To some women breastfeeding comes naturally. To the majority of women there is a steep learning curve and a lot of pain but the below tips can help to make it a more pleasurable and easy experience.

• Get Advice: Ask friends relatives, your midwife, health visitor or doctor. Your health visitor and midwife are experts at breastfeeding and have witnessed first hand the problems and successes of other mothers. They can also advise you of local breastfeeding counsellors and groups.
• If you have any stomach pains similar to period pains (or even bordering on labour pains) whilst breastfeeding do not worry. This is your uterus contracting prompted by the breastfeeding. If the pains seem too severe, are accompanied by other symptoms or worry you then mention this to your health visitor or doctor.
• To get baby to open their mouth and latch on try brushing your nipple against the tp of their nose until they open their mouth then use your fingers to position your nipple deep in baby’s mouth pointing slightly up towards the roof of baby’s mouth.
• Push through the pain. It is natural and normal and will subside as your breasts get used to breastfeeding.
• Relax and enjoy the 1-2-1 time with your baby. Forget any other jobs that need doing and make the most of the cuddles and time you get with our baby during breastfeeding and make the most of putting your feet up.
• Have a drink, a snack and a book or television handy. Breastfeeding can be hungry work.
• If you feel confident breastfeeding in public then go ahead. Do not let anyone make you feel bad about it. If you are little shy then make use of corner tables in cafes, loose clothing and shawls or pashminas. Many stores now also have breastfeeding and family areas. If you really want to be alone then that is ok too. Plan ahead to go out between breastfeeds or look for a mother and baby changing room.
• Remember that what you eat goes through to your breast milk so stay away from strong flavours, alcohol and food that may make baby gassy such as onions and garlic.
• If you can try to express some milk. It takes the pressure off you if dad or a grandparent can give a bottle of expressed milk to give you time to pop out or have a nap.
• Breastmilk can be frozen so if you express you could put the milk in ice cube trays.
• If you do have any breast pain when breastfeeding or at any other time accompanied by reddening of the breasts see your doctor as you may have a breast infection.
• If you are on any medication check with your midwife or doctor before the birth to see if you can breastfeed.
• Try to breastfeed immediately after the birth. The milk that your baby gets then and for the first few days is packed with fats, antibodies and protein in a more concentrated form than in the milk which will come through a few days later. If you do express milk at this point then you will notice it is quite thick and yellow.
• When breastfeeding have a breast pad or muslin on the breast not being used as you are bound to spring a leak as the breast gets ready for baby.
• Over 24 hours you will probably nurse for 10 - 15 minutes about 12 times a day to begin with. As baby grows up they may start to feed for longer and less often. Your milk will also flow quicker as your body has begun to be used to the supply and demand cycle and baby has begun to be a more effective sucker.