Were there any tips you would share with a new mom learning how to breastfeed?
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#1. Go by weight gain & output to measure if baby is getting enough NOT frequency of nursing! Babies are designed to nurse for MORE than just hunger so just b/c you "just nursed him" does NOT mean your supply is lacking! It's all part of the design!
#2. You are BOTH learning something new, give it time.. enjoy the process, don't be hard on yourself AND don't feel guilty that your baby is crying & it's taking a minute to get your latch... remember crying IS the only way he communicates, it's not like when you or I bawl.. it's different, he's just talking, well okay yelling at you & you're working on fulfilling his need.
#3 Learn how to nurse lying on your side with the quickness! It's a lifesaver!!!!!
#4 Daddy can STILL help! He can get up with baby, change baby, and then bring baby TO YOU, then take baby back to sleep so that you can rest!
#5 EAT & STAY HYDRATED!!
Oh and one more thing.... Breastmilk & air drying is the best "nipple cream"!
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In addition to everything @runsyellowlites: said, have an idea of when growth spurts could happen! I have too many friends give up at 6 weeks because they think they're supply isn't enough. Unfortunately, they told me too late for me to explain it all
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Do not give up! That's my #1 advice. I wanted to give up more than once but having the support of my husband pushed me through and I continued.
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@runsyellowlites: You really give the best advice on breast feeding!
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I would also say to not give up. I almost quit a few weeks in because of latching difficulties and conflicting advice from various LC's at my hospital. But I stuck with it and am so glad I did.
It took a while (maybe a couple months) for me to really enjoy it, so be patient and give yourself time.
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1- it takes time. Don't give up! Once you get the hang of it, it becomes enjoyable.
2- drinks lots of water. A lot...even if your aren't thirsty
3- wear Bf accessible clothing. I never did this so it was always a HUGE pain to bf because it meant stripping down.
4- see an LC if its not working. See her again if its still not working....I saw 2 on 3 different occasions and finally it clicked!
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Relax. Formula is a viable option so your baby won't starve. If you get stressed baby will get stressed. Relax and baby will be more relaxed and you can take the time you need to learn. If it doesn't work, try again.
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Take it one feeding at a time. If you have a bad session, regroup and try again at the next one.
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Everything above is great advice. Also, ask questions. I feel like every day is a different nursing experience so it's always good to have go-to resources to figure out what's what. In addition to kellymom, Nancy Holtzman is an awesome resource. Check out some of her breastfeeding webinars: http://www.isisparenting.com/page/webinarsbreastfeeding
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On days where you feel like you want to give up, don't give a bottle of formula, just commit to finishing that day out. The one day at a time also works for breastfeeding.
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Don't give up! See an LC if you are having problems. Go to support groups if they exist in your area. Ideally take classes or read about breastfeeding before your baby is born.
Eat, drink, and sleep.
If your ped says you shouldn't BF or need to supplement, see an LC and/or get a second opinion.
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-Take good care of yourself.
Get as much sleep as it's possible to get with a new baby. Stay hydrated! Make sure you eat enough. It's worth trying oatmeal, lactation cookies, etc. if you have supply issues.-Be stubborn. As others have said, don't give up. Some people are lucky and find bf'ing easy, but most people I know have struggled at least some of the time. It's worth it to stick with it.
-If possible, go to a weekly support group meeting. Many hospitals offer then for free. They usually have at least one LC available to answer questions, they track baby's weight gain, and can tell you how much baby ate during that session (by weighing before and after). Mine was super helpful. Lots of weeks I didn't even have questions to ask the lactation consultants, but it was nice to get LO's weight (and reassurance she was getting enough) and be surrounded by other people who were making breastfeeding a priority.
-Try to find at least one close friend or family member who will support you, esp. in the beginning when nursing may be painful.
-Trust your body to meet LO's needs (especially when you are on maternity leave and nursing on demand). If LO is really fussy, he/she may be overtired and not necessarily hungry. Even if he/she is hungry, if he/she nurses at length, your supply will increase. Try not to offer formula as a result of anxiety about LO not getting enough (unless he isn't gaining weight, having enough dirty diapers, etc.).
