What did you wish you knew about breastfeeding?

everything=) g/l tho..i will b attempting bf for the second time wen this baby comesnot til june but i still wanna kno as much as i can before then..so heres a BUMP for ya....

I didn't find out until after I was done breastfeeding that Oatmeal helps boost your supply. Also I had no idea about mother's milk tea. My supply was great at first and slowly went down so these two things would have been awesome to know about. Most of the other stuff, I learned just by doing. I don't think anyone could have told me about how to do it. Oh yeah, I wished someone would have told me to get a good breast pump instead of a cheap one.

I wish I had known that it will SUCK for the first two weeks or so... and be hard as hell for the next 6 weeks or so, but then it will be WONDERFUL!!!!

I thought it would be natural and easy. I had read all the books and knew how to latch and unlatch, I was ready. My baby was a champion nurser from the start. No problem with latching. But it HURT. I would cry and scream with pain every time she latched. And then while my supply regulated for the next 6 weeks or so I tried pumping, but kept getting no milk and getting plugged ducts and then mastitis. Yikes. 

But after I dumped the pumping and just fed the real way, and after my nipples had hardened after the first two weeks, everything got so much better. It became so EASY, and it was such a special moment for us. It was time that I took for just her and I no matter how busy things got. I bf her for 15 months, and 9 of those were EBFeeding. It was a wonderful experience. 

Just expect initial pain, and prepare as much as possible, and then ride through the difficulties and pain. It is so worth it!

I wish someone told me not to buy a 400 dollar pump before I gave birth. I ended up using it for a month (getting half a ounce each feeding) Then I had to go through a mess trying to say it didnt work. Finally Medela sent me back a new one in a sealed package and I returned it to Babies r us and got my money back.

I wish someone would have told me dont feel guilty if you dont produce enough. I felt horrible when I wasnt producing and felt guilty because my poor baby was trying to get milk but I just couldnt give it to her and she developed Bad jaundice and lost alot of weight.

Also, I would prepare a nursing corner. Mine had a comfy chair, and a stand next to it with a soft lamp and a book or two (and one about nursing for all those questions I had!!!). I kept some water bottles and snacks handy in the drawer of the stand that the lamps and books were on. Oh, and I had my wonderful boppy pillow. Best buy of any of my baby stuff. 

Get in the habit of taking juice or water with you when you nurse. You will need lots of fluids and it is nice to have something to hold and do when the baby is nursing. 

I wish someone would have told me that I was going to have my boobs out pretty much 24/7, lol. I didn't know how much I would be sitting on the couch or in my rocking chair feeding my little one, but I guess that's what happens when you feed on demand and are will baby 24/7. That only lasted for a few months, and it was all worth it. I'm sure that was the best thing to help my body heal and rest, too! Good luck, you'll do great! Also, learn how to breast feed laying down in the middle of the night... that was a life saver once I figured it out!

I've never breastfed before, this is my first pregnancy. But I am so glad somebody else asked this question, because I'm getting a lot of information for myself! I love that nursing corner idea.... that's an AWESOME idea. & I already got my Boppy pillow :) I hope people keep the advice coming!

I don't regret it. I breast fed all three of my children. However, I do remember saying to myself how I wished someone had told me early on so I could prepare myself that my boobs and areola would never be the same again, lol.

Quoting youngmommy2be09:

I wish someone told me not to buy a 400 dollar pump before I gave birth. I ended up using it for a month (getting half a ounce each feeding) Then I had to go through a mess trying to say it didnt work. Finally Medela sent me back a new one in a sealed package and I returned it to Babies r us and got my money back.

I wish someone would have told me dont feel guilty if you dont produce enough. I felt horrible when I wasnt producing and felt guilty because my poor baby was trying to get milk but I just couldnt give it to her and she developed Bad jaundice and lost alot of weight.

 Oh and one more piece of advice...

DO NOT rely on the amount you pump to tell you how much milk you are producing!! I got so frustrated because I could only pump 1/2 an oz from each breast no matter how frequently I pumped. And I had a good pump. 

Some people just don't produce for a machine. I didn't. Count diapers. 5-6 wet diapers after the first week means that your baby is getting plenty. If you are worried about weight, nurse more frequently... always on demand and wake the baby if they are going too long between feedings (longer than two-three hours with one longer sleep of up to 6 hours). If you just nurse everything will turn out well... it is the natural thing after all!!

If you do have a production issue (less than 1% of women have real problems that prevent breastfeeding) the baby will not gain weight over an extended period of time, will not have enough wet diapers. If this is the case, there are tons of things you can do to naturally increase your supply. Nurse frequently, drink lots of water, eat lots of oat meal, ferengeek, and mothers milk tea can all help. 

The after birth pains would be horrible every time I nursed, that bfing would be the hardest thing and the best thing I ever did.  The high you get from feeding your baby is the best :)