Preparing to Breast Feed Your Baby

You've decided you want to breast feed your baby. You know it's healthiest for him and for you, and you look forward to the closeness nursing brings. There are things you can do before your baby comes to prepare yourself for breastfeeding.

You may have already been advised to prepare your nipples. My mother told me that her doctor advised her to rub a towel across her nipples daily to "toughen them up!" Doctors and lactation consultants today agree that "toughening up" is not necessary to prepare your nipples for nursing.

What To Use - and What Not To

When you shower let the warm water run over your nipples. Soaps can be harsh and drying. Your body produces an oil in the glands (Montgomery glands) on your areolas that cleanses them gently.

Some moms like to use a moisturizer on their nipples and have found it helps in the early days as they breast feed. You may choose to do this daily during pregnancy.

Select a natural moisturizer to use. Many moms have success with a lanolin moisturizer (Lansinoh and Pure-Lan are ultra-purified brands). Other moms prefer a non-lanolin moisturizer and opt for a gentle, baby-safe body butter made especially for nursing mamas.

Knowing Yourself

Consider breast massage as you prepare for your baby. Breast massage can help you become more familiar with handling your breasts.

Massage by gently cupping your breasts from underneath and rubbing outward from the chest wall towards your nipples. It's also good practice for learning to manually express milk.

It's good to learn during pregnancy if you have flat or inverted nipples.

You can see if you have flat nipples. To try and draw them out, you can push your thumb and forefinger gently together around the base of the nipple. You'll feel where your breast tissue ends and the nipple begins. Hold the nipple and gently draw it out, carefully pulling it up and down.

Some experts feel that doing this a couple of times a day throughout pregnancy helps flat nipples. Others don't think it helps much. You choose if you want to do it.

Dr. J. Brooks Hoffman also developed a technique for drawing out flat nipples that some women find helpful. To do the "Hoffman" technique place your thumbs on either side of your nipple. You want them to be right at the base of the nipple, not on the outside of the areola. Then press your thumbs firmly into your breast tissue while you pull them gently apart from each other.

If you are comfortable doing this Hoffman recommends every morning. Work your way around each nipple. This technique may help loosen the tissue bands in your nipple.

If your nipple sinks down into your breast tissue when you gently pinch either side of the areola you may have inverted nipples.

There is disagreement about whether inverted nipples need treatment or not. Some experts think that a baby can pull out the nipple on their own; other experts recommend treating the nipples during pregnancy and between nursings.

You can wear breast shells in your bra. They're comfortable to wear and nobody else can tell you're wearing them. They have a ring that applies gentle pressure around your nipple to encourage it to stay out. There is a small dome to keep your bra material off of your nipple.

Start off wearing them for short periods every day and build up gradually. Please contact a lactation consultant or your local La Leche League Leader if you need help with inverted nipples.

Relax, Read, and Get Support

Your body is already doing the hard work for you. It's preparing your breasts and your nipples to breastfeed your baby. Your hormones, milk ducts, and everything else involved in are also getting ready. You can sit back and relax during your pregnancy!

When you decide to breastfeed pick up a book or two - or more! The more you read the better. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a great choice. Breastfeeding Pure and Simple gives basic, clear instructions you may want to review before your baby is born. You may want to have it around in the early days as you learn to breastfeed your baby.

You may also find it helpful to take a breastfeeding class at your local hospital. Your birth center, midwife, or doula may also offer a class on learning to breastfeed. Make plans to attend a La Leche League meeting. LLL meetings are mother-to-mother support groups and they're invaluable to the pregnant and nursing mom.

Please talk to your health care provider, a lactation consultant, or a La Leche League Leader for more help with breastfeeding. Find your local Leader through LLL's website. Follow your care provider's advice and all manufacturer's instructions when using a product.

Natural Birth and Baby Care.com