cheers everyone feel a bit more prepared now, and not as freaked out knowing my options!
will go with the flow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so good to have people to ask these bizaree questions...xx

At the end of the day some women find it more difficult than others, its nothing to do with the woman failing. Some people don't get help and have no way of improving things.

I decided when I was pregant that I would try my best, it was somehitng I wanted to do and I would give it a ago BUT if it didn't work out i was not going to beat myself up about it (I thought the same way about the birth). I bf for 8 months, and loved it. Yes there were some hard days but as it turned out, they were a very small percentage of that 8 months.

Its going to be new to you and your baby. I don't thing you should avoid listen to people who found it hard (knowledge is power and all that) as long as you also know where to go for help if you have any problems. Afterall who says you will have any problems or that they'll be the same problems.

Nooooooo CBC may help some mothers, but a lot of her advice is very bad INDEED! Check the MN archives.

I think you need to be prepared for bf not being as easy as many others on this thread seem to have found it. I really struggled and the Medela Breast Pump really helped. By all means wait until you see if you need it but make sure you know when and where to get it if you need it. If I hadn't been recommended this pump when dd was a few days old I would have had to give up. I was on the verge of mastitis and the pump meant that I could avoid this and also took the pressure off me. I would say don't waste money on a hand held breast pump. Don't mean to sound negative but I think best to be prepared as I have many friends who have struggled and have had to give up whereas this pump enabled me to keep going. Clare Byam Cook's book and dvdare also worth getting. Good luck.

Don't want to sound as if I'm putting a dampner on things, but I had nothing in preperation for not being able to BF and the first two weeks were horrendous, I cried constantly as I couldn't get DD to latch and just felt a total failure, didn't help that my sister had just given birth to her 2nd and it was not a problem for her.

I have horrendous exczema and wanted to persevere so at 2 weeks I got DP to buy in some formula and bottles so I knew DD wasn't starving and what do you know breastfeeding got easier instantly! I still struggled until 6 weeks but again perservered as 6 weeks was my limit and then, like a switch, it was just so comfortable and easy, I then breastfed for 6 months until I had to return to work (couldn't express enough).

So basically, what I'm trying to say is be prepared for it not clicking instantly. It will become easier and I think a lot of it's mind over matter. So many people just give up rather than seek help/advice as they don't want to be seen "failing". As it turns out my dear sister then admitted she had 6 weeks of hell when breastfeeding her first but hadn't wanted to admit it!

Also, I felt asda breastpads were better than anywhere else and I tried loads of different makes. I didn't feel that lanisoh cream worked for me but rubbing some of my own breastmilk into my nipples worked wonders! (it is also great for if babe has sticky eyes!)

Good luck and it will be worth the perseverance!

it doesnt make the baby an alkie
i think the worst possible side effect is on your supply - never been a problem fir me, don't think it's a common one
but it is your choice, think plenty of people choose not to, plenty choose to!
champagne after birth is essential tho!

I used the following;

breasts
Lanisoh cream
Washable pads
Dimmer light stwich
pillow
Nursing bra
muslin squares for mopping and covering up in public
A drink
Snacks (i got sooo hungry)
Suitable chair, or bed
Supportive partner/friends (mn will do!)
Photo info on how to position baby and latch.

Good luck

love the idea of a dim night light for not waking me or wee one up! in answer to my name!!!!!!!! only t total whilst preggers!will have a wee drink to celebrate after birth. however i have been told it effects the breast milk? dont want to get babs hooked on champers so young..................

Hatty makes a good point re: low light. I could never, even after 16 months, breastfeed in the dark as I couldn't see what I was doing - so I always had to get out of bed to go and feed (which actually I found easier to do in an armchair with a u-shaped pillow anyway, I never got the hang of feeding in bed). I have my old globe from when I was little in DD's room, it emits enough light to see what I'm doing but not enough to really wake me or DD up.
So get a little light - I suppose a nightlight would probably work - for wherever you're planning to feed at night.

As others have mentioned, I think getting yourself set up comfortably really helps.

So when you get back from hospital with babe, make sure that your room is comfy (my mum very kindly put clean sheets on the bed for me while we were at the hospital). I found it useful to have a low light on the floor so I could feed at night without having to turn all the lights on and wake my babies up too much.

I also had snacks ordered in and a tv set up in the room. Plus lots of bottles of water and squash. I think that first week or so can be a big shock when you're breastfeeding as you're knackered anyway from birth and then you're woken up throughout the night when you really want to be sleeping!

I found oatcakes were good for snacks plus bananas and some emergency chocolate for when I was really struggling with night feeds.

Completley agree re supportive partners as well - I am always so hormonal and emotional those first few weeks and it really helps to have someone to encourage you.