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"My baby is now four weeks old and even though I took the classes and read the books, I was not prepared. Thank goodness for lactation consultants and BabyFit articles and forums. I have learned to literally take it one feeding at a time. Sometimes I cry because it hurts so badly (hard to get that perfect latch all the time, especially that first few days) but I know it will get better. Question: I have purplish looking lines extending from my nipples across my breasts...they look like a cross between stretch marks and bruises...normal? Will they go away? I always wear a nursing bra for support and am using lots of cocoa butter and lanolin....." -- KITTYKATE78 - 8/11/2012 1:15:38 AM "That breastfeeding is the best value for your money. It extends to the cost of formula, doctors visits when your kids are young and just overall anxiety when you don't know what you think you are suppose to know when they arrive. Breastfeeding helps with their immune system and you don't have to worry so much about colic from air in bottles. Nor do you have to worry about the exhorbitant cost of formula. I found that because I had the bonding experience with my kids from breastfeeding exclusively that I was more relaxed when we were in a room together and not touching." -- LILREED40 - 6/20/2012 1:18:05 PM "I completely agree. I wish when I went to the class that people told me that it hurt and it was ok, because its more important to understand that feeding your baby requires practice from BOTH of you and just like getting calluses it always hurts at first even when they latch on right." -- CPRICE2113 - 5/13/2012 10:55:45 PM "That you have everything you need to breastfeed your baby. And you don't need all the tools and gadgets that are out there to be sucessfull at breastfeeding. It's the best decision I have ever made! **Exclusively Breastfed all my 3 boys and proud of it!***" -- MDELEON01 - 2/14/2012 4:32:34 PM "That sometimes, despite everyone's very best efforts, not being able to breastfeed exclusively can be beyond your control and that it's PERFECTLY OKAY to breastfeed as much as you can for as long as you can even if you do have to supplement often or occasionally for medical reasons." -- PRPLHRTWIFE - 1/13/2012 1:31:37 PM ""That breastfeeding is hard for EVERYBODY and you should have someone supporting you and keeping you strong for as long as possible; that YOUR body was literally ENGINEERED specifically to be a mother and to BREASTFEED!!!! Inverted, flat, scabby and bleeding nipples and all, you were MEANT TO BREASTFEED!!!! I promise. :)" -- BRANDYEBARTH - 12/13/2011 4:18:51 PM "that Doctors don't know squat about breastfeeding especially men and listen to your instincts and your Lactation consultant!" -- GODSHEART74 - 9/15/2011 8:45:04 AM "I wish someone had told me more about mastitis and what the symptoms are and how it can affect the milk supply; i've lost my milk twice due to mastitis, and it made me feel worthless." -- REGGIMARIE - 5/2/2011 10:05:32 AM "I would add get a breastfeeding pillow, a really good one will help with positioning and when you are both adept give you a hand free for reading, drinking etc. Also baby led attachment, and all the associated details eg. not washing where your baby first rested on you and limiting other contact for the first 24hrs...are the natural order of things and give baby the chance to instinctively learn to latch and bond." -- COTTONISBEST - 4/9/2011 8:03:51 AM "I really wish people would be honest about how painful it can be. The books you read all say "breastfeeding does not hurt when done correctly". Sure, this is true, but as a new mom who is learning how to breastfeed - it takes practice and time - and it is going to hurt. A LOT. I just feel like the books set you up to fail. I pushed through because I wanted to breastfeed so much, but I know a lot of people who quit early because they find it too painful." -- ER1NLE1GH - 2/1/2011 7:25:17 PM "What I didn't know was that I needed to be giving the baby Vitamin D while I was breastfeeding. No one told me--not even my doctor--until my Aunt mentioned it when my son was almost 7 months old. I felt so stupid!" -- LITTLEBAYGIRL - 12/16/2010 6:55:01 PM "..and how long it would take to get rid of the darn nipple shield after using it... and what a pain it is even though sometimes it helps." -- AABCA345 - 12/16/2010 7:01:03 AM "I wish I had know my baby's eating habits would change and this is o.k. She went from eating for 20 minutes on each side to 10 min. and I was trying to get her to eat more until I found out that was normal." -- AMANDAFWPARKER1 - 8/27/2010 9:53:33 AM "I wish someone would have told me how bad the nursing contractions are in the beginning." -- MRS.ABERCROMBIE - 7/21/2010 7:41:37 PM "Another thing I wish someone had told me about breastfeed was how long it takes to gradually wean you child and how long it takes for you milk to dry up once you wean." -- WERBOWCE - 6/1/2010 2:07:58 PM "For those who used daycare for their children, or even had to go back to work and someone else watched the child, don't you still have to prepare bottles with breast milk? If so, does the child still latch on later, when you go back to breastfeeding?" -- MOMMA2KHLOE - 4/26/2010 2:40:39 PM "For me, the most important thing to remember was to relax. Your body grew a baby and your body is capable of continuing to nourish the baby. If the baby is relatively content and alert and you are offering the breast early and often then your baby is most likely getting the right amount of milk, even though you have almost no idea how much that amount is. It really helped me to have my mom and my midwife tell me that I was doing things right and that it was normal to have a little soreness and chafing for the first week to 10 days (even though all the books tell you it doesn't hurt) and that I should just keep doing what I was doing." -- ASDOPFNAWE - 2/25/2010 12:55:38 PM "I just finished a breastfeeding class at Mercy Southwest, and I was suprised to learn the rights u have at work. They have to provide u with a place to breastfeed that has an electriacl outlet, and not the bathroom. They also must give u three paid breaks to breast feed. All of this is CA law, and I am so glad I know this now! The class is a great one to take if u are wanting more info. about breastfeeding, pumps, etc.." -- BUBBLETTE5 - 1/13/2010 2:08:48 PM "Around what time frame are you supposed to be lactating? I am 36 weeks now and I am planning to BF. This is my first child and I am trying to take some of the guess work out of things as much as I can. Any info would help out alot Thanks!!!" -- VABALLER03 - 11/14/2009 8:52:53 PM "After