re: Would anyone be interested in a thread on breastfeeding?

I would be interested. I am due in 2 and a half weeks and know that I am going to need help and advice.

Quoting Dayton&Bella'sMommy:" <blockquote><b>Quoting justanothamotha:</b>" I don't have an "opinoin" perse on pumping ... [snip!] ... here's your kid feed it... Idk anf when they brought my kids back from changing and bathing they had binkies in they mouths! :/"

Well, I would first recommend then that with the next baby, you nurse in that first few minutes you hold the baby. You'd be shocked at how strong the urge to latch isimmediately afte rbirth & the instinct is often spot on. The reason momma's are encouraged to nurse within an hour is that babies are often alert & they will do a good job of getting a good latch at that point all on their own.

My own experience seems to support this. With #1 I nursed him immediately - as in minute safter birth. With #2 he was not breathing well right away & then they let me see him but for a quick minute only & by the time I got him an hour later he is was out & slept 12 hrs & would not show any interest in latching. Finally at about 12 hrs he woke & did latch bu this latch was AWFUL & we continued to have problems with it for weeks & weeks. I tried to to get help & everyone kept saying his latch was "prefect" - but I KNOW it wasn't - it hurt & it shouldn't hurt or shred your nips. i was even told tha tmy nipples needed to "adjust" or "toughen up" - the porblem with that theory? I was STILL nursing my older one - so I had not ever stopped....and he nursed about 8-10 times a day right up to delivery - so there was no need for my nips to get used to anything. :/
I get VERY frustrated with how quick nurses are to tell you soreness is normal. Some tenderness maybe - but owie & pain, no. It is common, it is NOT a normal part of a good latch. It is so common because poor latch & undiagnosed tongue tie are all tooo common.

AND - remember too that if I could have #1 latch perfectly, never have ANY soreness or pain, etc & then do that for nearly 3 yrs & turn around & have a baby that I had to fight with to get latched well - then you can just as easily have an opposite expereince too & things coudl very well go well for you this time.

<blockquote><b>Quoting justanothamotha:</b>" Well, I would first recommend then that with the next baby, you nurse in that first few minutes you hold ... [snip!] ... well - then you can just as easily have an opposite expereince too & things coudl very well go well for you this time."</blockquote>




I hope ill be able try right away after delivering...& does taking pain meds our having the epidural affect or harm baby??

Quoting Dayton&Bella'sMommy:" <blockquote><b>Quoting justanothamotha:</b>" Well, I would first recommend then that ... [snip!] ... I hope ill be able try right away after delivering...& does taking pain meds our having the epidural affect or harm baby??"

No, some may make them a little drowsy but it won't hurt them.

Quoting Dayton&Bella'sMommy:" <blockquote><b>Quoting justanothamotha:</b>" Well, I would first recommend then that ... [snip!] ... I hope ill be able try right away after delivering...& does taking pain meds our having the epidural affect or harm baby??"

It depends on who you ask.....
I'd say always avoid any intervention you an because it is always the "safest option" but you don't have to feel obligated to skip pain meds in order to make breastfeeding work. Moms do report fewer issues with early nursing when they do not use pain meds...BUT
Liek any study, Id' suspect moms who do not opt for pain meds may be more nature minded, may have educated themselves a LOT about birth & breastfeeding prior to delivery & may just avoid issues based on that alone, and not as much on whether the baby is a little groggy from morphine.

Quoting Dayton&Bella'sMommy:" <blockquote><b>Quoting justanothamotha:</b>" Well, I would first recommend then that ... [snip!] ... I hope ill be able try right away after delivering...& does taking pain meds our having the epidural affect or harm baby??"

I would say the pain medication option that is least likely to affect the baby is the epidural. IV pain medications go right to the baby and its effects are immediate and can last for 4+ hours, meaning if you deliver in that time frame the baby will likely have respiratiory depression and require significant intervention, thus delaying breastfeeding. Epidural has a much less direct effect (if any) and it takes much longer for the effect to occur. Most of my patients have epidurals running for less then 5 hours and it seems that the effects to the baby don't happen until a much longer exposure has occured (8-12 hours) Even if the epidural does affect the baby, it is not an effect that would require resusitation either by bag and mask or medications. This means that the epidural itself is unlikely to keep you from immediatly attempting to feed the baby. ( other issues might, but not DIRECTLY from the epidural)