Breastfeeding tips

Breastfeeding is best, but it can also be hard. For some moms and babies it comes easy, for others it’sincredibly difficult. Don’t give up! Breast milk has immunities that formula can’t reproduce, it’s easier for baby to digest, and it changes as babies needs change (more watery during hot weather, different concentrations of nutrients as baby grows, etc). Breastfeeding also produces hormones to help mom and baby bond, and uses about 500 calories and helps the uterus contract which helps mom lose weight! (Please note, if you can’t breastfeed, don’t beat yourself up, you are still an amazing mom doing your best for baby! If you are physically able to breastfeed, at least try!)

Breastfeeding has come pretty easily for my two, thankfully, but I have some tips to pass on. I haven’t ever had trouble with my supply, so I won’t even pretend to know what to say about that.

Engorgement

Engorgement is painful and uncomfortable. It can be miserable. Your boobs may feel like they are going to explode; they get big and sometimes hard, and very tender. The good news? It’s temporary. It will probably start within a week after baby, last a few days to a week, then your body will learn how much milk it needs to produce for your baby’s needs and it will get better!

Pain

Breastfeeding can be slightly painful. For me, letdown is slightly painful (stings) for a few seconds. And sometimes the initial latch hurts. If it’s painful for longer than a few moments, try to figure out why. Maybe you have plugged duct, or a sore nipple, or baby isn’t latching right. Identify what causes the pain and go from there.

Open Wide

Make baby open wide and get a big mouthful. This helps spread out the pressure and create a better latch. You aren’t going to suffocate her, no matter how big the boob, you can find a position that keeps at least one nostril open for breathing.

Timing

Babies should eat every 2-3 hours. Find out what is right for your baby. I’ve noticed that Emersyn eats better and is happier eating every 3 hours. Feeding too frequently makes her fussier.

You can also limit the amount of time breastfeeding. Micah nursed constantly, which left me with little time in my day. Then I found out that after about 15 minutes per side, he was just nursing for comfort and not nutrition. So I started cutting him off after 15 minutes per side. I had way more time in my day and he still got enough to eat, just used the pacifier more. Emersyn eats 5-8 minutes on each side, she seems to eat a lot less than Micah did but she’s gaining weight just fine.

Burping and Spit Up

Whether bottle or boob milk, baby needs to burp often to get out air.

Spit up is normal. Some babies spit up more than others. As long as it’s not projectile (hitting the other side of the room) or green (puking up all the stomach contents including bile), it’s ok. It always looks like a lot more than it is, so don’t freak out. Burping often and small feedings should help decrease spitting up. Plus being upright for 30 minutes after eating (gravity helps milk move down) and not going for a bumpy car ride right away.

Colic

If baby seems colicky (upset tummy essentially), sometimes the problem is an intolerance of something coming through the breastmilk. Try cutting out dairy and citrus fruits (oranges, strawberries, tomatoes). Micah was super sensitive to strawberries (now he loves them!) among other things, and Emersyn seems sensitive to milk and oranges, maybe other things too. It’s hard to know what is making baby upset since they can’t tell us. Try keeping a food diary and noting when baby is upset, food comes through the milk anywhere between 1-24 hours after eating it, most commonly around 4-6 hours after.

Boobs

Be nice to your boobs. Where good, supportive bras. Use nursing pads to soak up the milk instead of sticking to dried-to-the-bra milk. Use lanolin or other nipple cream for dry or cracked nipples. Check out some products from Dr. Brown’s I recently reviewed!

Sore back and arms?

Use a nursing pillow. Or a couch pillow. Something to support your arm and baby. I love my Gia pillow!

Water and Games

Keep water and entertain by wherever you nurse. You will get thirsty while you nurse, you just will. I like to use my Contigo travel mugs because it keeps my water refreshingly cool all night long!

And breastfeeding produces chemicals in your body that make you tired, plus you will have middle of the night nursing sessions, so something to keep you awake is necessary. I’ve fallen asleep with a baby in my arms frequently, always in a chair with my arms supported so I wouldn’t roll over on baby, but it wasn’t good sleep and my nipples were always more sore because I couldn’t make sure baby maintained a good latch.

You will gradually learn to read your baby and develop a basic schedule. Some days baby will blow the schedule away though, and some days baby will cluster feed (eat much more frequently). Don’t worry, you aren’t doing anything wrong! You’ll learn when baby is hungry or just wanting to suck to sleep, and you’ll learn what’s best for you and your baby’s comfort. Never be afraid to ask for help! Good luck!