Women used to be told to toughen up their nipples to prepare for breastfeeding - the advice now is DONT do it - you'll just cause yourself discomfort at best, and permanent damage at worst. Instead, why not read the following tips on preparing to breast feed?

The 2 main things that help a breast feeding new mum are good information and good support.
Spend time surfing the web for information on the pleasures and pitfalls of breast feeding. If you can, buy yourself a good book about breastfeeding.
If there are any drop in breastfeeding groups in your area, visit them before baby is born; there is nothing like seeing it done to make all the descriptions you read and hear come alive. If not, your midwife may be able to put you in touch with a breastfeeding mother who would be happy for you to visit her, or to discuss her experiences.

Good support may be hard to come by, especially if you were not breastfed, and you don't have any friends who have breastfed their babies.

Try to do the following:

* Before baby is born, make sure that you have the numbers of breast feeding help lines ready for when you start to have any doubts or worries.
* Ask at your local surgery or clinic whether any of the midwives or health visitors are specially trained to support breastfeeding mums - some may have far less knowledge than you would think, and may not be the best people to turn to in a breast feeding crisis
* Find out about local baby groups and breastfeeding groups. It can be great to share you experiences with other new mums and find out that you are not the only one, and drop in breastfeeding groups can be very helpful when you have any problems - big or small, or if you would just like a little reassurance.
* Try to educate your family as to why you want to breast feed (research shows that breastfed babies are healthier in the short and long term, with less infections and fewer allergies; breastfeeding gives the mother some protection against osteoporosis and some types of cancer etc. - see our other pages below for more reasons); why even one bottle of formula can lead to problems, both for baby and with breastfeeding; and normal behavior for a newborn. It is perfectly normal for newborns to feed an awful lot, at first they are only taking tiny amounts of colostrum, and then they are building up your supply. As long as you are getting wet and dirty nappies, then baby is getting enough milk. Newborns also feed a lot during the evening. This is natural and does not mean that 'your breasts have run out of milk during the day' or that baby needs to be topped up with formula. there is even a name for - Cluster feeding.


There are other things that you can do to give your breastfeeding relationship with your baby the best possible start.
For example, include on your birth plan that you intend to breast feed, that baby is not to be given any formula, and that (s)he should be given to you for a first feed as soon as possible after the birth.
It can also be a good idea to find out about ways of feeding premature babies, who may not be able to get a good latch, with resorting to bottles (e.g. expressed breast milk by baby cup, or by nursing supplementer).