I have not gone back to work, so I can't help you with that part. However, like everyone else, I had problems. So I will tell you what I think did/would have helped:

HELP
Get lactation consultant names/numbers before you deliver and talk to them to find out who will go to the hospital. My hospital didn't have any on staff and the nurses seemed to be helping me from their own personal experience (which didn't help). If you do not breastfeed before you leave the hospital your baby *will* be jaundiced and if your pediatrician is not supportive of breastfeeding it will be very easy for exhausted & emotional parents to turn to formula. There is a reason that even the La Leche League says that just because breastfeeding is the most natural thing, doesn't mean it will come naturally.

Breastfeed ASAP! Just like someone else said, in the delivery room if you can. Babies are very alert when they are born, but it doesn't last long. My son went to NICU for 45 minutes and by the time he came back he was SO sleepy. It only makes the whole process more difficult when your tiny newborn just wants to sleep.

Also, do NOT allow the hospital nurses to give your baby sugar water. There is a reason it is distributed by Similac. The baby does not need it. They just need your colostrum. If the nurses are really pressing the issue, have them check your baby's blood sugar level, it will probably be fine. If it actually is low, then have them give the baby sugar water with a spoon or finger feeding or anything but that TINY rubber nipple that comes with the water. This has ruined many a breastfeeding relationship from the start. If your hospital does not allow the baby to be with you all the time, make sure there are signs all over it's bed saying "breastfeeding only," etc. Make sure they know you want them to bring the baby to you when it is hungry, NO MATTER WHAT TIME. This was the one thing that went in our favor, at our hospital babies roomed in with the mommies.

Make sure you "sell" your husband on breastfeeding before the baby is here, because you will need his support if it is difficult and you don't want him adding to your post-partum fears/doubts when you need his encouragement. I won't go into all the benefits of breastfeeding, as there are MANY and tons of websites that list them.
Take a prenatal breastfeeding class with your husband. It didn't help me a whole lot with the technique, but did sell us on the benefits.

It *will* hurt at first, but if it hurts for longer than 5 days then you are doing it wrong. I waited 3 weeks before getting help, big mistake. Once you get help, keep trying for two weeks, no matter what. This is the best advice our consultant gave us. They are not miracle workers and if you wait until you have problems like I did, you will hope they solve them all in a day, they will not. It gets better each day and by the end of the second week I was so glad I didn't give up on Day 3.

BREASTFEEDING SUPPLIES
You will want to have all of these before your baby gets here.

I recommend the Breastfeeding Book by Martha & Dr. Sears, but I have also heard good things about the La Leche Leagues' Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, I just didn't find it in time. Also get a breastfeeding stool and a breastfeeding pillow. You will probably also want a regular pillow to put behind your back. I found breastfeeding in a hospital bed difficult, and sitting up in one of their chairs to be much easier. I also found the cross-cradle hold to be best for a sleepy newborn who needs lots of help latching on.

I have the Medela DoubleEase pump. Do not get this, you will need the top of the line for pumping while working or else your milk supply will diminish. I don't know if the Pump In Style is better than ones offered by other companies, but I know that most of the consultants recommend Medela. WHAVE A BREASTPUMP AT HOME BEFORE YOUR BABY IS BORN and know how to use it.

While in the hospital have them bring you a breast pump to use. Then you will go home with the kit which would normally cost $50, so if you end up renting a hospital grade pump, you won't need to purchase this kit seperately. Plus the extra cones/bottles come in handy and will work wit other Medela pumps.

Don't forget a package of the bags to freeze your breastmilk in. I second whomever else said to freeze small quantities. No more than 4 oz, but 2 is best because for a few months babies should not have more than 2-4 ounces per feeding (no matter what the formula companies tell you).

