Breastfeeding 101

So you're pregnant and planning to breastfeed! Congratulations on your important decision! Breastfeeding is not just a feeding choice, but a health choice as well. You and your baby will gain numerous health benefits by breastfeeding.

You may be thinking, "how do I get started?", "what do I need?". Those are some of the questions I am going to answer.

How to get started:

Attend a prenatal breastfeeding class and take your partner with you. In the middle of the night, when the baby is crying and you are too, he may be the only one that can remember what the instructor said.

Attend LLL meetings if they are in your area. The mother-to-mother support you receive there will be invaluable.

Find a lactation consultant in your area, you may not need her, but it's easier to find one when you don't need her than when you do. Give her a call, save her number in a safe place!

Read up on breastfeeding . Books I suggest are :

• Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - La Leche League International
• The Nursing Mother's Companion - Kathleen Huggins
• The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two - William, M.D. Sears and Martha Sears, R.N.
• Breastfeeding Pure & Simple - Gwen Gotsch, William Sears, M.D.

There is no need to "prepare" your nipples prior to breastfeeding.

What do you need?

There really isn't any necessary equipment to breastfeed. All you need are one or two breasts and a desire to provide your baby with the best food available to him or her.

You will want to invest in some quality nursing bras, but stay away from ones with underwire as they are known to cause clogged milk ducts.

It is a good idea to have some ultra-purified lanolin on hand prior to nursing. Pure Lan by Medela and Lanisoh that can be purchased in some major drug stores are the only ultra-purified ones that I am aware of. It is no longer recommend that you use Vitamin E oil on your nipples as baby can get an overdose of this fat soluble vitamin from nursing.

You don't need a pump to breastfeed. If you are a stay at home mom, you may never need a pump, simple hand expression may be all that you need. If you want a pump for occasional pumping so you can leave the baby for an hour or two once in a while, invest in a quality mini pump such as the Medela Mini Electric, most of the mini pumps in the chain and drug stores are inferior and usually don't perform well and make moms very sore. If you plan to return to work , then you need a double electric breast pump such as the Medela Pump in Style or the Lactina double pump for rental from Medela. Call 1-800-tell-you to find these pumps in your area.

Remember, though breastfeeding is natural, it can be difficult in the first days of your baby's life. Don't be afraid to ask for assistance!