Congratulations on making the decision to breastfeed!
Now (pregnancy and pre-pregnancy) is a good time to start learning more about breastfeeding, rather than waiting until you have a newborn in your lap and you haven’t a clue what to do next. Do some reading - there is a small list of books that saved my sanity more than once and I have included them in the Recomended Reading section under the subheading Breastfeeding. I also recomend contacting and becoming involved with your local chapter of La Leche League for some one-on-one education, encouragement and support. Hearing about the experiences of others will also give you some insight into what to expect. Also, if you are planning an out-of-home birth, check with your hospital or birthing center and see if they offer the services of a Lactation Consultant, ask how soon after delivery you will be able to nurse, whether or not the baby can "room in", etc. No matter how prepared you are, being tossed into the role of mother within a matter of hours can often time cause anything that you have learned in the nine months prior to promptly go flying out the window, so you can use all the support you can find.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous – too numerous to cover in their entirety here in my little corner of the web. I will, however, give it a shot...
First and foremost, breast milk is the absolute ideal food for human babies. It was designed by Mother Nature to perfectly suit their nutritional needs, to pass on to them maternal antibodies that protect them against illness and disease until their immune systems are mature enough to function on their own, and to provide them with sustenance that is ready-made, always at the perfect temperature and always readily available. Research indicates that breastfed babies experience fewer and milder illnesses, are less likely to develop allergies, respiratory infections and otitis media, not to mention fewer incidence of childhood diabetes, childhood lymphoma and SIDS.
The benefits of breastfeeding don’t end with our children. Not only does the act of breastfeeding release prolactin (commonly referred to as “the mothering hormone”) in the mother’s boy, which serves to relax her, stimulate maternal instincts and promote more secure attachment, research indicates a breastfeeding reduces the risk of osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer in mothers. Not only is breastfeeding free (beyond the initial investment of a couple of nursing bras, nursing pads and a tube of Lansinoh) and convenient (no mixing formula and heating bottles in the middle of the night), it keeps us healthy so that we are around longer and able to enjoy our babies’ babies when the time comes.
How can this not be a good idea?
Gerneral Advice
I can almost guarantee that someone or their grandmother will advise you to toughen up your nipples. Smile and nod, thank them kindly for their advice and walk on by! It will more than likely only serves to make your nipples too sore to be able to nurse comfortably when the time comes. The same goes with expressing colostrums. Not only is there no proven benefit, expressing colostrums during pregnancy can stimulate uterine contractions and could possibly result in preterm labor... this is not a good thing.
Something you definitely DO want to do is to make sure that your nipples point outward, and are not flat or inverted. You midwife or obstetrician will be able to assess whether or not your nipples will need any correction if you can not determine that yourself. If this is the case, breast shells worn in your bra can “train” flat or inverted nipples outward. They can be purchased in most maternity stores.
A good nursing bra is a necessity, in my opinion; especially if you are generously proportioned. Stop by the Bravado web site to take a look at their maternity and nursing products. I have heard great things about them. My personal favorite is the Expecting Moments brand at Target. They only run about $15 and they don't give you the uni-boob look - what more can you ask or? It’s best to find your bras a couple weeks shy of your due date and limit your self to only one or two until you have determined, after a couple of weeks of nursing, that they will work for you.
You’re also going to want to invest in some nursing pads. I would suggest buying about 12 and going with the reusable cotton type rather than disposables. They don’t breathe nearly as well (especially the ones with the waterproof plastic liners) and can contribute to nipple soreness and thrush (a yeast infection caused by excessive moisture on your nipples and in your baby’s mouth). If you are planning on pumping, I'd recommend looking into a hospital quality electric pump, like the Modella Pump-in-Style - I have it and it ROCKS! The manual pumps (try the Avent ISIS) are great for occasional pumping, but not the best choice for expressing several bottles worth of milk. And don't forget the lanoline cream for those sore nipples!
Last but not least, be sure to make your intentions clear. Indicate to your OB or midwife and specify in your birth plan that you plan to breastfeed. If you are planning a hospital birth, I'd suggest making an obnoxious notice to attach to you door, the isolette and your baby's forehead if you have to that you are breastfeeding and do NOT want your baby to be given any artificial nipples, or bottles of formula or glucose water. It is best not to introduce these things; at least until your breastfeeding relationship with you infant is fully established. Also, make sure to indicate how soon after delivery that you want to nurse. I recommend nursing within the first hour after birth because the sooner you establish a breastfeeding relationship, the better your chance of success. Nursing also stimulates the production of oxytocin, which helps expidite the delivery of the placent and control third stage blood loss.
More Breastfeeding Resources
My breastfeeding pages provide only VERY basic information and advice regarding surviving the first few weeks of the breastfeeding relationship with your newborn. I haven’t covered such topics as nutrition and the nursing mother, breastfeeding and the law, medical concerns for breastfeeding mothers and babies, working and nursing, etc. and I strongly encourage you to explore the following sites for more information on this and other important breastfeeding issues.
La Leche League
An international organization dedicated to breastfeeding support, education and advocacy
