first time breastfeeding.

Wendi - posted on 09/17/2009

Lots of fruits and vegetables, but mostly make sure you are drinking lots of fluids - water, fruit juice and milk. You can also continue taking your prenatal vitamins.

Kat - posted on 09/17/2009

for sore nipples use a little milk and let air dry after feeds. or you could try marcalan cream (you dont need to wash it off for feeds. gel discs are fantastic too as you can put them in the fridge during a feed and they are nice and soothing... hope this helps :)



i usually chuck some cereal in a bowl with some kind of fruit on top (bananas are great) or some high protien museli. lunch is usually a sandwhich just slapped together lol and some carrot or celery... dinner i rush to make in between feeds... sometimes i put him in the pram at the kitchen door so i can keep him entertained and still get things done... chicken or fish usually with loads of veggies... thats my meal plan usually with peices of fruit during the day and plenty of fluids. everyones need are different so im not sure how much this will help :)



EDIT: i usually steer clear of tomatoes and onions as they seem to give bubs a belly ache

Etta - posted on 09/16/2009

You might want to see a lactation consultant to have your latch checked. Breastfeeding is something both mom and baby needs to learn how to do. Seeing a LC for guidance early on can really make a big difference. I struggled with my first child, sho cried a lot because he wasn't getting enough. With my second child, I saw a LC right away when she had problems with weight gain. The difference was like night and day.
Until you improve your latch, I recommend lanolin for sore nipples.
Good luck!

Katie - posted on 09/16/2009

About him having Colic trying removing dairy from your diet or cut back on dairy, it really help me. My son use to be very colicey for the first few weeks and then my doctor recommended removing dairy cuz some newborns cant digest the large protiens in cows milk. And I removed dairy and my son was a totally different baby. And as for being to full, When I feel like my breast are really hard and full of milk I pump before I latch him on. I usually pump until they soften up a little but not to much cuz you want him to still get enough. That always works for me plus then you can store the extra. But if you dont have access to a pump then just take a cloth or towel and sqeeze some out until they loosen up a little.

Anna - posted on 09/15/2009

Just as a side note to my earlier reply about lying down and feeding, once or if your baby wants the second side instead of sitting up and changing sides you just kind roll your baby over your tummy and into your other arm. Sounds awkard but its just one smooth motion and i don't give it a second thought now. I lie on my side with baby in my arm roll onto my back lift baby up and start turning onto my other side and at the same time bring baby across your tummy and into your waiting arm

Jessica - posted on 09/15/2009

Why is your baby pulling off after only 5 mins? Is he full? Does he want the other breast? Is he hurting? Need more info on your second question...

Sara - posted on 09/15/2009

I found it helpful to express some milk when my son was young. I was so full he couldn't latch on so I started expressing some and my breast became softer, allowing him to latch on. As for the eating, I found it handy to eat soup and sandwiches. Just make sure that you aren't sacrificing too many calories because you need to take in enough for your little one. Good luck.

Anna - posted on 09/15/2009

hi melanie,

it can be frustrating can't it?! I don't know muc about colic sorry, but hopefully I can help a little with the other problems.
I've found lying down and feeding really helpful at nighttime and when my babies were fussy at feeding time yet I knew they were hungry. Lying down just seemed to calm them.
I would lie down with baby in the crook of my arm, turn on my side and latch them on. I am rather big chested and find this works well however I do know that some ladies lie their babies on a pillow to lift them up higher for them to be in the right position and some just can't seem to do it for some reason. A pillow beind your back can be comfy as well.
If your squirting out very quickly and its causing your baby to splutter and cry then you can try expressing just a tad into a towel/bowl to ease the pressure before latching baby on.

Is your baby gaining weight? my babies never fed any longer then 5 minutes at a time and only ever have one side at each feed. Perhaps he is just getting enough? Sometimes I try to get my baby to feed because I think he should be hungry not because he's actually telling me he's hungry and then he fusses and only drinks a little bit which puts his next feed out of wack as well.

hope this helps:-)

Melanie - posted on 09/15/2009

Thanx for the advice :D. I got another big problem, i cant get baby on properly and now hes got colic ( i think) he wont feed longer than 5 mins a time, i got soo much milk he cant cope i stuck what do i do?? i tried feeding laying down to cheat gravity but cant figure that position out.

Nikki - posted on 09/10/2009

Congratulations! I don't think there is anything special you need to eat, just a generally healthy diet and about 500 extra calories a day. Most importantly, you need to drink plenty of water - your body needs lots of water to produce enough milk.

As for the sore nipples - lanolin works very well and you don't need to wipe it off before nursing because it's safe for the baby. Also, if you can, let your nipples air dry. And breast milk itself has healing properties and so you can express a little milk onto your nipples and let it air dry to help with sore nipples. Good luck!

Tammy - posted on 09/10/2009

Make sure you stay hydrated, and just eat a generally balanced diet.



What are you doing so far about the sore nipples? The number one thing is to make sure your babe is latched well every time he feeds, or you'll keep getting sore. Have you tried using lanolin? (the other recommendation about breast milk drying there is good too, I just never had the patience to let that happen, and didn't want to cover my nipples back up wet).



Good for you for breastfeeding your third... it's brave of you to try something new as a parent!!

Anna - posted on 09/10/2009

good for you for giving breastfeeding ago! regarding the sore nipples after you feed your babysqueeze a few drops of milk out and gently rub it into your nipples and allow them to air dry. this will do wonders! breastmilk is amazing.



as to what to eat, just eat healthy stuff and lots of it! those first few weeks i know how hungry you can get. porridge or cereal for breakfast, fruit for morning tea, sandwiches or toast and fruit or something for lunch, avo snack and a good dinner