This is my first pregnancy, totally unexpected but very wanted.
I have heard a few things about pain buring breastfeeding initially.
Is there anything you can do to prepare for this?
I have heard a few things such as a cream to put on & also using a toothbrush to desensitise them. Is this true?? My boobs are already so tender now only 7 weeks into it!
I wouldnt do anything yet. I honestly dont think there is anything you can do until the baby arrives. You'l be fine. Just make sure you educate yourself as much as possible on b/feeding.
Your boobs will hurt during pregnancy, it's because the hormones in your system are causing them to grow and change in preparation for making milk.
The best things you can do for preparation of breastfeeding is....join ABA, get some REALLY good books on breastfeeding and attend some BFing meetings/clubs with oher ladies and watch them feeding. Learning good technique is the number one thing you can do to avoid pain and damage from BFing. Tough nipples don't help (nature designed this system way back when and i don't think neolithic ladies rubbed rocks on their boobs!) and you will only have a miserable time aggravating already-sensitive nipples during pregnancy.
There is some pain which isn't avoidable - i have flat nipples and the first few seconds of a feed for the first few days were a litte painful as the nipple was stretched out into the back of DD's mouth. I learned to ease it by stretching my nipple by hand before attaching DD and also by expressing a bit of milk off if the breast was very full. Other pain - that of poor attachment, is completely avoidable with good technique.
My breasts were incredibly painful first trimester, but this has settled down heaps. Just thought i'd let you know that (hopefully) it won't last forever. The breastfeeding thing i haven't got to yet.
The best thing you can do to prepare for breastfeeding, as the others have said, is join the ABA and do a Breastfeeding Education Class. You also get a fabulous book for free when you join the ABA.
Other than that, you need to stop wearing an underwire bra. Nothing else. The stories about toothbrushes etc are old wives tales.
the only book i read was the ABA's 'breastfeeding...naturally'. i had planned to go to one of the ABA's breastfeeding classes/info sessions but never made it - i really wish i'd gone though.
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Breast preperation
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