reading through all of the comments, I did want to specify the lack of milk comment I made earlier because it does happen and I don't want to imply that it cannot. But barring medical circumstances, i.e. pre-existing medical conditions in mother or child, extended stay in a NICU, etcetera, a Mommy can unintentionally sabotage her own milk supply. If a proper latch is never established, the milk ducts will not be properly stimulated and therefore the baby will always be hungry coming off of the breast. Secondly, dieting before good nursing habits have been established or beginning an intense exercise routine can also dramatically decrease milk production, as can an unexpected illness in mother or child. The amount of milk that can be pumped is not equal to what the baby actually gets, as this is an artificial device and is not as natural or efficient as the baby. So please don't assume that your baby isn't getting enough just because you aren't expressing much milk in between feedings. Finally, stress and anxiety over breastfeeding will contribute to a poor let down. The baby can sense her mother's frustrations which can make the latch/position for nursing more difficult. As many other mothers have posted, you will run into obstacles along the way, however, most (not all) can be overcome with proper support and knowledge. I too was told that I didn't have enough milk, only to find that my child wasn't gaining due to a medical issue completely unrelated to the quality or quantity of my breastmilk. All three of my children had difficulty with diary which also produced poor weight gain and diarrhea. I did not discover the correlation until my third child and research I had done on Kellymom.com. Again, slower than average weight gain (that is based predominantly on formula fed babies) was not a result of poor milk supply but rather difficulty digesting cow's milk protein in the cheese, yogurt, chocolate, and milk that I was consuming. But how is a mom to know these things? Through good support. I wish all mommies the best in breastfeeding." -- VNSTONE - 9/27/2009 2:39:12 PM "As a mother of three children who were breastfed with some difficulty and my fourth on the way, I am slightly disturbed by some of the "what I wish I had known" comments as they may discourage women from breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can hurt, but it only hurts when there is a problem like an improper latch, thrush, or mastitis. All of these problems need to be addressed immediately for continued successful breastfeeding. The one thing that I wish that I had known before I had begun to breastfeed my first child was how little support and knowledge the medical community has for first time nursing mothers. I was told repeatedly that supplementing was perfectly fine, despite the fact that it would affect my milk supply and encouraged a lazy latch for my infant who did not have a good latch in the first place. With my second child, I took matters into my own hands and read up on everything that I could for successful breastfeeding. I still had issues with thrush, mastitis, and a poor latch but these obstacles were easily overcome and I was able to breastfed for a much longer duration. What first time moms should remember is that there is a learning curve and that only in extreme medical situations will a woman not be able to produce enough milk. After all, women in underdeveloped nations are able to nurse their babies successfully despite poor nutrition and lack of accessibility to good health care. I highly recommend the book The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr. Jack Newman. This book truly equips any woman who desires to breastfeed with good solid information for overcoming obstacles and dispelling myths related to nursing. Good luck to all of you new Mommies. Remember that nursing is a lost practice, which does put American women at a disadvantage. Just relax and seek help from other women who have nursed successfully; and, know that you are doing the best thing for you and your baby." -- VNSTONE - 9/27/2009 2:19:59 PM "As a mother of three children who were breastfed with some difficulty and my fourth on the way, I am slightly disturbed by some of the "what I wish I had known" comments as they may discourage women from breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can hurt, but it only hurts when there is a problem like an improper latch, thrush, or mastitis. All of these problems need to be addressed immediately for continued successful breastfeeding. The one thing that I wish that I had known before I had begun to breastfeed my first child was how little support and knowledge the medical community has for first time nursing mothers. I was told repeatedly that supplementing was perfectly fine, despite the fact that it would affect my milk supply and encouraged a lazy latch for my infant who did not have a good latch in the first place. With my second child, I took matters into my own hands and read up on everything that I could for successful breastfeeding. I still had issues with thrush, mastitis, and a poor latch but these obstacles were easily overcome and I was able to breastfed for a much longer duration. What first time moms should remember is that there is a learning curve and that only in extreme medical situations will a woman not be able to produce enough milk. After all, women in underdeveloped nations are able to nurse their babies successfully despite poor nutrition and lack of accessibility to good health care. I highly recommend the book The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr. Jack Newman. This book truly equips any woman who desires to breastfeed with good solid information for overcoming obstacles and dispelling myths related to nursing. Good luck to all of you new Mommies. Remember that nursing is a lost practice, which does put American women at a disadvantage. Just relax and seek help from other women who have nursed successfully; and, know that you are doing the best thing for you and your baby." -- VNSTONE - 9/27/2009 2:05:15 PM "The one thing I wish someone had told me about was the contractions when you first start breastfeeding. I know most information talks about how it helps your uterus contract back quicker and yadda yadda, but no one ever told me that those contractions feel just like labor contractions at first. I was 21 when I had my daughter and I had natural childbirth. Total active and pushing labor combined were about 7 hours long. When I had finally delivered the placenta I remember thinking "thank god this is over" and then within probably 30 min or so I put my daughter to my breast and it was like full blown labor all over again and I just wanted to