Breastfeeding

No tips as I didn’t breastfeed my daughter and I’m going to exclusively pump with this one but if you search on here or Facebook you should see some support groups which are normally really helpful x

Don't feel pressured by everyone around you to "just give a bottle" because there are times when it's difficult especially those first few weeks Have nipple cream ready Reach out for as much support as you can to check latch, I had so much pain I was in tears until a lactation support person helped me and then it was pain free

It's really really hard on you physically and mentally, you may get sore nipples, sore boobs and think baby isn't getting enough milk. They will always get enough milk! They take what they need! It's worth pushing through, the bond you'll have with baby is something no one else will ever have because only you can bf them! Nipple cream made my nipples 10x worse when they were sore (not the case for everyone) so I used the milk itself to heal the nips. If baby drops weight slightly don't be pressured into formula or bottle feeding just persevere with the bf. It's hard but so rewarding! Don't pump too early, I had over supply and started pumping really soon just to ease pain but I ended up with mastitis. Talk about it if you're finding it hard. It's very lonely at night when youre up feeding but you are NOT alone!!!!

Do skin to skin straight away and feed as soon as they are out. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself xx

Take nipple cream to the hospital and a lot of snacks! (I woke up at 3am starving because it makes you so hungry) Breastfeeding was the hardest thing I've ever done but also the most rewarding.

- EAT and drink lots of water - It will hurt a bit, but it won’t last - Set up a comfy feeding place at home BEFORE baby is born with phone charger, water bottle, snacks, cushions/pillows - Every baby’s feeding patterns are different, lots of little feeds are just as good as one big feed - warm wet flannel is great for sore boobs, I also swore by Little Lamb breast pads in my bra - My biggest tip - give LO a bottle every now and then from early on (expressed or formula) so they’re used to it, meaning your partner (or someone else) can feed them when you need a break!! - Enjoy! I’m sure you’ll do great

Skin to skin straight away Use breast milk on cracked nipples Lots of snacks Lots of water Try all positions - you will have one good boob and one not so good Milk comes in at day 3-5, before this baby can survive on the smallest amount of colostrum Baby will seem hungry at the beginning but this is just baby trying to get your milk to come in! Don’t give up, once you get through the first stage, it’s the most wonderful experience x Good luck ❤️

Find your local La Leche League group on Facebook and join it now. They have free support groups with a trained leader where you can have a feed observed. They saved my breastfeeding journey when my HV didn't know how to help. If the latch is painful, don't just power through. I did that initially and my poor nips nearly fell off. Easy tweaks in positioning can help loads and it's always worth getting baby assessed for a tongue tie. Oh and get a pump for emergencies. Nothing worse than being engorged and not being able to do anything about it. Even a cheap manual pump does the trick.

Cluster feeding feels never ending but is completely normal!! I was not prepared for the intensity of it! X