breast-feeding class question

[first_time mum]

Hi,

I have registered for a bf-class, but I have no clue as to what to expect. So can anyone tell me what they do? I was asked to bring a doll to practice. Do you have to expose your breasts in the class? I am not sure how comfortable I am 'revealing' to total strangers and also don't have nursing bras or clothes right now. Can someone help me and tell me what to expect at this class? Also I am hoping to take my husband along..is that okay or is he going to feel left out?

TIA.

-SP (EDD 9/28/03)

[nigele]

LOL - you don't have to expose yourself during the class! I'm sure the doll is just so you can practice the different breastfeeding holds. Definitely bring your husband along. I brought mine to the class I took and out of 16 pregnant women in the class, there was only one who came solo. I was very glad I brought my DH since he was better able to appreciate what to expect. Also, the instructor kept reminding the Dads that they needed to help the new Mom - with propping up pillows for the baby to rest on while being fed, bringing water and snacks for the Mom, etc.

During the class, the instructor went over the (long) list of benefits to breastfeeding, the different nursing holds, where to go for help (La Leche, the hospital's lactation consultants) and also showed a video. The one thing that disappointed me with the class, once I had my baby, was all of the women in the video were so happy with nursing and went on and on about what a wonderful thing it was. When I had problems nursing, I felt like a failure. Later, I realized that if only these problems were mentioned during the class, I could have been saved a lot of guilt and tears. Just keep in mind that there is help out there if you do have problems. I am still breastfeeding my 13 month old baby and feel so good that I gave him the best headstart! Best of luck to you and if you have any questions, post them here or feel free to e-mail me!

[KathyO]

All the participants in my bfing class brought their husbands. Believe it or not, due to his ability to look at you from a different angle, he can be helpful with positioning in the early days (mine was). DD was also a sleepy feeder, so DH appointed himself "official baby-annoyer", and kept her going by rubbing her hands, twiddling her toes and so on.

And no, we didn't have to expose anything either. And I agree on the soft-focus-everything-is-perfect portrayal of BFing. I mean, I really believe in breastfeeding, but even I found the propaganda a bit silly... and it didn't hint at how rocky the first few weeks could be. But just let that part go by - the positioning practice and other stuff provided a good start.

KathyO

[houseof3boys]

Our bf class was specifically made for couples as opposed to a regular class that is geared towards the woman. If you have a choice, take the couples class if offered. Check with your hospital or place you are taking the class and see about bringing your husband in case it is a space requirement. It was my husbands favorite class that we took because they had the men practice with the dolls as well so that they actually knew the different holds to do. They review things like breast pumps in the class and showed different examples of them. They really went over the 3 basic ways of holding your baby when nursing and how important the skin to skin contact was. They talked about getting help immediately if you are having challenges and strongly encouraged you to see an LC when you are still in the hospital. The great thing about having your husband learn the same stuff as you is that you may "forget" the proper way to hold and not that you have to have it perfect, but he can help you position properly so it is easier on you. The less stressed and more relaxed you can be the better and having the support from your DH will help you with that. The class reviewed what books are great resources and talked about reputable websites. They went over diet and nutrition and told the husbands that it was their job to make sure you had a big glass of water and healthy snacks next to you when you nurse. They also told the husbands that they were the sanitation engineers and that they really needed to be the one to change all of the diapers since you would need your sleep and strength when you could get it becuase BF is hard work. DH still calls himself the sanitation engineer even with Ryan at 10 weeks now. They also talked about poopy diapers and how it will change after the first few days. I remember DH taking notes on the colors and consistency of the poop. Hysterical.

Enjoy the class and I hope you get a lot of it!

[first_time mum]

Thanks a ton for all your advice. I will definitely take my husband along :) And I am glad I don't have to 'strip' :+ that definitely makes me feel much more comfortable.

I am really hoping they also cover some of the common problems with bf like blocked duct etc and how to identify them as early as possible in order to get the right help. But from what you guys say, it seems like I should not be disappointed if they don't.

Just one more question- will it make sense for me to take my boppy pillow along too so I can learn how to use it?

-SP

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Yes, take your boppy!

And definitely take hubby. He will be your biggest supporter when you feel like you just can't feed that baby one more time. :) And he will remember things that you forget, since he doesn't have all those pregnancy hormones floating around in his brain.

In fact, take him to all the classes you go to.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03