cry. Imagine having a completely unmedicated labor and delivery and then begging for meds just so you can nurse. If memory serves me correctly I only needed the painkillers for less than the first week maybe just 2-3 days, but if it hadn't been for them I honestly may have given up on nursing. I ended up nursing her for 8 months before SHE finally decided she was ready to move on. I'm so glad I didn't give up and now I'm 35 and about to give birth to my second child any day now and am looking forward to nursing him until HE too decides it's time for him to move on." -- MNMBABY2009 - 9/9/2009 5:07:00 PM "I wish someone had taken the time to explain to me HOW to use a breast pump. Breast feeding is hard, but so is using a pump! I could never figure out how to use one effectively and was only ever to produce like 2-3 tbsp of breast milk after an hour or more of trying to fight with that thing. I didn't make it very far breast feeding with my first child, but I plan on trying again with my second." -- GYPSY_MOMMY - 7/30/2009 9:22:04 AM "I went from a 32DDD to a 34H, and didn't go back down, even after I stopped breastfeeding, now I'm pregnant with number 2, and I don't think I can handle much larger!" -- BE_POSITIVE - 7/13/2009 11:14:53 PM "I have nursed all of my babies. My first born I went from a 36D (pregnant) to a 40E over night! It was painful but I immediately went to the local Motherhood Maternity store and was fitted for the correct size bra. The comfort was immediate! I had gained 35 pounds during my first pregnancy and thought if I adjust my diet to eating a yogurt for breakfast and a salad for lunch that this would help me lose weight faster. Instead I stopped producing milk and had to stop nursing my son at 4 1/2 months old. This was very heartbreaking for me. I also was not positioning my son correctly - belly to belly so my nipples would crack, split and bleed. My second pregnancy I gained 19 lbs. I read a breastfeeding book by Dr. Sears and nursing this time around was a breeze! I learned different positioning and learned what the perfect latch looked like. The unfortunate thing was that I was so afraid of losing my milk supply that I would constantly eat - mostly healthy foods and I gained 25 pounds while nursing. I nursed my daughter until she was 8 1/2 months old. She lost interest in nursing and this was very sad for me :(. My third pregnancy I gained 23 lbs. Again I was afraid of losing my milk supply and my thought process was well I didn't with my second so I ate continuously and gained 25 pounds. I nursed my daughter until she was 10 1/2 months old. My milk stopped producing. I didn't know it at the time but I was pregnant with my 4th baby, my 3rd daughter. I had lost the weight from my second child but gained 30 pounds when I met my husband and an additional 25 pounds from nursing my third child. My fourth pregnancy I gained 16 pounds and only gained about 3 pounds from nursing that I did lose within time. My mom often would tell me that I was eating too much while nursing. She estimated that I was eating an average of 1200 - 1600 extra calories a day while nursing. My mom is a registered nurse. With the nursing of my fourth child I knew I only had to eat an extra 300 calories/day for my milk supply. Although I heard it with my other pregnancies and read it in the breastfeeding book I was always so paranoid in losing my supply. I wouldn't always have that fullness feeling so I would think my milk supply was decreasing. I nursed my fourth child until she was 11 1/2 months old. my milk supply had stopped and she was biting me... ouch!!! I think she knew before me that I was expecting again. Here I am again expecting our 5th child - I think our last. I have learned from my experiences to not over eat - the milk supply will still be there as long as I am not under eating. I have learned to pack and extra bra, nursing pads and and extra shirt in the diaper bag. I learned as much as I love using the lanolin for my nipples after ever feeding that it was not necessary and that it could cause a painful yeast infection (my nipple was snow white) but yet I nursed through that pain to keep my milk supply going and to keep feeding my baby. I never supplemented. I also learned that although it is taught and it has been proved that you lose weight while nursing that I only lost my pregnancy weight. My friends were all the lucky ones that lost additional weight. Nursing is the best for babies and my heart breaks for all of the moms that try and their babies will not latch or they just can not produce enough milk. My heart also breaks for the babies whose mom's never gave nursing a try because they were afraid of losing their boobs or who did not want to feel "tied down". I have many friends that have either nursed for long periods of times some past 1 year. I have many friends that could not nurse for a number of reasons some medical and some because their baby just couldn't latch on. I also have many friends that just chose to formula feed because they 1. didn't want to lose their "shape" or 2. they didn't want to feel "tied down" 3. Afraid of rejection 4. never saw any one nurse so they wanted to bottle feed. Some of my friends had other reasons too. In the long run all that matters is that the babies are being fed and are healthy and well taken care of. I hope this helps some moms with other questions they may have about nursing and for the moms that do not want to I hope you do not get offended by my comments. How a baby is fed rather it be nursing or formula fed is a decision for a mom to make - what ever she feels is best for her and her baby. in the end we are all moms wanting the best for our babies and we make the decision according to what we think is best. If you have never nursed and are planning to try I say you will never know until you do try. You may like it, you may not but don't give up too quick... sometimes after a month or 2 or 3 you may just want to keep doing it because you do not have to clean and sanitize the bottles, buy formula, remember to bring extra when you go out for an outing. when you nurse you have everything you need and it is always at the right temperature. So if you are going to try... push through your own emotional thoughts and see how far you can go. :)" -- BLESSEDWITH5 - 7/1/2009 10:50:04 AM "THis is my 3rd baby, I have tried to breastfeed my other two with no sucess, but am now taking classes and useing the breast shield and hope that the 3rd times a charm!!!" -- TANIAWOOD - 7/1/2009 9:54:12 AM "For clogged milk ducts I found taking a hand pump in the shower was very helpful in relieving it. You still have to rub it out but it was really helpful to me." -- THEKS22 - 7/1/2009 9:30:04 