Dear Celeste,

It's terrific that you want to breastfeed! It's going to be a wonderful experience for you and your baby, and there really is no finer way to bond with your little one! 

Educate yourself

Read / watch everything you can about breastfeeding BEFORE your baby comes. Don't leave it up to chance and hope that it will just come naturally. In some cases it does, but that tends to be where the mother has been around a lot of family members or friends who have breastfed and knows what to do. If you haven't, you need to invest some time in finding out how to latch on correctly, try out a couple of comfortable nursing positions (with a teddy bear!) and be familiar with the kind of problems that can crop up initially. Often people spend more time on researching which stroller to buy than they do trying to find out about how to feed their babies! 

Get Support

Breastfeeding is one of those processes that go much better when you learn a few good techniques. Having the numbers of BOTH a lactation consultant AND a LLL Leader will be a great help if you need support.  

Although many hospitals provide lactation services as part of their standard maternity package it is important that YOU check out the experience and schedule of the person who is available for you. A lactation consultant normally has the credentials CLC (certified lactation consultant) or IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant) after her name. If not, you need to find out exactly what experience the person recommended has, as sometimes it can be a nurse who has only attended a day’s training. You ideally want your lactation consultant to be there as soon as you give birth, which is why finding out what her hours are is important.   

You can also find a lactation consultant by contacting the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) at 1500 Sunday Drive, Suite 102, Raleigh NC 27607; phone 919-861-5577; fax 919-787-4916; email: info@ilca.org. 

If you are having a home-birth, your midwife should be able to help you latch on properly. Talk to her before the baby comes and find out what her experience of breastfeeding is. 

Other birth attendants like a Doula should also be able to help you. And don't forget there are many breastfeeding how-to DVD's out now too. 
 
La Leche Meeting  
LLL meetings are a great place to meet other women in your area who also have young children. Don't wait until baby is born! Many moms go to a few meetings beforehand so that they can observe the mothers and babies and learn good latching on techniques (as well as make friends with other breastfeeding Moms!) This is also a great way to get to know your LLL leaders - Moms with breastfeeding experience who volunteer to guide the meetings, these women will be invaluable in helping you at every step of the way in your breastfeeding journey! The meetings themselves are very relaxed and cover essential subjects like getting off to a good start, nutrition and sleeping.  

http://www.llli.org/
 
Trust Yourself 
 
Breastfeeding goes best when the mother and her partner know what to expect. That way if you get well meaning, but incorrect advice from anyone who doesn't really understand how breastfeeding works (this can even include medical staff and doctors!) You are able to trust yourself and your body's ability to nourish your baby. Websites that have great info covering medications to nutrition are: http://www.kellymom.com/ and http://mothering.com/
  

Health Canada recommends that Moms breastfeed for at least 6 months
 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/child-enfant/infant-nourisson/breastfed-nourrissons-rec-eng.php 

Dr Sears has clear easy to follow breastfeeding positions online and in various books
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp

Working while pumping? 
http://www.pumpingmoms.org/