-Learn how to hand express - it's a good skill to have in a pinch! Also, if you need to increase your supply/get more milk, doing so at the end of a pump or feed is helpful.
-If you're planning to go back to work, start pumping early to help establish a good supply. I waited until 6 weeks and only pumped sporadically and really struggled with supply when I went back to work. The pump isn't as efficient as a baby (in most cases), so you'll need to have an extra good supply to meet LOs needs if you're seperated a lot.
-Don't let LO get away with a lazy/poor latch. Especially before 3 months because that will affect your supply down the road...
-Try not to skip feedings. If you give a bottle, make sure you pump.
-Set your phone to ring every 2-4 hours to remind you to nurse/pump.
-Pumping for 10-15 min after each nursing session, even if nothing comes out, WILL increase supply better than anything else (although it may take 2-3 days to see a difference).
-Have both short term and long term goals. Take it one day at a time if you need to.
-If LO is having trouble latching or going through a nursing strike, try to stay calm. Baby can sense tension/stress. Take deep breaths and try again. Try a different location or a different position. Don't take it personally!!! Baby is just having a hard time.
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Always get a good, deep latch. Really shove your boob deep into the mouth. I'd get lazy, and he'd get lazy, then I'd be super sore soon after.
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Never watch the clock - just your baby. Some babies (most babies) don't nurse for just 15 minutes, every few hours. Some want to nurse for hours at a time, at the start. Just go with it. Turn on netflix, order a pizza, and just hang out. It gets faster before you know it.
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Set small, manageable goals for yourself - it doesn't seem so daunting when you are aiming towards getting your LO the colostrum, then aiming for six weeks, then three months, then six months etc.....
- just know that every day is going to get easier than the last. It IS painful at the start but know that it's never going to be this painful again, tomorrow it's going to be a bit easier. And once you hit the happy spot, around six weeks, it is the easiest and most convenient thing in the world.
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Lot's of good advice. Mine's a DON'T. If your nipples crack and hurt like crazy, don't use those breast shells! My OB recommended it for my pain (relief) BUT I am pretty sure that is what caused our thrush. Because no matter how much I tried to keep the shells dry, it would always end up moist in the shell - perfect for yeast!
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It is okay if you don't enjoy it. It is more important than that. Stick with it anyway.
Also, every ounce counts. Any breastmilk is better than none at all.
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Great info, thanks ladies!!!
@runsyellowlites: what do you mean breast milk and air drying for nipple cream.. Sorry!! New soon- to - be mommy here... -
@jh524: expressing & rubbing a little bit of milk on your nipples after each feeding & letting them airdry is better than any nipple cream you could buy (IMO). Breastmilk has some amazing healing attributes! I never used anything else (although I did have other things)
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@runsyellowlites: ahh, okay....You have really helpful tips, thanks!!!
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- If you give any bottles, make sure to pump every time around the same time you give the bottle! Every time something goes into the baby, something should come out of you. I learned this the hard way and it led to early supply issues.
- Along those lines, pump for 10 minutes after every nursing session if you need to increase your supply.
- Things will get sooo much better. Almost everyone I know faced some initial difficulties with breastfeeding. The first 2 months were really rough, but I'm glad I stuck with it!
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There is lots of great advice from all the ladies above!
Expect that you will spend practically all of your time nursing the first few months. DS was on a 90min cycle for the first three months.
I had many, many painful difficulties. Don't be afraid to reach out to a lactation consultant. I saw one several times and had problems even after. Learning to nurse, both for you and baby can take time. It won't necessarily come "naturally" for either of you...but then again, I know moms who had zero problems from the get go.
Also, eat well and take care of yourself. I have never been so hungry in my life. I was lucky and could literally eat anything and everything I wanted while nursing and still lost all the baby weight and then some (added bonus!).
I wish you luck! It was very fulfilling once we got over the bumps.
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Make breast feeding the priority when you bring baby home. Set up your breast feeding station in the most comfortable spot for you. You're going to spend a lot of time there so pull up a side table for snacks, stack your pillows, get a foot rest, keep your remotes handy, and plug your cell phone charger in close by.
