Whether you are a first time mom or just didn’t have any luck breastfeeding the first time around and are giving it a shot now, I have few tips for you. I have three boys, all of whom I breastfed past a year. Some even longer than that. Because of how closely spaced my boys are, I basically nursed for almost 5 years straight- just switched which baby I was nursing.
There’s tons of info out there about the benefits of breastfeeding and I’m sure you are aware of it, so I won’t bore you by beating that into the ground. La, la, la… breast is best. Whatever. I tell people that I breastfed because I was lazy and cheap.
First of all, if you can, go to a breastfeeding class before the baby is born. Even though there are usually lactation consultants at the hospital and nurses who are willing to help, a class is actually worth it. You’ll get plenty of practical tips there. Get the contact info of the people who run the class. They are great resources for after your little one comes.
One of the first things you will be told is how important it is to try to breastfeed right away. While that worked with my second and third boys, my first was whisked immediately away to the nursery and I didn’t see him for four hours. He still nursed just fine. So, it’s nice to be able to try, but don’t panic if you can’t.
Newborns are very sleepy. And not very hungry. Don’t panic if your little one seems to not eat very much at first.
While in the hospital, ask for the lactation consultant(LC) to come in and help you. Just to be sure that you have the right latch.
You will probably hear from the LC, from friends, from books, from everywhere that breastfeeding doesn’t hurt if you are doing it right. LIARS. I want to prepare you for this: it HURTS. I describe it as the feeling of shards of glass being pulled through my nipple. I experienced blisters on my nipples and wanted to cry when it was time to nurse. If they tell you it didn’t hurt at all, they either have never breastfed before or they have mommy amnesia.
Don’t be too scared, though- if you can make it through the first week-10 days of nursing, it will no longer hurt.
Don’t go too much by the clock. Bf babies are not often on a schedule at first. Bf babies eat until they are full, so you don’t have to worry about overfeeding them.
Many breastfed babies do not take to pacifiers. You can either force the issue, which my husband did by pretty much holding the binky in place, or go without. It is recommended to wait 2 weeks before introducing a pacifier to a breastfed baby. I followed that with my first, but threw that advice out the window with babies 2 and 3. The term “nipple confusion”- whatever. Your baby will figure out quickly that he isn’t getting food from a binky and won’t replace you with it.
Something I want to be sure you are aware of is that babies go through growth spurt eating. This occurs at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. This is period of time when it will seem like your baby is eating non-stop, will probably be fussy, and you’ll start to think that you don’t have enough milk. It is your baby’s way of increasing your milk supply and usually lasts one to two days. Just camp out with your baby and know that it won’t last long.
There is so much “gear” out there and you’re probably already buying tons of it in preparation of your baby’s birth. I’m going to give you my list of breastfeeding must-haves. None of these companies gave me any sort of compensation to tell you how awesome they are. Just mom-to-mom, here’s what you need:
*If you only buy one book on breastfeeding, buy this one: The Nursing Mother’s Problemsolver by Clare Martin. A lot of the other breastfeeding books out there give you a lot of info on why breastfeeding is so great. But, that doesn’t help when you are looking for a solution to a problem you are having. This book is set up in very practical manner: here’s the problem, here’s possible solutions. It was my Bible when it came to bf.
*Gerber Soothing Gel Patches- these are a lifesaver during that first week or so of bf. After nursing, apply to your nipple. I always closed my eyes and sighed in relief after I applied one. You can reuse them a few times. Keep in mind that you won’t need them past that first week or so. They are totally worth it.
*A nursing bra. Start out with one or two. Your size will change and you will have to discover for yourself what type of snaps you prefer. I loved the ones from Japanese Weekend, as well as the nursing tanks from Glamourmom- they hid the mommy belly.
Those are the three must-haves for me. Here are some extras that can be helpful:
*A boppy pillow/other nursing pillow- not very expensive and can save your back. Also good to give Grandma to use when she holds the baby.
*Gerber warm/cool relief packs- these are great when your milk comes in(usually at about day 3). Heat them and put them on your breasts before nursing when you are engorged to help with letdown. Cool them and put them in your bra after a feeding. You only need these during the first week, but again, they can be worth it.
*Milk bands/Mother’s Minder Bracelet- you wear these around your wrist to remind you of which side to start from next time, when the last feeding was, etc. Can be helpful when you are so tired that you can’t remember these things on your own and easier to use than writing this stuff down. They are usually only about $5. {Note from Carrie- Shell is giving away a pack of five next week on her blog!}
*Nursing Cover- I didn’t use one of these until my third child, but it did make nursing in public a lot easier. There are many different kinds, but I recommend the Peanut Shell brand. Some states have better laws protecting breastfeeding mothers, but in no state is it illegal to breasfeed your baby in public. Cover or no cover. {Another note from Carrie– but if you DO want to cover, check out our Love Struck Baby giveaway for your chance to win a beautiful one!}
*Lansinoh Milk Storage Bags- these freeze flat, making it easy to store many without taking up much room and they will thaw quickly.
*Nursing stool- this one is a luxury, but if this is your first and you will have time to sit around nursing, they really do help with positioning and save your back.
*Nursing Pajamas- most clothes designed for bf are unnecessary, but pjs are practical. Mimi Maternity makes cute ones.
*Dresses are the hardest thing to wear while nursing, though if you have a special occasion and don’t want to worry about having to hike your dress up above your waist, Majamas makes them.
