Breastfeeding is such a touchy subject. It’s misunderstood in a lot of ways that I can understand. Even I was unsure how I felt about it until I had my daughter. I can now say breastfeeding has truly been fulfilling for me. Although I personally had a great experience with breastfeeding there are many women who don’t, and that’s perfectly okay. Fed is best. Mom shaming is real, and sometimes we allow the opinions of others to really affect us. Don’t do that to yourself! Know whichever way YOU decide to nourish YOUR baby is YOUR choice. The great thing about motherhood is we all get to make our own choices, and you don’t have to make the same choices someone else did just because it worked for them. So, because it’s national breastfeeding week I wanted to share some of my breastfeeding must-haves along with some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned in the past seven months. Let’s get started!
WORD TO THE MOTHERS
- Ask for help.
- If you’re expecting and this is your first baby you might not know a lot about breastfeeding. I know I didn’t. The first time I “breastfed” Mia about twenty minutes into the process I realized she wasn’t even latched. Haha, oh young grasshopper.
- Don’t get upset.
- Have you ever tried being patient when you’re hungry. It’s awful. If your new baby is a little fussy with you because she’s hungry and struggling to latch don’t get upset. You’re both learning something new and it’s going to take a little bit of time, but you’ll get there!
- Nurse often.
- I recommend nursing every two hours until you establish a good nursing relationship with your baby. In my opinion, this really helped my milk production, and it gave Mia a lot of practice latching. Being calm and patient is much easier if your newborn isn’t crying with hunger pains. I found nursing every two hours helped Mia stay more calm during her feedings because she wasn’t getting as hungry in between feeds.
- Talk to a latch consultant.
- Most hospitals will have someone on staff who can give you some tips on latching while you’re there. I felt more confident and able to take control after my session.
- Smash it.
- Girl, smash that bottle like a sandwich.
- Search out ways to help increase your milk production.
- You can find a lot of ways online to increase your milk production. I’ve tried a few, but one I can get behind is Body Armor drinks. These drinks helped increase my production an ounce or two each time I had one, but don’t stop there. A good milk production starts with you. Make sure you’re making good healthy choices by taking your vitamins, eating well balanced meals with plenty of protein, and drinking lots of water.
- Remember you have two.
- If you spike a fever it could be mastitis. Check your breasts for any redness or heat, then call your doctor right away. I can’t stress enough how important it is to regularly feed on BOTH sides and pump when you’re feeling full. It is very easy to get a clogged milk duct. I just so happened to have mastitis, pass a kidney stone, and an allergic reaction all in the same week. Fun times.
The Essentials
1. Get a good nursing bra. Trust me, easier is better when you’re dealing with a hungry baby, and odds are none of your old bras are fitting you right now anyways. Traditional underwire bras could lead to mastitis, and can you argue with the comfort of a nursing bra? I’ll drop a few of my favs down below.
2. Girl, lanolin cream. Your nipples are going to be sore, chapped and possibly bleeding. Lanolin cream can help ease the pain to help you get through those first couple weeks.
3. When lanolin cream isn’t enough gel soothies help. I swear some days Mia has super suction, and my natural bottles notice. So, to ease the pain I’ll grab a couple gel soothies from the fridge, slap them on and bada bing we’re back in business.
4. Did I mention stay dry pads? When your milk comes in things can get messy. So you lost track of time and went a little too long between feedings, trust me it happens, no big deal, right? That is unless you forgot your stay dry pads, and now your completely soaked. If you want to avoid explaining your awkwardly soaked shirt to your visitors don’t forget the pads.
5. Don’t waste your milk. Get a Haakaa. Seriously, you really don’t know how much milk you might be loosing until you try it. I used my haakaa every time I nursed Mia until she was five months old and I normally saved 2-3 ounces each time. Say what?
6. Get a manual pump. One of my good friends recommended this to me, and I think it played a key role in my success with pumping. I noticed I was able to pump more milk out with a manual pump as opposed to an electric, and it was far less of a hassle to pack in my diaper bag when I needed to be away from home. As my production increased I started using an electric pump more often, but I used a manual exclusively for the first four months.
7. Also, electric pump. Although I’m a firm believer in a manual pump, it is time consuming and that’s a problem. Here’s where an electric pump comes in handy. After my milk production was established, around eight weeks, I used an electric pump, as well as my manual pump depending on how much time I had to spare. You may have great milk production from the start, and your body may respond perfectly to an electric pump alone. If that’s the case by all means save yourself some time and use an electric pump. Ultimately, you know your body best, so always do what you think is best for you.
8. Start stocking your freezer. Building a freezer supply is essential if you will be returning to work. You’ll need some breast milk storage bags to freeze that liquid gold, and don’t forget a sharpie to label them with as well.
9. Save your back with a Boppy. I loved my boppy. Honestly it wasn’t something I used every time I nursed because I didn’t always have it ready to grab when Mia got hungry, but the times I did we’re much easier than the times I didn’t. I could position her easier, and she was much more comfortable laying on her Boppy than my arm.
10. Pick up a scale. You may already have a bathroom scale at home, and if you do that will work perfectly fine for this as well. A lot of women have trouble breastfeeding because they’re unsure exactly how much their baby is eating. It always helps to pump every now and then to get a visual, but another option is weighing your baby every week or two to check if he or she is gaining weight.
Now, I want to know what are some of your breastfeeding tips and tricks?
XO
-KP