Make no apologies if this spot is in the middle of your living room. If you want privacy while feeding in the early days ask visitors to leave the room. I tried to feed LO on my bed in my room when I got home, all I got was a sore back.
Another tip - don't listen to your elders. Everyone forgets what it's like to have a newborn pretty quickly. My mom and MIL couldn't believe how often I fed my baby. They both told me it was much too frequently. But my doctor and LC told me to keep at it. You are not going to over feed your breast fed baby.
Ask lots of questions on HB. Good luck!
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Find a good LC and see her at the first hint of a problem. I toughed it out longer than I should have and my nips definitely suffered for it.
Some pain is normal at first. Your nips have probably only been used recreationally thus far...breastfeeding asks a lot more of them. If you feel toe-curling pain, see an LC.
Read up on mastitis, thrush, clogged ducts, etc. so you can recognize early symptoms and get treated quickly.
Enjoy your time with your babe. The initial pain will end. I promise. Let your husband, sister, friend take care of everything else just sit and cuddle and nurse.
Take it one day at a time.
Have water and snacks and an iPad set up wherever you are going to nurse. You'll probably end up stuck there for a long time.
Have gel cooling pads ready at home.
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Wow, so much awesome advice!
I'm glad to hear that a little pain is normal. I've been watching for cracking and bleeding but so far I've been okay.
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1. Stick with it! It will get so much easier! DD is only 5.5 weeks and we had a hell of a time with really badly injured nipples, and while they're still healing, I have next to no pain now and we've perfected our latch.
2. Find support in your community, whether it's an LC, a support group, whatever. Support is the only thing that kept md from quitting.
3. If you have any concerns about supply, I highly recommend fenugreek and blessed thistle.
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1. If you experience leaking, invest in good quality reusable nursing pads. I use Bamboobies: https://buybamboobies.com/
Wear them (with bra) at night or you will wake up with your shirt and sheet soaked. Hopefully you won't have leaking issues still at 5 months PP like me, though!2. Hang in there when baby goes through phases where he/she cries and pulls off breast while nursing. This happens to my LO every once and awhile for a few days. It's emotionally draining to try to feed him and have him cry and stop and try again later, but it gets better.
3. Enjoy it! Nursing can be such a sweet, magical experience. I love knowing that my body is nourishing my LO.
Good luck!
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@Katrocap: I wish I had known #2 earlier! Would have saved me a lot of stress and my own tears, but thankfully we pulled through.
These are such great tips!
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@oliviaoblivia: I love your answers!
I will add:
Motherlove nipple cream did wonders for me. Skip the lanolin.
Drink water all day long. I kept the huge jug from the hospital by my side for at least six weeks.
Eat, eat, eat. I wasn't prepared for how hungry I would be. Have plenty of ready-to-eat snacks handy.
Remember that you can do this, that you were created to do this. I thought I would never leave my house because my little guy nursed around the clock for over two months. But now he's 10 months old, and I barely remember those rough first feedings. I truly enjoy the process and the wonder of it all.
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Every piece of advice above is awesome.
I just wanted to second the suggestion that if you start giving a bottle, then you should pump while baby's getting that bottle.
Have water accessible all over the house. And burp cloths.
Be prepared for cluster-feeding - I had absolutely no idea about cluster-feeding, and thought for sure D was starving because he JUST.KEPT.EATING. I finally remembered a friend talking about it, looked it up, and immediately burst into tears because what I was going through was normal!
The EMAB nipple butter is 1000x better than regular lanolin. Lanolin hurt me to put on - and I didn't have cracked/sore nipples!
Knowing the signs/symptoms of clogged ducts helped me to catch it early and work it out before it became too much of an issue! Read up and be prepared - if your boob is sore or sensitive in one spot, start applying heat and massage!
Above all - when you get frustrated, set baby down, walk away, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. It WILL get better!!