AM "i wish someone had told me that when your milk first comes in and you experience let down; press a towel or grab a bottle to catch the milk spraying out of the opposite breast you are feeding on. the first time it happened to me with my eldest i looked down and my baby girl got a full out breast milk bath!! poor baby i about drowned her in breast milk i swear! ugh it was disgusting and of course i didn't know that would happen! with my 1 month old baby girl; i was prepared!" -- DDYSGRL1017 - 6/8/2009 2:44:11 AM "I wish I knew that feeding on demand doesn't mean letting the baby sleep for 6 hours if she wants. It should really be, "feed every 2-3 hours or more if baby wants." My baby got dehydrated and I started myself down a bad path of low supply because I wasn't diligent enough to feed enough, I was following her, not realizing that letting her sleep 6 hours a couple of times a day was a bad thing in the very very beginning. She simply didn't get enough and then I wasn't making enough." -- MOMONFIRE - 5/29/2009 6:42:38 PM "Keep in mind that when your milk comes in the engorgement can be so very very painful...but it WILL subside in a day or so. Don't give up; cry a little, have lots of warm baths, and pump if you have to so you can help your baby latch on." -- KARRIEWITHAK - 5/4/2009 6:44:02 PM "That it is not easy!!!!! and don't expect to really check on until you are home. In the hospital I thought I would never get it and then the first day home with baby and first feeding we got it right away. It is just too stressful in the hospital. Also don't feel discouraged if you have to end up pumping, I am an exclusive pumper and I wish I could nurse but at least my little one is getting what he needs from me!" -- ALLEY_I - 5/4/2009 8:56:49 AM "You will have wet spots on your shirts if the baby gets near your boobs. Her mouth tries to latch on as soon as they get near them, shirt or no shirt!" -- KYLIECAROLINA - 4/20/2009 1:05:38 PM "- How you will have trouble being on time b/c baby wants to eat as you are trying to walk out the door. - :) I almost gave up on breastfeeding almost twice but I'm glad I didn't b/c my baby is better for it." -- ESCULENTPCAT - 4/11/2009 1:15:49 PM "the one thing they forgot to add to that list is how exosted you will be the first week of breast feeding. It was impossible for me to keep my eyes open the first couple times I breastfed. I never thought i could fall asleep so easily." -- LYNNROZE - 4/1/2009 9:17:51 PM "I just printed this out and will be sending it to my sister in law right away!!!!" -- KCINKC - 2/27/2009 10:19:29 AM "this is a wonderful article that i am forwarding to all my pregnant friends. i had such a rough time nursing the first time, i gave up after 2 months. this time round, i have stuck it out and now it is such a joyous experience!!! wonderful article - i really wish i had read it 15 months ago!!!!" -- AKATUJE - 2/16/2009 4:24:19 AM "The best advice was my mom's. She said it comes naturally and that you just need to relax and let the baby and your body do the work. If I stressed, the milk wouldn't let down and my baby would be frustrated. I found being alone and reading or watching to t.v. while I fed worked best. We both enjoyed relaxing down time together." -- PREGGYMEG - 2/7/2009 1:14:36 PM "Many great points! It is SO worth perservering through those first weeks until it all settles in. And partner support for food, drinks, and encouragement is so important. www.kellymom.com has lots of great articles that helped me through (Kelly is a lactation consultant)." -- NUTMEG75 - 2/7/2009 12:53:03 PM "it is painful, if the latch is bad, and to seek help from the lactation nurses at the hospital you delivered in, even after you have been discharged, they have a nurse to help you and classes. I am going through my own painful experience now, but trying to work through it, and teach her how to latch, i dont want to give up, I will try everything to mke it work!!" -- MBONACCI - 2/7/2009 12:11:11 PM "That a good pumping bra is a MUST to successfully pump and work and keep it up. Didn't have it with the first but did with the second and it's like a breeze compared to the first." -- ANGIELANDA - 2/7/2009 12:44:36 AM "Wow, great article! I agree with everything! I had to use a nipple shield to be able to get my baby to latch on because I have "flat" nipples. He still uses it at 6 weeks but I am hoping to wean him off of it. Also someone else commented that if you have large breasts, they probably won't get bigger if breastfeeding. That is not true for me. I have always been large chested and they are even bigger now that I am breastfeeding! I hope they get smaller after I am done! Breastfeeding is hard and you and the baby have to learn how to do it. I also had to use a firm hand with my baby and still do. It has gotten so much easier in the last 2 weeks so I encourage everyone to keep going if you get discouraged. I so wanted to quit after about 2 weeks but am so glad I didn't." -- SARAHK1237 - 1/5/2009 11:17:30 PM "How about the fact that you are not a bad mom and you are not cheating your baby if you can't do it!!!" -- MAMARAMSEY - 12/24/2008 12:53:43 AM "And another thing..... The fact that you don't produce enough milk when you pump doesn't necessarily mean your baby isn't getting enough - the pump is not exactly the same as a baby's mouth, so check with a lactation consultant. And you have to get into a routine of pumping at the same time every day to produce a lot. I often found I couldn't get much out with a pump, but my baby thrived well, following those growth chart curves for the first 6 months. Good luck!" -- BUBBLEASIA - 12/15/2008 11:31:19 AM "For Mums who already have very big boobs - don't worry, they probably won't get bigger, unless you put on weight in pregnancy!! In fact, they can get smaller, especially when breastfeeding makes you lose so much weight, but also as some extra fat cells change into milk ducts, apparently. That's a great reassurance for some of us, believe me!" -- BUBBLEASIA - 12/15/2008 11:25:42 AM "That it is emotionaly hard to stop. Both of my kids nursed until they were 21 and 18 months old (not exclusivly of course), and I had the hardest time telling them no when the time came." -- ETISCARRENO - 12/8/2008 10:48:24 AM "There's a few things I wish I'd known. 1. That breastfeeding cause cause you to fall asleep. lol Every time my daughter nursed I'd almost or would fall asleep! 2. That you can have enough milk even though you can't pump very much. My daughter had plenty and thrived but I couldn't pump any more than a couple of tablespoons at a time. 3. That even though your baby nurses for 30-45 minutes at a time doesn't mean he's not getting enough. I supplemented with my son because I didn't think I was producing enough. 