I've been thinking about this post for a few days, and finally have a chance to put my thoughts down. Here are the things I've learned about breastfeeding that I would tell anyone who might ask me.
1. Drink 10-12 glasses of water a day (or more). From day 1 at the hospital, and once you get home. I spent one day at home forgetting about drinking water, and boy it made a difference.
2. While at the hospital and for the first few days until the milk comes in, keep on a regular, timed cycle for feedings. 10-15 minutes a side, every 1-4 hours. The baby won't be "drinking" yet, so it's not necessary to leave the baby on until the baby decides he/she is finished. For example, the first night at the hospital, I let Juliana stay on as long as she wanted, at one time almost an hour, and gave myself blisters.
3. Apply Lanolin ointment after every feeding session religiously. Don't wait until it starts hurting to ask the hospital for Lanolin, and make sure you have a few tubes once you get home.
4. Change nursing pads after every feeding, even if you can't tell if they're wet or not. Otherwise, you'll get chapped, and although it doesn't necessarily hurt, it's very unsettling to look at.
5. Take Ibuprofen at regular intervals.
6. Pump when possible, but not right before the baby will want to next eat.
7. After 2 weeks the "mature milk" comes in, and baby and mom are becoming more efficient, so nursing sessions become shorter, but this doesn't mean something's wrong.
8. Make sure you get a nursing bra. The books said to buy nursing bras during the last month of pregnancy, but after I gave birth, my size changed significantly, resulting in a frantic trip to Target to get a different style/size. Unfortunately, the bras I had already gotten, I had removed the tags, so I have about 6 that I can't wear. So my suggestion, buy ones that fit during the last month, but also in several sizes up. Leave the tags on until after home from the hospital and make sure they fit properly, then return the ones you won't use. Get wireless, not wired; and it'll make you feel more human and you won't be walking around the house half naked because anything touching hurts.
9. The internet (google in particular) is a blessing and a curse. Voice concerns to those helping you, instead of letting them ruminate, driving you crazy, and causing you to self-diagnose with something extreme.
10. Always burp between sides, but it takes awhile sometimes to get a burp up. But baby will thank you for clearing out the gas before it gets down into the lower digestive system.
You may not be interested in this at all, but it's just for me to get it down.
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