One of the hardest things to do once you’ve just had a baby is breastfed. During pregnancy, everybody will tell you that breast is best and that’s what you should be doing for the baby because it’s a natural thing to do to feed them and it’s absolutely right. But nobody tells you how difficult it can be at the beginning.
When you’re a new mother, you will be learning everything from the beginning with your child, so you have to give yourself some grace if you feel like you’re getting things wrong. Both you and your baby are learning for the very first time. We’re going to take you through 10 tips that you can use to make breastfeeding a memorable and pleasant experience
- Research as much as possible. While you’re still pregnant, speak to your midwife and ask to be referred to a lactation consultant so that you can learn everything you need to learn about breastfeeding. From foods to avoid when breastfeeding to how to collect liquid gold colostrum. The more research you do, the easier you’re going to find things because you will feel more prepared for what’s in store. Knowing the good, the bad and the ugly about breastfeeding can give you an overall understanding of what you should be looking to achieve.
- Embrace the skin to skin as much as possible. Cuddling your baby on your chest for a welcome to the world is the natural thing to do after they’re born. Skin to skin will help your body to start kicking off those hormones that produce milk and will wake up your baby’s feeding instincts and reflexes. Your baby will start rooting for the breast sooner and your body will make more milk and that will put the cycle that you’re in for the next few months. Skin to skin can help keep your baby warm, reduce their crying and stress, and regulate your baby’s blood sugar.
- Lactation consultant. Breastfeeding is going to be much more memorable if you understand how to feed your baby. Understanding the baby’s early signs of wanting to feed, such as rooting, licking of their lips, and putting their hands to their mouth will help. Crying is actually the last hunger cue that you’ll come across with a baby because by that point, they’re already uncomfortable enough to need to shout out. You need to make sure that you’re sitting or lying comfortably and that you’ve relaxed your shoulders and brought your baby to your breast rather than your breast to your baby.
- Don’t watch the clock. It may be an old school method to watch the clock and time the feeds, but you should look for the baby’s early signs of wanting to feed. Babies in their early months will want to cluster feed, which means that by the time you finish a feed, give them a burp and put them down, you may put them straight back on the best again. Babies need to eat more often and this can be more than eight times in 24 hours. This not only helps them to get into a feeding schedule themselves, but it helps you to produce as much milk as possible. You should consider the way that your baby roots as a way that they put their order in for their next feed.
- Look for the signs that they’re getting enough. A sign that your baby is feeding well is that they are gaining weight. It’s normal for babies to lose weight in their first week while they’re getting used to the world and getting used to feeding. But don’t be too alarmed. Once they start getting to that fatty hind milk, they’ll start to put weight on properly when they’re breastfeeding well and often. You won’t even need to worry about other food or liquids, including water, until six months. It’s not advisable to give babies food before six months anyway, but you won’t need to think about it.
- Learn about milk production. The more your baby feeds in those first early days and weeks, the more milk you will make. Babies are going to grow very quickly in their first few months, which means that there will be days that they feel like they’re never off the breast. This may be frustrating sometimes, but try to lean into it as much as possible because right now your body is feeding your baby. As your baby grows, your milk will change too. And when they’re sick, your milk will change. You may even notice that it changes colour depending on your baby. It’s quite remarkable how intuitive the human body can be in this regard.
- Try to look after yourself. It’s not easy to do when you are cluster feeding a baby, but in the early days you need to rest when your baby rests as much as possible. When people want to come over and visit, ask them to chip in with some housework or cook a meal for you so that you can sit and hold your baby. As much as possible, get your body moving so that you feel like you’re doing more than just being splayed on the couch and keep in touch with people around you. If you are dealing with any issues such as painful nipples make sure that you speak to a doctor and get somebody to have a look at the latch. Breastfeeding shouldn’t be painful.
- Let go of bad habits. Smoking, drugs and alcohol are all a big no no when breastfeeding. They pass into your breast milk, so the safest choice is to not use them at all. Just as you would let go of foods that you should be avoiding when you breastfeed, you should also let go of smoking.
- Don’t be in it alone. If you feel like you’re struggling, talk to other people, speak to your midwife, join some support groups such as La Leche League and speak to other mothers who are also breastfeeding. It could be helpful to not feel so alone in it. Lactation consultants are great to help with things like your latch, but don’t be alone in the whole process.
- Enjoy the time. You won’t be breastfeeding forever, although it may feel that way sometimes. Enjoy as much time as you can in this particular juncture of life, because it won’t come back around again.