I have 2 boys, 1 is 8 yrs. the other 19 months, I breast fed both of them for 6 months. The MOST important thing for your friend to know is to make sure she is not too hard on herself, breastfeeding can be very difficult to start with and some women are unsuccessful in producing enough milk right away which can put a lot of pressure on new moms. It is a good idea to have an electric breast pump before the baby is born, bring it to the hospital and begin using it right away, after baby has nursed for the first time, if possible. Starting with the pump immediately is the best way I know to get your breasts going and producing milk. The first milk that comes in is called colostrum and it is very important for the baby to get that either from her breast or from a bottle if pumped. Another thing, introduce the baby right away to the breast AND the nipple of a bottle because they need to be able to feed from both, just in case mom can't do EVERY feeding. (it happens)
The first week or so she will feel like the only thing she's doing is nursing and changing diapers. That's normal. The baby needs to eat every 2 hours will poop sometimes even during the feeding. It is OKAY to wait until the end of the feeding to change the diaper, I learned the that hard way, if you stop feeding and change the baby you will have to go through the ';let down'; process again with the breast and a hungry baby doesn't have much tolerance for that! Trust me, the poop that comes from breastfeeding is very mild and it will not hurt the baby to have it in her/his diaper until done eating! Like I said, I learned that the hard way with the 1st one 2nd way easier!
Although breastfeeding is the very best start for the baby, infant formulas have come a long way and are now very comparable, in my opinion the only thing they lack is mom's immunity, I recommend Infamil (no, I'm not getting paid to say that!), that's what I used with both boys after weening them because I had to start medication and could no longer breastfeed. (I have MS). Neither of my boys had any difficulty switching to that formula. ie:no acid reflux or anything but there was quite a bit of gas and MYLECON DROPS (even the store brand) is very good foe infant gas, it was a MUST for my boys!
I cannot stress enough though that she relax both when feeding and when pumping, it helps tremendously for the success. Even if she has to kick people out of the room, they should understand. Relaxing while pumping was actually harder for me than relaxing while breastfeeding, having your baby latched on to your breast and knowing they are getting EVERYTHING they need directly from you is a very comforting and rewarding.
The hospital she will give birth (or gave birth) in can probably supply a lot of information. The hospital I gave birth in had a department where I rented and electric breast pump from them, it was like $70 for 6 mos, they had other fees for monthly, yearly and so on but I recommend you
contact the labor and delivery department of that hospital and ask if they have any lactation services for new moms. They most certainly will be able to provide information.
I see other people have mentioned for her to apply for WIC, which is a very good idea, some states even have a website from which you may apply for services, just type in WIC (your state name) in the search window of any search engine and enter For example, type WIC, Virginia (enter). WIC is an excellent program if she is in need help paying for a breast pump, etc.
Your friend is making a very good decision to breastfeed her baby, kudos to her! As far as parenting tips go, it's very hard to explain how new moms are with their babies, it is amazing how well and fast you get to know your infant, this little angel that can't even talk! Telling her to go with her gut is good advice. If the baby is crying and she can't get him/her to stop my advice is to check these things first:
1) Is she/he hungry? if no then
2) Does his/her diaper need to be changed? if no then
3) Is he/her tensing up the belly and kicking his/her legs, it may be gas, try gently burping
4)Does he/she have a fever? if yes CALL THE PEDIATRICIAN! Newborns shouldn't have a fever over 100 rectally!
If all this is done and still fussy I recommend just holding/ snuggling/rocking to soothe her/him. If she is getting frustrated or upset because baby is crying too much MAKE SURE she puts baby down in her crib or gives him/her to someone to hold. It is important to soothe baby that the one holding her/him is calm. It can be very overwhelming if the baby is crying but I cannot stress enough how important it is to have the environment around him/her to be calm and soothing if the baby is upset and crying. Playing soothing music and rocking always worked for mine. I hope your freind finds this information helpful and feel free to email me if you have any other questions, if I can't answer I can certainly help direct you/her tCan any moms tell me about breast pumps, and a few parenting tips?
Rent an electric pump if you're going to be doing a lot of pumping. They're faster and more efficient, and if you decide at some point that you want to stop, you're not stuck with it. The rental fee might be covered by insurance or pulic assistance.
