b"Go into this experience with an open mind, as you never know what your experience will be like compared to someone else.Seeking support from your local ABA group can help you through the tough times too, whether that be the initial few weeks of breastfeeding, or even later in your journey. I can guarantee you will meet another mum who will be going through or has gone through what you have, so talking about it together can help.AmyKNOWLEDGE IS POWER Educate yourself on breastfeeding and whats normalnewborn behaviour. Image courtesy of G Baker-Murphy Attend a breastfeeding education class with yourpartner at your local ABA group! Knowledge is power the things that helped me was connecting with other mums; and so helpful in the early days! first the council-run mums group, then the ABA playgroup. Talking with women going through the same things was great.Resttake a nap during the day. Leave the We shared tips and strategies and generally just showed housework. Dont pressure yourself to be everywhere! each other support for the tough times. We shared a lot of our Say no! joys as well. Supportgather your village. Know who you can call I can still remember the first time I had Sophie feeding and on. Ask for help if needed and spend time in your she realised it was her mum up there. That eye contact, that bubble adjusting to life as a family. moment of connection. Before then she almost always closed Image courtesy of A Thornton Cassie her eyes and drifted off while feeding. I'd just put her on and she was suckling away, and her eyes drifted up to my face. She started, like she hadn't realised I was there. I smiled at her and she seemed to gurgle happily.From then on feeds were Go into this experience with an openreally lovely times of connection for us. Eventually she would mind, as you never know what yourhold my hand or brush her fingers over my face, watching me experience will be like compared toand sometimes smiling.One of the best pieces of advice for the early days I someone else. received was to let my world shrink: don't keep up with the news, let go of work obligations, don't worry about what your friends are doing, let go of the gardening and the housework. PRE-PREPARED PICK-ME-UPS TO GIVE YOU A BOOST Your focus is the mum/baby dyad. Everyone else, your family, I've brought home three babies. This last pregnancy Iyour support network, can be there to serve that dyad, to prepared a trousseau for myself. I put in new breastfeedingsupport your connection and your sanity; but you have no tops, some jewellery, my favourite moisturiser, fancy shampooobligation to them, only to yourself and your baby.and conditioner, new brasnothing really expensive butRachelthings I knew I'd like or would make me feel good. I didn't take things out all at once. Just bit by bit. So I had little pick-me-upsTAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, SO YOU CAN LOOK AFTER YOUR BABYwhen I needed them. Neither my husband nor I had any experience with babies and the sum of our knowledge was pretty much what we had One thing I remember finding overwhelming is how muchlearned at the hospital prenatal classes. I clearly remember advice strangers would give me. If I reminded myself theythe day we brought Ben home. We literally did not know what were doing it as a way of connecting to me because it madeto do with him. I had fed him just before we left the hospital, them feel good, then I don't tend to worry so much about it.so he was not hungry. His nappy was clean and dry, so he did People generally love babies and the advice always seems tonot need changing. We just put him down in his cot, where he be a way of remembering their own baby. slept for a couple of hours.Arianwen When he woke up, his crying alerted us that he needed something, so we changed him, fed him and cuddled him off to sleep again. We soon learned that this was going to be our LET YOUR WORLD SHRINK routine for some time to come. Ben would let us know that We had an extended hospital stay and headed home at 2he needed something, and it was our job to get it for him. Of weeks postpartum. I remember thinking it was going to becourse, there were times when nothing seemed to satisfy him. harder without the hospital arranging my meals and beddingI followed the tried and true advice of, If in doubt, offer the and on hand to answer questions and help. But once we gotbreast. This always worked except for the very rare occasion home I finally relaxed. I got to sleep without being interruptedwhen something was seriously wrong, for example if he was by nurses/cleaners/kitchen staff coming in to take a menu,unwell.empty a bin or check a chart. I could snuggle my baby in my favourite armchair, slip her into the carrier for a walk around the garden, or lie in bed beside her and watch her sleep. Any time, day or night, when baby is The world outside the hospital seemed very big and scary. Everything was too cold, cars drove too fast, people were sick.asleep or not needing you, is a good I had some major anxiety about keeping Sophie safe, and Itime for you to rest or sleep.guess I still do, though the focus shifts as she grows. One ofDecember 2019 A ustralian Breastfeeding Association | Essence |9"