Try to relax. Bf babies eat when they are hungry and you can make enough milk(in most cases). One of my boys rejected my left boob after the first three months. Yet, I could still make enough with only my right to have him triple his birth weight by 6 months. I just needed to put a big pad in the left side so that I didn’t look lopsided.
And, YES, you CAN have a glass of wine. Have a glass right after you get done with a feeding and you will be fine by the next one. No “pumping and dumping” required. Time is all you need to get it out of your system.
Because, Mamas, sometimes, you need that glass! Cheers to you for taking care of your baby!
i didn’t get to BF with my first daughter. I’m hoping (and praying!) that this time around I’ll be better at it and continue with it! I’m crossing my fingers for you! 🙂
Because Keegan was a preemie and in the NICU for the first 2 weeks of his life, it made BF REALLY hard on me. I tried whenever I could and I Pumped (what little I could) but in the end it wasn’t enough. Sadly I only last about a month doing this b/c I had to have an emergency D & C due to massive blood loss, but I am not against trying again when we decide to have a second;infact, I look forward to it and with these tips maybe this experience will be better.
New mothers should keep in mind that when your milk comes in and fills your boobs to the bursting point it causes your breast tissue to become inflamed and tender. (note that inflamation is part of the reason that your bust is so swollen, that’s not just milk doing that) This is where the ice will help, tremendously. Some hospitals give you free ice packs specifically for your boobs. Mine didn’t so find out in advance so you will know if you should bring your own. DON’T TURN DOWN THE ICE!!!! IT IS UNBELIEVABLY HELPFUL!!! And will save you a whole lot of tears 🙂
I bf my 1st and am bfing my 2nd, I work full time so my pump and I are best friends.
Another big help, STAY hydrated, drink a ton of water.
I want to DITTO everything that Shell said. And both of my girls were in the NICU (one for a week and one for almost a month) and I successfully breastfed both. My first was even on bottles before breastfeeding, so don’t let that stop you either. One tip I would add, is to try to give the baby one bottle of pumped milk a day so that your husband or friend can give it to the baby at about 6 weeks. Otherwise, they might refuse a bottle altogether and you will be stuck for a long time! (Speaking from experience with DD #1.)
That was a great post! Thanks for all the advice very helpful. 5 kids back to back.!.!.! You deserve a superwoman bra!
Awesome advice…where were you when I had my daughter…LOL. I’ll be passing this on to my neice.
OMG, I didn’t realize how long-winded I was.
Shell – what great advice for a new mom! I breastfed both my daughters until they were almost two. I had to supplement in the first two months with a bottle since I was only able to breastfeed from one breast (I had breast cancer before I had children) but the girls had no problems with nipple confusion. And they still wouldn’t take a pacifier! (I tried!)
Great advice Shell! I second everything you say, except for me, nursing ALWAYS hurt on one side. It never went away!
Sorry I didn’t get over here earlier.
It’s so great to know that so many moms are breastfeeding. I really struggled with getting my baby to latch on properly. I asked for help from the midwives while still at the hospital, I asked for help from breastfeeding consultants, anybody who could help. Every one of them had a different method, some were too aggressive, some weren’t very helpful and in the end, I decided that I’d figure it out on my own. I ended up having to express milk almost from the beginning. Every time I had to express and then wash/sterilise the bottles and the pump at 3 am, I just wanted to cry from sheer exhaustion. I thought it would never end, but I was absolutely determined to persevere. All the while I still kept trying to get my baby to latch on. Then, finally, a miracle! At 14 weeks, my baby started to bf on her own for her night time feeds. It wasn’t much longer before she started to bf exclusively. After struggling through the first week, i set myself a goal of continuing until 1 month, then I extended it to 3 months, then to 6 months. Now, my daughter is just about to turn one and I’m so proud that she is still breastfeeding, because I never thought we would make it.
Short story long: if you really want it, just persevere and it will happen.
What a great discussion of advice and experiences! Sounds like a common theme is that it’s harder than we thought to do, but if you really want it it’s worth that hard work. I certainly know that even the most determination in the world won’t make your milk come in if it refuses to do so, but it’s worth it to try if you can. Li’l Annie, oh my goodness I remember those nights at 3AM pumping and sterilizing and wanting to cry from sheer exhaustion. So glad it worked out for you!!!
As for my fellow NICU mamas, we could publish a book on it because it’s SO different for us. Needless to say, the least forgiving environment for BF can be the NICU if you can’t even hold your baby. I was lucky that I was able to pump a little and supplement with formula. But what a nightmare!
Thanks again for such an informative discussion!
Oh, and Shell, the post was perfect. I don’t think you could have left anything out!
Great post! I would add that you can have a technically correct latch but still have a host of other problems (a disorganized suck, a tongue-tied baby, and an abnormally-heavy let-down to name just a few that I know about!) that cause unnecessary pain/blistering–in fact, I have a theory that many women just endure this because they were told their latch was fine so they figure it’s just a part of the process. DON’T THINK YOU HAVE TO JUST SUCK IT UP, especially if the pain is making your first week(s) with baby unbearable! Keep asking for help (a home-visit from a really good lactation consultant was the answer to my prayers) until someone finds a way to make you comfortable. Because it SHOULD be comfortable.
Why, oh why, didn’t I read this before my little one was born?! Everything in here is right on — BFing “isn’t supposed to hurt” was my worst enemy when my little guy was learning to latch!