4. To watch out for nurses with manicures! Well ones with artificial nails anyway. OUCH! Not nice for showing how to manuver a baby to latch... lol" -- MOTHERSGROUP - 12/6/2008 5:47:55 PM "I agree with all of the previous posts and just wanted to emphasize more of the emotional hardships that BF can take on a new mom. My son was only 6lb when he was born and my breasts were bigger than his head, and it was VERY VERY VERY difficult for us to learn to nurse. The more we struggled to nurse, the more depressed I became. I finally decided that I would nurse when it was daylight and pump at night so I could sleep and get away from the stress of his bad latch. Eventually the depression became so bad that I quit nursing, went on anti-depressants and pumped exclusively for 5 months. Then I finally decided that it was healthier for me to take care of myself rather than beat myself up over the breast milk issues i had. There are options if "conventional" breastfeeding doesn't work for you-- you can pump, you can mix BM and formula together, or you can just formula feed. Most important you have to do what is healthiest for your baby AND you. And sometimes that means letting go of the mommy guilt and focusing on other things." -- ELIJAHSMOMMA - 12/6/2008 1:15:37 PM "Sometimes you DON'T have enough milk no matter what people tell you. I was on supplements and pumped like a mad woman and never once had more than 4-5 oz. at a time...this became a problem when he wanted more than that. It is not bad to supplement with formula if you need to and continue breastfeeding what you can give." -- BABYSU - 12/6/2008 1:11:27 PM "Here's a point that I so wish I had found before BF'ing started. I had the opposite problem of too little milk...I had too much! I didn't know that in the first 6-12 weeks post-partum, your milk production is determined more by PP hormones than by supply and demand. Worried that pumping to relieve myself of the engorgement would only prompt my body to produce more, I suffered mastitis twice and blocked ducts about every two days. Next time I'll know that I can pump to make myself comfortable. Here's another thing that's perfectly normal that isn't mentioned in the article: Some babies prefer one breast and will not use the other one." -- CECILY_TECHUAN - 12/6/2008 11:32:26 AM "I would encourage any pregnant woman planning on breastfeeding to get books/videos and take classes on breastfeeding prior to having your baby so you can have the resources you need if you run into any problems nursing. I am sure its very easy for some women but I had LOTS of problems my first few weeks and without help and support I may have given up. I am a full time working mother who finds breastfeeding/pumping at work much easier than bottle feeding plus I know its the best source of nutrition for my babies. There are so many nutrients and micronutrients in breastmilk that are not found in formula. Until a nutrient is proven to be beneficial it is not added to a formula- take DHA and ARA for example, both essential in brain development but not present in formula until recently. Your antibodies are present in your breastmilk so it does provide protection from ilness for your baby. Breastfed babies are sick much less often than formula fed babies and they are significantly less likely to die from SIDS. These and many other reasons are why I breastfeed. Formula is not the same as breastmilk - learn the facts." -- LESLIESCROSS - 12/6/2008 10:15:50 AM "I agree that some women will not make enough milk to exclusively breastfeed but most will, especially if you are able to breastfeed your baby on demand. I was able to breastfeed my children for a year while working full time by pumping at work twice a day. Learning how to breastfeed was dificult though and I suffered through bleeding nipples, bad latch, mastitis, and anything else you can think of. In the begining with my third child by day 5 my milk had not come in and I had to feed with a supplemental feeding system until it finally came in on day 7! Luckily I had support from my family, friends and lactation consultant otherwise I think I may have found it difficult to continue even as committed as I was." -- LESLIESCROSS - 12/6/2008 9:54:02 AM "Wow...now that I have read the other comments I could not see from reading the article....I'm glad that I was not alone in not being able to produce enough milk. I tried absolutely everything....including pumping every 2 hours for 20-30 minutes at work....thank goodness I was not fired for taking so much time to do this. There does need to be an article on here about how not everyone will be able to breastfeed. After weeks of trying and heartache...my mother finally told me that my grandmother could not breastfeed due to the same reasons I apparently could not. She told me that not all women can breastfeed, and this helped me from being so depressed thinking I was just not doing enough. I remember being told the lie that all women can breastfeed, that it just took hard work. Ha....I sometimes think that women who cannot produce enough are the ones who try the hardest." -- MRSMOTT - 11/11/2008 4:16:28 PM "I agree with CJSMOMMIE....not all women will be able to make enough to breastfeed. I have underdeveloped breasts and no matter how much I nursed my daughter and pumped with a hospital grade rental pump, I never made enough for my baby. I think this is something that needs to be said to all mothers wanting to breast feed, because I want through a lot of heartache not knowing that there was actually something wrong with my body, and that it was not a failure on my part by not trying hard enough." -- MRSMOTT - 11/11/2008 4:00:23 PM "I really, really wanted to BF my baby. I took all the classes, even set up a lacation consultant to come to my house. My lacation consulant was my neighbor and best friend for over 7 years. She came to the hospital with us. I have PCOS (and moderately overweight) and am over 35. My husband and I conceived easily without medical intervention and I had a very, very easy uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. No matter what anyone tells you, sometimes your body will not make enough milk. I drank cup after cup of 'Mother's tea' and took Reglan (a prescription only medication that increases milk production - 8 times a day) for 6 weeks. My breast combined never made more than 2 oz. NOT only did my OB tell me to stop, the lacation consultant (my best friend and neighbor- who was there thru every thing) said that I had done all that she knew to do to increase my milk production. I not only nursed, I also pumped with a hospital grade pump (10 minutes on/10 