breastfeeding class. Ask your OB
The WIC office has lactation consultants available! Finding any midwife or OB can give you references of reputable breastfeeding support groups and coaches!
They also make lactation cookies to help bring in milk and all sorts of herbal supplements to help new mommas! seriously just ask your doctor to point you in the right direction for your location/area
Breastfeeding Without Bedsharing & Evidence Based Feeding
Fed Is Best Infant Feeding Peer To Peer Support Group
These are fabulous groups that can help youâşď¸
LATCHED 
(Breastfeeding Support Group ) is a great group
Dr Jack Newman. I would do some research, watch videos, read his articles. Have a GOOD support system with people who will encourage you. Find out if there are breastfeeding clinics or consultants in your area. Breastfeeding doesnât have to hurt, if it hurts, thereâs usually a reason⌠having the right resources at your disposal will benefit you greatly. I breastfed all 3 of my children past the age of 2. It was by far my favorite part of motherhood so far lol. If youâve never breastfed before, there is absolutely a learning curve for both you AND your baby. Your nipples absolutely have to toughen up a little and that takes a week or so. Coconut oil, nipple creams, and a little Tylenol/Advil go a long way. Latch is so so so important. Watch as many videos as you can on how to properly latch your baby. Good luck.
Itâs definitely worth a shot.
And yes it does NOT hurt for everyone !
I had to use a nipple shield to feed my first but still managed to breasyfe3d her for the first year and I just gave birth to my second on July 31st, and he instantly took to the breast within minutes of being born and hasnât had trouble since, it doesnât hurt and he takes one bottle a day from daddy. ( haaka is an amazing thing )
There are great Facebook groups for breastfeeding and if you want you can also find them for exclusively pumping if you feel more comfortable pumping and feeding. I had issues feeding my first so I exclusively pumped and fed my next two babies just fine. Gave me a sense of control seeing my milk and how much they were getting
I couldnât breastfeed my first, my second was supplemental breast for 3 weeks my third I was able to bottle and breast for about 4 months. Give it a shot and find a local lactation
Oh my gosh⌠some of these comments 
my advice is to contact an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant) and have a one to one discussion on what your goals are, what your worries are and they will help you based on your own wants and needs. Then you will be fully informed to make a decision that is right for you. Couple of things - Breastfeeding should not hurt,
Breastfeeding can be at the breast, pumping, SNS, combination feeding etc it does not have to be all
Or nothing. Good luck.
Seriously there isnât a class that can actually get you ready. I recommend looking for a le leche league group of current bf momâs for support. Join any all breastfeeding fb pages for help and support. Iâve attempted and bf all 4 of my babies⌠But all with different success
See a doula. I did and it made a world of difference. You can do this!!
Pocket Guide for Lactation Management Pocket Guide for Lactation Management: Cadwell, Karin, Turner-Maffei, Cindy: 9781284111200: Amazon.com: Books