Have a nice large box of breastpads. If you are going with the reusable kind, have a lot of them ready. Until your body finds out how much milk your baby needs you will leak, leak, leak! Have a soft/stretchy bra to wear at night to keep the breast pads on.
Have at least two nursing gowns/pajamas. As someone else said, a nursing bra that you can latch with one hand is imperative (I like the Playtex one at Target). Also buy a tube of Lansinoh Lanolin (Target or Wal Mart), it lasts a long time. Have a few REALLY LARGE button down tops ready. I didn't have any maternity tops which buttoned-down, and even my biggest non-maternity ones didn't fit me for a couple weeks. After a while, you may not need button-down tops, but at first it was helpful.

Unless one of your health professionals tells you otherwise, or you are an extremely heathly eater, keep taking your prenatals as long as you breastfeed. Sometimes they forget to tell you this.

SYNTHETIC NIPPLES & BOTTLE-FEEDING
Do not use nipple shields if you can help it, and do not use them for more than just drawing out inverted/flat nipples and then remove them after 5 minutes.

If you need to use a pacifier (honestly, you won't know until your baby is here), use the Size 2 Nuks, or whatever orothodonic style/brand you like, but just not the newborn size. You need them to have something bigger in their mouth.

Do NOT give your baby a bottle until you have had 3 SUCCESSFUL weeks of breastfeeding, and when you do, use wide neck bottles and make sure the babies mouth is not just on the nipple, but open really wide onto the wider part. Not all babies need this to prevent confusion, but it couldn't hurt. I use the Dr. Brown's Wide Necks because of their system to keep more air out of baby's tummy, but Avent makes the same type of nipple. DO NOT USE the Playtex type which is everywhere. I know the disposables would be convenient, but there is a reason that the formula companies give you one for free with their samples. Which brings me to their "breastfeeding success kits." HA! As if they want you to succeed with breastfeeding. They want you to have sample formula in your hands for when you are in pain and exhausted at 3 a.m. to put in a bottle which will confuse your tiny newborn to pieces.

We started earlier than three weeks because we got (bad) advice that if we waited the baby would not take the bottle. This caused many problems. Babies suck differently on bottles than breasts and may not understand to do so at first. This will probably cause you a lot of pain. I know you are returning to work and want to make sure your baby will take a bottle, but don't worry about this at first. Worry about breastfeeding.

If you really need someone else to feed the baby in the early days, have your lactation consultant teach you & your husband how to finger feed.

Once you do begin using bottles, we found the Reading your baby's cues at first can be difficult and by the time you realize they are hungry, they may be REALLY HUNGRY (& angry). Life was a lot more pleasant at our house once we bought the Quick Serve Bottle Warmer by the First Years ($17.99 @ BRU). It is so fast! I will add that we do not bottle feed regularly, though, but so far it has held up nicely. I also got the Express Microwave Steam Sterilizer from Avent ($29.99 @ BRU). Very worth the money.

MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS
In the beginning I thought to myself "Just make it three months. Anything helps." Then at two months I thought, "Just go six months." Now that we are at 4 months I know I can do it as long as my baby needs it, which I believe is longer than 6 months. Babies even benefit past one year, but that is a very personal decision for your family. Just get out there an educate yourself so that once you & your husband have made your decision as to how long you will breastfeed, you believe in it. No matter what you decide, someone is bound to question you about it.

The weight charts used by pediatricians are based upon formula-fed infants. Make sure your pediatrician knows your baby is breastfed so they can interpret the percentiles appropriately. Breastfed babies, on the whole, are leaner than formula fed so don't worry if they are in the lower percentiles. As long as your baby keeps growing, it is fine. Also, your baby WILL lose weight at first. This is normal. It is because you do not have breastmilk yet, just colostrum (which has important antibodies in it). Give the baby a week to get back to it's birth weight. My son lost over half a pound in the 4 days it took for my milk to come in. After 1 day of breastmilk he gained it all back.

LASTLY
It will be hard, it will hurt, it will be exhausting, it is worth it and it WILL GET BETTER!!!! =) It is the gift you can give your baby, now, that will last for the rest of their life. They will be healthier, stronger & smarter for it.

CONGRATULATIONS & BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!


Mommy to Little Jonah born 11-6-2001