Preparing for Birth: Breastfeeding

Welcome to the fifth week in our 10 week series on Preparing for Birth! This week’s focus is on breastfeeding. Breastfeeding a new baby for the first time can definitely be challenging. Learning the process can be greatly facilitated by education and the right support. It is also a very rewarding experience that I’m preparing for again for this second baby.

I shared some beautiful verses on breastfeeding here before, as well as a Nursing Poem, and you can read some of my early breastfeeding experiences with Marcella in my How Motherhood Came to Me post and Marcella’s Birth Story. You can also read some great posts on breastfeeding in my World Breastfeeding Week Sunday Surf.

I’m happy to share the posts below as well:

• Parenting God’s Children shares her confessions of a breastfeeding supporter.
• That Mama Gretchen reflects on her first year of breastfeeding and what she found were keys to her success.
• Click Clack Gorilla shares her thoughts on getting started breastfeeding and dealing with the panic of having a super underweight baby and the effect it has on their breastfeeding relationship.
• Mommying My Way shares how the beginning of her breastfeeding relationship was a bit rough, but she overcame the obstacles and is still breastfeeding 19 months later!
• Are you considering breastfeeding throughout pregnancy? Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares info on common concerns about supply, questions of safety, and a two part series on common discomforts and how to help (part 1, part 2).
• The Adventures of Lactating Girl shares, “When my first daughter was born, I hadn’t ever heard of the virgin gut. When my second daughter was born, it became my mission to achieve it. You may think that one bottle doesn’t matter, but it does. I wish I would have known before having babies that breast milk only is so important.”
• Diary of a First Child shares how understanding how breast milk is made can help us understand the ups and downs of breastfeeding and give us a better idea of what to expect.
• Hybrid Rasta Mama covers just about everything and anything related to breastfeeding. She shares her personal advice, ʺexpertʺ advice, and links to all kinds of resources. She also takes a look at some common breastfeeding issues and how to successfully combat them as well as sharing her breastfeeding journey.
• The Hippie Housewife discusses how breastfeeding relates to Attachment Parenting.
• Authentic Parenting shares a variety of breastfeeding resources.

Want to participate? Learn more in my Call for Submissions post.