I want to breastfeed my baby and I imagine that it will be a natural experience. How do I still the voice in my head that says it might be difficult?

Breastfeeding is a skill. You would not expect to know how to drive a car or do a job without training. So you can’t expect breastfeeding to be instinctive and automatic. Luckily there are experts freely available who can show you the tricks of the trade! If you are in hospital for a few days then be sure that the midwife or breastfeeding counsellor visits you regularly and answers all your questions until you are confident. If you are already at home then you may need to organise for a trained person to visit you. Your doctor or midwife should be able to advise you about a consultant in your area. Otherwise phone your local La Leche League for advice.

The most important thing you have to do is stay calm and get lots of rest and fluid so that you are in a position to physically produce the milk. You might think that you are the kind of person who will not be able to sit still for long enough to feed, but you could very well be surprised. The hormones that flood your body during feeding have an extremely relaxing affect on you. In addition you may find that you are so besotted with your lovely baby that just sitting watching baby feed is completely fulfilling. Either way, you should give it a good try for at least 6-8 weeks to ensure that your baby gets the benefit of a boosted immune system.

The secret remains to ask for help. A small tweak of your technique (yes, there is a technique).

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