need advice!!! starting to feel so overwhelmed...

[froggiebaby2010]

so i am not yet a breastfeeding mom, i am currently still prego, but due feb 22nd and ive had my heart set on breastfeeding from day one, but now that i am so close to my due date and i am starting to get all the flyers and pamphlets about breastfeeding thrust upon me just about everywhere i go, im starting to freak out...im anxious about just about every aspect of it from the first feeding and producing enough milk to feeding in public and especially pumping when i return to work.... i figured this was the group to air my worries, not really sure if i need advice so much as just someone to talk to about it, but does this anxiety go away? dont get me wrong, im not gonna give up on BF without giving it one hell of a go, and despite feeling so overwhelmed im still dead set on it... so any words of wisdom fo this first time mommy would be greatly appreciated...

[lilmami316]

i feel you  im so scared  i tried to breast feed my second but i only pumped and my  supply dried up this time  i don't plan of pumping and am so scared  i wont  be able to do it. 

[Lincolnsmommy]

It can be tough for the first week. I've had two and i suggest seeing a lactation consultant to help with the correct latch. Get lanolin for sore nipples and soothies for sore nipples. I had bruised and damaged nipples for both boys the first weeks after pp, but it got better. Its worth it!!

[audmom1218]

Honestly, educate yourself now (get to know what to expect and who you can go to for questions. . . Hint, this board is an awesome resource). And in the meantime enjoy your pregnancy. I learned things are so much easier if you take them one nap at a time! In the early days I didn't focus on any big picture worries. It was all about getting me and dd to the next nap with as few tears as possible!

[froggiebaby2010]

we want to keep her exclusivly boob for most of my 6 week maternity leave and then introduce a bottle when it gets closer to me going back to work, one of my biggest worries is what if she wont take a bottle ( we cant afford for me to b a stay at home mom, things are tight enough as it is with both of us working) and how will we know when she is established enough to try introducing the bottle... it drives me crazy cuz it seems like everyone i know that tried BF has only stories about how their baby had nipple confusion or refused either boob or bottle... we have everythign worked out in our heads how we want it to work, but its so frustrating not knowing what to expect or even how to go about everything...

Quoting lilmami316:

i feel you  im so scared  i tried to breast feed my second but i only pumped and my  supply dried up this time  i don't plan of pumping and am so scared  i wont  be able to do it. 

[gdiamante]

Quoting froggiebaby2010:

so i am not yet a breastfeeding mom, i am currently still prego, but due feb 22nd and ive had my heart set on breastfeeding from day one, but now that i am so close to my due date and i am starting to get all the flyers and pamphlets about breastfeeding thrust upon me just about everywhere i go, im starting to freak out...im anxious about just about every aspect of it from the first feeding

I'm going to direct you to kellymom.com for this: http://kellymom.com/category/pregnancy/bf-prep/

 and producing enough milk

It's VERY rare to not produce enough.

to feeding in public

Helps to remember the Court of Public Opinion has no jurisdiction, and it's legal to nurse in public everywhere.

and especially pumping when i return to work....

There's tons of info on kellymom about that too... and on our resources sticky here.

i figured this was the group to air my worries, not really sure if i need advice so much as just someone to talk to about it, but does this anxiety go away?

Yes. To be replaced by other worries. **grin** The only worthwhile worry is the college fund.

dont get me wrong, im not gonna give up on BF without giving it one hell of a go, and despite feeling so overwhelmed im still dead set on it... so any words of wisdom fo this first time mommy would be greatly appreciated...

Relax. Accept that you WILL make mistakes, right off the bat. There's no such thing as the perfect parent. At least not amongst us mortals.

I cannot speak to the accuracy of the materials you receive, but notice where they come from because in the past we've seen very inaccurate info from formula companies and even from docs. Kellymom.com is run by an IBCLC.

[froggiebaby2010]

the hospital im delivering at is really good about having someone go to the moms right after birth and tryign to encourage them to BF for at least even a few days, so that part makes me feel better...plus im on WIC and they have support groups and assign you a mom that is supposed to call and then meet with you for advice and all that ( im still waiting on said call, but i still have 5 weeks or so, so i guess we will see..) i cant wait to hold her and start working on the intimate bond everyone keeps telling me comes from BF

Quoting Lincolnsmommy:

It can be tough for the first week. I've had two and i suggest seeing a lactation consultant to help with the correct latch. Get lanolin for sore nipples and soothies for sore nipples. I had bruised and damaged nipples for both boys the first weeks after pp, but it got better. Its worth it!!

