I recently went to a breastfeeding class because it's the one thing that I'm super apprehensive about but I so desperating want to be successful in.  It seems almost all mothers I know only breastfed for a few months and had either painful or 'eh' experiences with it.  The class itself was informative and helpful but the LC drilled it into us that nothing beats support group.  I'm more of a internet/forum/book researcher for advice and information.  But now I'm considering attending those Le Leche meetings even before LO gets here.  Has anyone ever been to one?  Was it helpful or hokey?  In any case, would love to hear all experiences and advice on breastfeeding.  Thanks! 

I have never been to an actual meeting, but I really love the LLL site. I have been exclusively breastfeeding right from the start (my Leo is now 14 weeks) and I absolutely LOVE it.
The bond that it creates is just amazing :) Plus I am sure you already know about all the benefits of breastfeeding.

I am not gonna lie, my nipples vere so, freaking, very painful for about two weeks. I thought they were going to fall off at one point, but once you pass the painful period, it is all uphill from there :) You just gotta stick with it!!!
Buy some lanolin cram for your nipples and the Medela Cooling Gel pads (those were so, so great for the pain).

I still refer to the LLL when I have any questions.
I recently had this major freakout because I felt like I was not producing enough milk. I felt like my breadts were empty and Leo kept eating every 30 minutes, but found out on LLL that it is completely normal and that he is doing that to increase the milk production. By eating so often, he gives my body a sign to produce more :) 
I absolutely agree that support is very important and so is knowlege and determination :) 
I would love join the LLL group (I imagine it is very informative and probably fun to connect to so many moms), but we only have one car and DH meeds it to work :-/
I say go for it. If you do, please come back and share :)

I obviously have no experience here, but I probably would not be one for a support group either - I am like you with internet/book research or whatever.  I am sure hearing other moms say "it gets easier" or "stick with it, you're doing great" or "I had that too and here's what made it better" is REALLY helpful, but I would probably feel more comfortable asking my sister or bestie or someone even online about my question as opposed to a group.  Also, there is a great breastfeeding center near where we currently live (who knows if we'll be here when baby comes or not) and they have a 24 hour helpline you can call.  If you are having trouble, someone will drive to your home within an hour to come help you troubleshoot - and will even bring some supplies from their store if you need cream, cooling pads, nipple shields, etc.  I am sure they have places like that in the city, which I think would be a great resource.

As an aside, I don't know if you've come across kellymom.com but it seems to be highly recommended by various online breastfeeding forums.  Thought I'd share it here in case anyone is interested!

I actually adored my breastfeedinghoe support group - it was a great place to go with my baby during th first few weeks where I knew people were understanding if she cried or I needed to nurse. It also just helped normalize it all for me- I heard from moms again and again that their babies did such and such so when mine did th same I didn't worry. We also talked about other stuff which was helpful. My LLL meetings were nice too and it's great to get in person advice especially when dealing with latch issues. I would recommend trying to find a group to attend, especially a new moms one.

Thanks ladies.  I signed up to attend an LLL meeting so we’ll see how it goes.  I would prefer to seek the comforts from my own friends but unfortunately, most of them weren’t successful at exclusively BFing for 6 months or longer (my goal).  So I feel the need to be surrounded by mothers who have done it so that I know I can too.  I also just learned my insurance covers lactation consultant visits but I still need to understand how that works.

@MNM, I really need to check out kellymom!  I did start looking through the website but when I saw their book recommendation section, I just jumped on it.  I’m currently reading the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and also bought Breastfeeding Made Simple.  So far so good! 

Yes yes yes! I started going to the free support group my hospital had because i needed help big time and knew they were run by an LC. It felt so good to get out and do something in those early months and be amongst other moms struggling through the same things in BF. then i started going to my local LLL meetings and ill be honest, if it werent for these groups i would have quit a ling time ago. And here i am still breastfeeding and my little one turned two in January! Never in a million years did i think id be where im at. Now i keep in touch with my group because they have a FB group. Online support is great and all but nothing beats an in person group.

My daughter just turned 9 months old this past Thursday and I went to LLL meetings before she was born. I chose not to take her out too much until she was 3 months old so I missed meetings after. However, the group was super supportive and I still call Mary, the leader, if I have any questions or concerns. I am still nursing her 4-5 times a day even though she is eating homemade table food. I think you will enjoy the experience. 

I do have to say that I never had engorgement issues, mastitis, or anything else, but even still I can say that attending the meetings was a positive experience. 

I also recommend Kellymom.com as well. There is a wealth of information there too!

I called to sign up and the LC sounded super friendly so I'm excited to attend my first meeting. Thanks for the positive reviews!

Definitely use the LC! The hospital I delivered at has free LC services and they are the only reason I made it past day 3!  I should have been a little more read on the subject before delivering. I think it would have helped with my struggles the first few days.