As for parenting tips, there are so many things that could be said, but above all, just love and enjoy your baby. Relax, and don't worry about doing everything right. No one does, especially with their first, but with your love and attention, your baby will thrive.
Get lots of help and support. Take advantage of every available resource in the community and accept offers of help from your parents, partner, and friends. This is a very special time. Let others do things for you so you can be with your baby as much as possible.
First of all, I'd apply for Medicaid and the WIC program. You can call DHEC and get a social worker to help with it. If she is accepted into the WIC program, she will be given vouchers for foods which will help keep her milk supply up and keep her healthy. Also, in some states, including mine (SC) they give pumps. Here, though, they don't give them out like candy. They have only so many hospital-grade ones, and those go out first to the moms of preemies and women who medically cannot breastfeed directly. In other words, moms who don't want to have a baby latch on but are perfectly able are not near the top of the list. They do give out purchase pumps too, but again, these are not given to every mom. I have been told that moms who supplement with formula can be disqualified.
Is she going to be a single mom? If so (and really, in any case) I'd recommend an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. They are pricey, but I just bought one at a consignment sale for $60 like new. You could check Craigslist as well. This is basically a small bassinet which attaches to the parent's bed. It would allow her to breastfeed baby in the night without having to get up and walk to another room. Many people don't like the idea of cosleeping because of the danger of layover (normally not an issue for breastfeeding moms anyway), but this is totally safe. The baby is on a separate surface, but still right there.
If she is going to need to be away from baby to go to school or work, she will need an electric pump. If you are planning a shower for her, it'd be a good thing for some friends to buy for her together. My favorite is Medela's Pump in Style Advanced. It's about $280 but is a double electric pump that's perfect for working moms who want to keep their supply up. With this pump you will only need to spend about 15 minutes per session to express your milk, as it does both breasts at once. The Pump in Style Advanced features two-phase expression. When you nurse your baby you may notice that he first sucks fast and shallow to stimulate your milk let-down. Then he will start sucking longer and deeper when the milk is flowing. This pump simulates that, and it increases mom's comfort as well as decreasing the time spent pumping. I would NOT recommend buying a used pump to save money, as it is hard to tell how long it was used and in what environment it was stored. You could spend $100 or more on a secondhand one and it could hurt her supply. I've seen that happen several times at work.
One more thing--have her see a lactation consultant at the hospital. At her young age, very few of her friends have probably breastfed. Therefore, it may be hard for her to find advice amongst her peers the way older mothers do. Most hospitals have an LC on staff to help with any issues, and it's a good contact to make and save for later in case any problems arise.
If you pump you gotta be doing it everyday often or your milk supply goes low. I quit pumping after like a month because it gets so tiring doing it every other feeding after awhile when you dont got an electric pump. As for parenting tips...dont hold you baby 24 7 because then all they're gonna want to do is be in your arms or else they cry.
I used the hand activated pump, it was ok but made my nipped huge! I flet like a cow at times!! Moooo!! Seriously though, they are an excellent way to still provide for your baby but people can help whilst you do something else or have a rest! I expressed so my partner could be involved a bit more, he loved it! Please note though that you cannot express until about 6-8 wekks because your body needs to work out how much milk the baby is using up and therefore how much it is needing to produce! Good Luck!
Parenting tips... well I could type forever but the best bit of advice I can give your friend is... ACT ON INSTINCT!! I didn't have a clue what to do when I first had my little girl... but you get the hang of it... honestly! Its daunting at first but she will get the hang of it! I remember when we gave our little one her first bath at home and she was like a slimey eel!! So bit of advice have the bath on the floor and hold her/him low! We managed it and then got to the drying bit and I didn't know whether we had to dry the umbilical or put talc on it or what?!! I phoned my Mum, she said talc (unfragranced) dabbed on after drying, to halp it dry and fall off! SO there we go, theres always something you don't know, and someone you can phone... and theres alway here if you need advice from all of us! :) Tell your friend good luck, she'll be a great Mum I am sure!! And take loads of pictures, you'll be surprised how much they change every day!!! x
tell her to apply for WIC, they will supply her with a pump to use and answer any of her questions. As far as parenting tips, go with your gut.
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