[froggiebaby2010]

thank you!

Quoting gdiamante:

Quoting froggiebaby2010:

so i am not yet a breastfeeding mom, i am currently still prego, but due feb 22nd and ive had my heart set on breastfeeding from day one, but now that i am so close to my due date and i am starting to get all the flyers and pamphlets about breastfeeding thrust upon me just about everywhere i go, im starting to freak out...im anxious about just about every aspect of it from the first feeding

I'm going to direct you to kellymom.com for this: http://kellymom.com/category/pregnancy/bf-prep/

 and producing enough milk

It's VERY rare to not produce enough.

to feeding in public

Helps to remember the Court of Public Opinion has no jurisdiction, and it's legal to nurse in public everywhere.

and especially pumping when i return to work....

There's tons of info on kellymom about that too... and on our resources sticky here.

i figured this was the group to air my worries, not really sure if i need advice so much as just someone to talk to about it, but does this anxiety go away?

Yes. To be replaced by other worries. **grin** The only worthwhile worry is the college fund.

dont get me wrong, im not gonna give up on BF without giving it one hell of a go, and despite feeling so overwhelmed im still dead set on it... so any words of wisdom fo this first time mommy would be greatly appreciated...

Relax. Accept that you WILL make mistakes, right off the bat. There's no such thing as the perfect parent. At least not amongst us mortals.

I cannot speak to the accuracy of the materials you receive, but notice where they come from because in the past we've seen very inaccurate info from formula companies and even from docs. Kellymom.com is run by an IBCLC.

[MusherMaggie]

Number one: Babies have been fed this way since the beginning of humanity. Number two: You Can Do This! Number three: We will help you! Feel better yet!?

[gdiamante]

Quoting froggiebaby2010:

we want to keep her exclusivly boob for most of my 6 week maternity leave

OK. 

and then introduce a bottle when it gets closer to me going back to work,

Easy. Hand baby and bottle to dad. LEAVE. Dad does the dirty work.

one of my biggest worries is what if she wont take a bottle

Evict the worry right now. Because yes, some babies do reject the bottle but NO baby starves herself. If she sleeps for eight hours you'd be turning cartwheels, right? She won't eat when she's sleeping! **smile**  It's called reverse cycling and is normal and NOT a problem AT ALL.

No baby will starve herself. Worry eliminated.

( we cant afford for me to b a stay at home mom, things are tight enough as it is with both of us working)

Big fat myth you have to be a SAHM to nurse. I worked 60 hour weeks, traveled for business... no issues. Nursed to 26 months.

and how will we know when she is established enough to try introducing the bottle...

Just do it when you go for your six week check. In all seriousness, there is NO getting baby used to a bottle. They take it or not. And either way is NOT a worry! Seriously. We've seen many babies rekject bottles. Some take cups. Some take syringes. Many are quite content to wait till mom gets home.

Not ONE has died of starvation. Or even been labeled Failure To Thrive.

it drives me crazy cuz it seems like everyone i know that tried BF has only stories about how their baby had nipple confusion or refused either boob or bottle... we have everythign worked out in our heads how we want it to work, but its so frustrating not knowing what to expect or even how to go about everything...

If someone didn't breastfeed for a year or more, take their stories with a grain of salt. You cannot plan everything with babies anyway. Your watch words are "Go With The Flow."

[froggiebaby2010]

starting lol, thank you. im a worrier...the not knowing gets to me, and then i get frustrated and set it aside and then end up not thinking about it till last min and then just get so overwhelmed... as i get closer to my due date it feels more and more like im cramming for some huge test that i havent even been given material on... its insane... ive had moments like this on and off through out my pregnancy because i want so much better for my daughter than what i had and im afraid ill end up just folling in my parents footsteps and take a back seat aproach to everything...wish someone had warned me that being a mom would start being hard b4 shes even here lol

Quoting MusherMaggie:

Number one: Babies have been fed this way since the beginning of humanity. Number two: You Can Do This! Number three: We will help you! Feel better yet!?