Knowledge is power! Start by reading the Why Breastfeed? pages on this site, and the links from those pages to other sites. Attend a breastfeeding class and some LLL meetings. Check out some of the breastfeeding support boards listed at this site, or others you find on your own. Read some good books, and make sure you avoid reading the bad ones.
Establish a support network! Meet other moms who plan to breastfeed or are breastfeeding. Get the baby's father involved: he can be your strongest ally, or the biggest obstacle to your success.
Make your choice to breastfeed known to your OB and to the hospital staff. Not only should they know that you plan to breastfeed, but that you do not want your baby to receive any artificial nipples. No supplements of any kind are to be given unless medically necessary, and not without your prior consent. Any medically-necessary supplements should be provided via syringe, dropper, or SNS -- not with an artificial nipple. Print out this card from Kelly's AP site for your baby's bassinet as a reminder. Prepare a birthplan where you state that you are breastfeeding, that you are rooming in at all times, that you wish to hold and nurse the baby immediately after birth, delaying the other procedures (weighing, eye drops, etc.) as long as possible to allow you to do this, and that your baby is not to receive any supplements (unless medically necessary) or artificial nipples. Also insist that you are to be visited by the hosptal's lactation consultant, even if you don't seem to be having any problems. Print out this letter to the hospital staff, and make sure a copy is put in your baby's chart.
Take childbirth preparation classes and learn techniques that will allow you to reduce the amount of medication you receive during labor. Although women who do have medical interventions during labor can and do successfully breastfeed, the odds are more in your favor if you minimize the amount of IV fluids and drugs administered during the birth.
Have needed & desired nursing supplies ready. You already come with all the truly necessary equipment, but good items to have on hand before the baby arrives include Lansinoh ointment, pajamas with easy-access (button-front is fine, "nursing" nightgowns are not required), a very comfortable and well-fitting nursing bra, and nursing pads that don't have a plastic liner. They are all worth the investment. Other things that are high on the "wants" list include a good sling and a good nursing pillow. If you will be returning to work, you might want to register for a high-quality double-electric breastpump, such as the Medela Pump-in-Style or Ameda Purely Yours. If you'll be a stay-at-home mom, consider the Avent Isis for relieving engorgement and providing the occasional relief bottle once your baby is about a month old.
Get the formula samples out of the house. Formula companies have very likely sent you samples of formula, even if you have already stated that you wish to breastfeed. Why? Because they know that by having formula on hand, you may decide to use it in a moment of weakness... and if you use it often enough, your supply will suffer and you'll have no choice but to continue using their product. If you get rid of the formula before the baby arrives, you won't succumb to the false notion that just one bottle can't hurt.
Choose a breastfeeding-friendly pediatrician. Most doctors will pay at least lip service to being supportive of breastfeeding, so make sure you ask them questions involving the percentage of mothers in their practice who breastfeed at birth and at one year, the age at which they recommend introducing solids, how long they think mothers should breastfeed, and if they have some sort of relationship with a lactation consultant. Get recommendations from other breastfeeding moms (maybe moms you've met at LLL meetings). Check out this LLL site for more tips on selecting a breastfeeding-friendly pediatrician.
Get help. Will the grandmas be visiting? Terrific -- as long as they understand that helping you out means letting you take care of and nurse your baby. They can do laundry, cook, clean, go grocery shopping, and watch the baby for you right after a nursing session while you take a well-deserved shower. They cannot feed the baby, or tell you that you aren't making enough milk for the baby, or that the baby needs formula, or that you are spoiling the baby by holding her so much. Make sure they understand the rules before they walk in that door.
Once you're home, sleep when the baby sleeps. Don't try to be superwoman. The cobwebs and dustbunnies can wait. Your husband or someone else can do the grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, and anything else that needs doing. You need to rest. You need to let your baby build your milk supply. You and your baby need to get to know each other. |