minutes off for an hour each morning and an hour each night). I agree that BF is best for the baby, but DO NOT beat yourself up if it doesn't work out for you. I cried too many tears (my poor husband is a saint) because I thought I was a bad mom, because I could not feed my baby. After my 6 week check up, my OB said that he would not re-fill the Reglan, because of the side effects (GI disturbances, etc). It was such a weight off my back. I had waited so long to have a baby, I wanted to do everything right. My husband gave our daughter a bottle the first night and she and I both slept for the first time in 6 weeks. I wish that I could go back and tell myself to lighten up a little. There is no test at the end of this, and I am a very good mother even if my daughter does drink formula. I do not want to discourage anyone from BF, it really is the perfect food for your baby. But if it doesn't work out for you, let me be the first to tell you.....YOU ARE STILL A GOOD MOTHER, and no matter what anyone else tells you, your baby will be just fine drinking formula. My daughter was born in December and I quit nursing her in Feb. She has not been sick at all in her first 6 months." -- CJSMOMMIE - 7/7/2008 10:45:38 PM "I would search for the post about "tip on breastfeeding" for the Share your one most important tip on BF, please! message board post and "favorite thing about nursing"--both are under Breastfeeding Support. There is also a Breastfeeding 101 Mommy Team. Good support is a necessity for breastfeeding success. I wish I had known that after the first two months, breastfeeding truly became second-nature to me! All of the hard work at the beginning is MORE than worth it! All the best!" -- LILIBET26 - 2/26/2008 12:21:47 PM "My baby was in the NICU for 4 weeks, she was born early, they did not promote nursing. It took me a while I got her use to my breast, it took alot of me controlling her head and opening her mouth and litterally shoving my nipple in, I only had to pump a few days after she came home." -- PRINCESSLUV238 - 2/14/2008 6:01:14 PM "BF'ing is truly a challenge and it's one that I love every day. Just take each day one at a time, and if you say "today I will breastfeed" then go with it, you can always change your mind. The best thing is to KNOW YOUR FACTS, know and learn everything you can about it and talk to as many moms that you need, and seek help and information if you run into any road blocks. Enjoy!" -- GINAGLO141 - 1/30/2008 9:31:37 AM "My daughter was in NICU for only 3 weeks and the Dr. Refused to let me breast feed I hadd to pump for 3 weeks before she was released. But with her enlarged tounge she could not latch right and i brest fed for 3 monthes but she always ate 4 to 8 oz of formula after!" -- BWSMAMA - 1/25/2008 1:55:28 PM "With my first baby, she couldn't tolerate me eating dairy for the first couple months, and she spit up ALL the time! My second daughter went on a nursing strike when she was about 8 months old (when she started teething) and didn't nurse for a whole week. I had to rent a pump and give it to her in an infant sippy. I finally was able to slowly, gently coax her back to the breast. I nursed both my daughters for a year and though we had our challenges, I thought the benefits GREATLY outweighed them. No preparing bottles at 2am, no washing bottles or packing them for trips, and oh so much cheaper than formula! They've rarely been sick too--no recurrent ear infections or anything like that. Please please give breastfeeding a try, even if you're a working mom. You'll be glad you did!" -- MYSTICAT - 12/14/2007 8:49:04 AM "After seeing this on the main page, and after 10 months of BF'ing my daughter and becoming a Lactivist in my state (Get it - LACTATION - ACTIVIST) I warn you to remember that EVERY WOMAN IS DIFFERENT. The above is right. BF is NOT for everyone. However, MANY moms will give up easily because the truth? BREASTFEEDING IS HARD WORK. But like anything that is hard work - BREAST FEEDING IS SO SO SO SO REWARDING. Remember that you and your baby are unique, and that there are people here to support you. If you want to BF, don't let others talk you down. If you are nervous, get support. LLL is a wonderful support group. And remember that there are advancements all the time. What our moms and grandmothers did and went through may not necessarily be true now. There really are a lot of myths and fables ... (washcloth roughing of nipples is one ....) If you WANT it, you can MAKE it work. Barring some medical interference - the breasts are MEANT for feeding babies. I'm here to support anyone that needs it!" -- TEAMTIMMS - 11/7/2007 12:44:32 AM "The 'fact' that you will always have enough milk is NOT true. After about 2 months, I did not - no matter how often/long I pumped (my baby was 28 wks and in the NICU for almost 2 months). I tried all of the suggestions from the lactation specialist at the NICU and nothing worked. I found out afterward that my mom had the same problem and had to supplement/switch to formula for all of us kids (6 of us). Her OB told her 'some cows are good milk cows, others are not.' Not a real nice comparison, but the truth." -- JTACKITT - 9/9/2007 8:38:31 PM "My mom always told me to prepare my nipples...like use a "rough" washcloth on them and/or pinch them some BEFORE the baby is born....sounds weird, I know but TRUST ME...it's ALL worth it!" -- MOMMASTICK - 7/26/2007 4:25:46 PM "*That all of it - the pain, the trials, the frustration - is SO worth it to see your baby grow and thrive!!! *That you will become a wealth of knowledge for your friends if they BF after you - or even before, depending on YOUR success stories! *That you will deal with a lot of MYTH and FABLES about BF'ing whats good/bad/ugly. Listen to your lactation consultant and local LLL leader, sometimes even DOCTORS dont' know the latest on BF'ing so they are not ALWAYS the source to listen to! *A good support buddy (I call them Boob-Buddies) are invaluable to help keep you in a positive mood about BF'ing! *Babyfit is INVALUABLE with the members from all walks of life sharing BF'ing stories and suggestions!" -- TEAMTIMMS - 7/26/2007 4:01:44 PM "that your nipples may become cracked and bleed if you dont get the latch right..that the blood the baby ingests if that happens is not harmful the the baby, and that cold, wet tea bags on the nipple can help aleviate that pain and speed healing (it really does help! thank you lipton!) that i should contact a lactation consultant at my hospital BEFORE the baby was born, so that when i was in the hopsital with her, i could call the lactation consultant by name on her cell myself and she would come to help me out. (waiting for the nurses to contact the lac