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dont be afraid to see an IBCLC and ask for help. they can work wonders. but, if you don't feel like they're helping find another one!
be patient. you're both learning what to do. it's a team thing, and you'll figure each other out eventually
if you do crack (and therefore SCAB. ouch!!!) don't let your bra/nursing pad/nursing tank stick to the scabs. I used a medicated gauze from my midwife called cuticerin. also like @runsyellowlites: said breast milk rubbed on and left to air dry (preferably in the sun) is a miracle.
don't expect baby to be on a predictable schedule for a while. we could feed as often as every 90 minutes all day.
don't put up with a shallow or lazy latch. at all. even one bad latch can mess you up again.
drink lots of water!! more water than you think you could possibly need
I'm sure I have lots more but that's all I can think of right now!! oh, and lastly... relax! formula never hurt anyone. if that's what you have to (want to, need to) do, do it. your sanity is important too
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@Penny Lane: "if you do crack (and therefore SCAB. ouch!!!)" I basically read that as "don't do crack!" Ha! Oh, I miss coffee....
Awesome tips! I'm basically printing this out and packing it with me to the hospital because they don't have LCs coming by the rooms anymore. You have to get an appointment *after* you've left the hospital and it has to be deemed "medically necessary". I feel robbed.
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This thread is awesome! We are having difficulties getting baby Grizz to latch - he roots for the nipple and wants it, but won't really suck, and if he does we only get about 3 out of him before he quits. This is all encouraging info!
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@grizz: that's exactly what happened to us. Don't give up! I know how frustrating it can be.
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@Espion: that's lame that you don't get to see a LC in the hospital! In that case, I'll add a few more things from when I was just starting
-I found it helpful to put my nipple right under LO's nose and drag it down to LO's top lip... I kept doing that until she would open wide enough and then I would shove the boob in.
-If LO isn't that interested, you can express a few drops so LO can smell/taste the milk and go looking for more
-When LCs helped me, I was really surprised by how far they shoved the boob in! They shoved it further than I was doing on my own. They also really smashed LOs face into my boob and held her there. She did not have the opportunity to pull back or make the latch shallow.
-The football hold really helped me get a good latch... I found the cradle and cross cradle holds much more difficult. I was glad the LC consultant showed me that hold. I agree with a PP the sidelying position is really great. I don't think I could have mastered it in the very beginning though.
-Do not unlatch baby without using your finger to break the seal! Ouch! I can't believe I forgot that one, but I did! Just put one finger in LOs mouth and tug down until LO lets go before you pull back.
-Make sure when LO gets off the boob that there is not a stripe on the nipple. If there's a white stripe, the latch probably isn't right. When I feel a pinching, I know that the latch isn't right and when I take LO off, there's always a white line. In the beginning, my entire nipple would get white and they said that was uncommon but it was because my LO had a crazy strong suck. They said there wasn't anything I could do about it. I had to let it blister/scab/heal. That's not supposed to be the norm though. It's normal for it to be uncomfortable/hurt a little, but it's not supposed to be toe curling, like it was for me. (ETA: if it is toe curling, I recommend biting your finger - totally worked to take my mind off the boob pain).
-If you have any signs of mastitis, etc., seek help right away. I got mastitis but went to my OB and got a perscription within a few hours of starting a fever. I never got it too bad as a result.Good luck!
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This is so awesome! Thank you all for sharing, it makes me feel like we can get there.
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@septemberlove: you can get there! Everyone gave GREAT advice. Breastfeeding has been the hardest part of having a baby for me. It's not intuitive, even if you're doing it right it can feel like you're doing it wrong, and there is not that much support for most women to keep at it.
Don't listen to any naysayers or even the surprised "you're still breastfeeding?!" comments. As long as it feels right for you and your child (I.e., its not so stressful that its driving you legitly crazy/making you & the baby miserable), Keep Going!
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@78h2o: That is awesome advice! Thank you! I think knowing that it is not easy (and being prepared for that) is half the battle. After that, we've got to figure out how to make it work for us. Now I just need this kid to head for the exit, heh.
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@runsyellowlites: (I have no idea if I can "reply" to posts on my wall. I didn't even know I had a wall!) Thank you so much for the links! At least my pregnancy insomnia last night was well-spent! I read through almost every resource on that site. I'm pretty sure I thought, "Huh, I would have never have thought that" about every other sentence!
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