consultant took forever!)" -- NOBLEKAT - 7/26/2007 3:37:55 PM "I had someone tell me that it would hurt at first...and she nursed three babies! I'm so glad that she did because I was prepared and knew that it wasn't going to be a cake walk! We made it over a year!" -- JESSSAM - 7/26/2007 2:34:44 PM "That your baby is born with enough nutrients in their system to last the first 24-36 hours without much milk from you. Pumping is not as bad as some may think, and pumping may be the best thing for you and your babe. Especially if you have a premie, a toung-tied baby, or a babe who isn't interested in the breast. Nipple confusion is real! If you want to breastfeed, bring a "short" bottle nipple with you to the hospital. The staff want what is best for your babe and they will gladly help you with the pumping of colustrum, but they only have standard bottle nipples which are quite long. So to prepare for the un-expected bring your prefered "short" bottle nipple to the hospital. You will probably still want to have bottles on hand even if you plan on EBF. Breastfeeding is AWESOME!! But it is very difficult for the first few weeks, stay strong and you will reap the benifits:-)" -- KIH901 - 7/26/2007 1:27:36 PM "My board has had many problems with too little milk supply...just to comment about the "You'll always have enough milk" assumption. It's not always true." -- MRS_MOM - 7/26/2007 8:05:43 AM "A couple other things I'd like to add. 1) No one ever told me that, even on rare occasion, that your colostrum or milk may not come in right after birth. When i delievered my daughter at 37 weeks, I didn't have colostrum yet, it didn't come in until she was 2 days old. . . and my milk didn't come in for almost a week. I had to give her bottles starting in the hospital. 2) Also that no matter how much trouble you have YOU can make it work. After not having colostrum or milk for so long it took forever to get my milk supply up. My daughter FINALLY had her first exclusively breastfed day when she was 10 WEEKS OLD! After we got breastfeeding down my daughter preferred breast over bottle. YIPPEE!!! HUGGS Amy" -- MOMMYME - 7/26/2007 12:46:48 AM "For those mothers about to birth, DON'T let the nurses feed your baby formula!!! I keep hearing stories from friends who recently had this happen. If that baby isn't suckling on you your body thinks the milk isn't needed! Beware of seemingly helpful nurses. On the other hand, nurses can make themselves very helpful by seeing to it that you nurse that baby every 2-3 hours and by getting you into a routine before you go home. I really appreciate the breastfeeding support on Babyfit. There's so much mis information out there." -- BCARINA - 7/7/2007 10:15:29 AM "I agree with the comments about breast feeding being touted as the be all and end all, which makes it hard for those of us who didn't manage it or couldn't for reasons such as medication, small/premature babies, babies with certain temperaments that meant they pulled on and twisted your nipples, etc. It seems there is a breast feeding mafia and that those of us who chose, for good reasons, to bottle feed, are to be vilified and burnt at the stake! It is not a crime to not breast feed and it is not for everyone. Here is some information that the breast feeding mafia doesn't tell you - stress/emotional upsets inhibits the flow of milk." -- KRIBOR - 7/7/2007 5:49:17 AM "To mother's who plan on weaning at 6 months.... No one ever told me that some babies refuse to drink formula after being breastfed for 6 months. My baby won't touch it with a ten foot pole. Even mixed with my milk. If there is even an ounce in a 6 oz bottle of my milk she won't drink it. good luck. If you plan on breastfeeding plan on doing it a year. It will safe you stress of even trying to wean at 6 months." -- IVELYJEAN - 7/6/2007 9:01:37 AM "Please check out our collection of Bottle Feeding articles. The first one has links to the others: http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/a rticles.asp?id=467 " -- RACHEL_BABYFIT - 6/14/2007 2:53:21 PM "I am becoming a bit frustrated with the BabyFit site and the topic of breastfeeding. While I understand all of the health benefits, there are also people like myself that take medication or have conditions that make it impossible to breast feed. Have you ever considered writing any articles about formula feeding?? It seems breastfeeding is evangelized a bit much here. It is a personal decision for many. Why not be a little more objective???"" -- JENEEE - 6/14/2007 2:00:05 PM "Check under the tongue to make sure that your baby is not tongue tied. The frenulum is a piece of tissue that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. When a baby has a restrictive or tight frenulum (tongue tie), it can impair the ability of the tongue to move properly to effectively breastfeed. If the tongue is not tied then make sure that it is coming out over the lower gums when you are latching them on. You can help that by pulling down on the chin as your LO starts to open their mouth to latch. This should bring the tongue out over the gums which should help to get it in the right position. Here is a great resource to help as you trouble shoot when breast feeding. It has videos that demonstrate getting a good latch, breast compressions and more. http://tinyurl.com/k9dse " -- TANYA_BABYFIT - 5/29/2007 4:25:46 PM "I have my first baby now, she is two weeks old today, and although she's getting plenty of breastmilk, I have problems because it hurts so badly. I have checked everything I know to check, and it appears she is latching on quite well... but it still hurts like crazy, and I still have slightly sore and cracked nipples. I try lanolin as well as my own breastmilk in between feedings, but I can't seem to get it not to hurt. I hope that it does get better, because doing this 10 times a day is getting taxing." -- LK2HVN - 5/29/2007 4:04:47 PM "I cannot emphasize how much nipple shields can help. I did not have inverted nipples, I was just so engorged that my nipple was almost flat- she was unable to latch on- even after pumping and hours of trying. Even after consulting with a lactation consultant, I found that these $2 tools did the trick. Thanks to the nipple shields I was able to breastfeed my child. Thankfully, I only had to wear them for about a week and then I was able to breastfeed normally. We are going on 6 months of successul breastfeeding- something I thought I would never reach in the beginning." -- MIREILLAMOM - 5/29/2007 10:18:12 AM "Thanks for sharing your experience. This article comes from the experience of the women on our site. Since every breastfeeding relationship is different, so are the experiences that occur." -- TANYA_BABYFIT - 5/2/2007 4:41:49 PM "This article is not completely accurate. I also did everything right with my son, was eating very healthy and enough calories, getting PLENTY of fluids and rest, baby was nursing frequently and I pumped after, and still I did not have enough milk. They put me on Reglan, and that made me produce a little more, but you can't stay on it indefinitely and once I stopped taking it, my supply went down again. So no, you actually may NOT have enough milk. 5% of all women are incapable of producing enough milk for their infants, and there is nothing they can do about it." -- LILIQUA76 - 5/2/2007 4:15:07 PM "I had problems breastfeeding because my O.B. suggested that I use Depo Provera shot for birth control, a three month birth control shot, because at the time, I am not sure if they have came out with something new, was the only birth control available for nursing mothers. Although it is safe to take, they forgot to tell me that I shouldn't take it until 6 weeks after the baby is born so that your milk supply could fully come in. So I thought that I was doing the right thing by taking it before I left the hospital when the nurse asked me what I planned to do for Birth control." -- BRENDADB414 - 3/2/2007 4:07:43 PM "Not only do some women not produce enough milk for their baby but they don't produce the quality. I unfortunately am one of them. I did everything right. I ate right, I nursed often and even pumped to produce the quantity, but my body didn't get the quality thing down right. My bm didn't have enough fat in it to be sufficient for my daughter. It stuck because sometimes you do everything yoour supposed to and it still isn't enough." -- LADYRED7402 - 2/12/2007 10:49:44 AM "This is not entirely accurate...there are some people, myself included, who will NOT have enough milk, ever. They will go to lactation consultants...pump...nurse often...ensure the baby's latch and suck are perfect...and may even resort to taking domperidone after their LC is certain they have done everything possible. And even while taking the drug, they will not produce enough. No one talks or writes about this possibility, and no research is done to figure out why this happens. Yes, this affects a tiny population- everyone else seems to be able to run a dairy with all the milk they're making- but I still wish that something could be done to solve this mystery." -- JRAJCHEL - 2/2/2007 11:31:34 AM "Thank you for this article! Wish I had read it earlier. This was my fourth child, and I'd forgotten how painful it could be. But, like the article said, it got better after a few weeks! My children are worth it! Excellent source for all Mom's." -- 3PLUS1_DONE - 1/17/2007 11:43:05 PM "This was a great article, but I wish I had known that not everyone can be successful. I never had labor pains and had to be induced, due to a deficient hormone level. I wish I had know this hormone problem would affect my milk supply. I feel guilty about not getting enough milk to my baby, but I am glad to know that I tried. I hope everyone can have success, but for those who can't breastfeed - know you are not alone, and it is about the health of your baby that is most important!" -- MKC1MJH - 1/16/2007 3:09:43 PM "Am over 40 and expecting first baby (accident).Am happy but do not have a clue what to expect . I love reading these articles...things are not so scary." -- PENNY007 - 1/3/2007 9:46:05 AM "This is a great article that I will refer back to the closer it is to the baby being here and again once he/she is here. I remember from the first time that it hurt so bad after my milk came in that it was like needles coming out of my nipples! I was determind to BF and didn't give up. A friend of mine who has 3 kids says it hurts that way with each new baby. I'm not looking forward to it but at least now I know that it will be horrible for about a week or two before the pain goes away for good. I BF my first for 22 months and it was one of the best things I did. She is so healthy and smart she amazes me all the time!" -- MARNIESINGS - 12/7/2006 7:57:13 AM "I WISH SOME ONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT NOT ONLY IS BRESTFEEDING PHYSICALLY DEMANDING AND EXAUSTING AT FIRST, BUT EMOTIONALLY AS WELL. IT CAN GET VERY OVERWHELMING AND DEPRESSING WHEN YOUR BABY DOSNT LATCH ON CORRECTLY, OR YOUR ENGORGED, TIRED, IN PAIN FROM JUST HAVING THE BABY. MOST PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF IT, AND NOT THE EMOTIONAL. I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME. IVORY" -- IVORY6418 - 10/19/2006 4:11:57 PM "I figured out that my ten-week old is probably eating over 30 ounces a day. No wonder I got so thirsty and was getting dehydration headaches. I had to increase my fluid intake again to compensate!" -- CATHY_T - 10/12/2006 2:11:45 PM "This is a great article, I wish I would have read this prior to having my son. I was never told that breastfeeding would hurt right after giving birth, and not because of improper latching but becausei it caused painful contractions of my uterus everytime the baby nursed." -- WALKER_3 - 7/25/2006 10:17:23 PM "Every would be mom should read this articles, because though breastfeeding is considered natural, it is something both the mom and the baby has to learn. Also most of the time the experienced mothers around you don't share the difficulties and physical changes one goes in the early days of breastfeeding. I just wish I had read this article earlier as I would have known what to expect and do with respect to breastfeeding when my baby was born." -- CELINEROSE - 7/20/2006 12:31:36 PM "Eat a well balanced diet with 300-500 additional calories above pre-pregnancy as well as 10+ cups of water to ensure you are well nourished to produce milk." -- TANYA_BABYFIT - 7/11/2006 7:51:59 AM "i'm on my 8th month, what preparations do i need to have in order to ensure that i will have adequate milk supply? in my first pregnancy, there was really very small amount of milk... i had sore nipples and engorgement. i was so disappointed and depressed. Now, i want to really work on breastfeeding. thanks, dewie " -- DEWIEELMA - 7/11/2006 5:47:35 AM "There are times that you two will struggle in the beginning, but its like learning to dance with a new dancing partner. It takes a few rounds and then you click. Hang in there. It's so worth it. " -- CARLENA1236 - 5/17/2006 11:28:03 AM "Breastfeeding does require effort, but really, as this article mentioned, after the first few weeks, it is such a breeze! No bottles and most of the time, people really don't notice that the baby is eating under that blanket! You may not believe me, but it is true! " -- DENYCE27 - 4/17/2006 10:48:48 AM Report Inappropriate Comment