Breastfeeding Tips for a soon be new mom

JBen0813 · January 2014

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for this soon to be new mommy on breastfeeding?!?!

brachysira · January 2014

Shove your whole nipple in.

Drea926 · January 2014

Nursing is really hard for a lot of moms. Don't beat yourself up if you're having trouble.

PhieryBFly · January 2014

The first 8 weeks are HARD and its tempting to give up. Try to talk yourself into a goal of 3 months or so. You may find that you've got the hang of it by then.

Also, find another nursing mother or even sign on to the Human Milk 4 Human Babies facebook page. It's helpful to know that if you REALLY want to breastfeed but are hitting a wall, you can get a little extra milk from someone with some extra. Just knowing that, even if you don't use it, can help with the stress.

Drea926 · January 2014

PhieryBFly said:
The first 8 weeks are HARD and its tempting to give up. Try to talk yourself into a goal of 3 months or so. You may find that you've got the hang of it by then.

Also, find another nursing mother or even sign on to the Human Milk 4 Human Babies facebook page. It's helpful to know that if you REALLY want to breastfeed but are hitting a wall, you can get a little extra milk from someone with some extra. Just knowing that, even if you don't use it, can help with the stress.

3 months is a really long time. I think it's great to set goals but you don't want to make yourself feel like a failure if you can't make it that long.

I had issues BFing DS. I am absolutely going to try with future LO but I have more realistic expectations this time around.

Just my opinion. Want to give OP a different perspective. :-)

DublinMama · January 2014

Drea926 said:

Nursing is really hard for a lot of moms. Don't beat yourself up if you're having trouble.

This, a million times. It's not as natural to the take as Pampers commercials and LLL make it appear. It takes work and commitment, but I've never heard of any mom that regrets it, that's for sure.

sjames2 · January 2014

Lanolin, find a local Lactation specialist, check out the breastfeeding board, it is really hard for the first few months but "Don't quit on a bad day", enjoy the bonding time with your lo. It's been a year for us and I can't think of giving it up yet. On another note if it doesn't work don't beat yourself up. Every person has what works for them and doesn't work. Do what is best for you. Congratulations.

PhieryBFly · January 2014

Drea926 said:

The first 8 weeks are HARD and its tempting to give up. Try to talk yourself into a goal of 3 months or so. You may find that you've got the hang of it by then.

Also, find another nursing mother or even sign on to the Human Milk 4 Human Babies facebook page. It's helpful to know that if you REALLY want to breastfeed but are hitting a wall, you can get a little extra milk from someone with some extra. Just knowing that, even if you don't use it, can help with the stress.
3 months is a really long time. I think it's great to set goals but you don't want to make yourself feel like a failure if you can't make it that long. I had issues BFing DS. I am absolutely going to try with future LO but I have more realistic expectations this time around. Just my opinion. Want to give OP a different perspective. :-)

I agree with you. There are some times when it just doesn't work out. I just think its important to realize that it's hard at the beginning and , barring complications, it will get better.

mishka29 · January 2014

Nipple cream, nipple cream, nipple cream! Something no one ever told me or I never read was the bf hurts like a bitch when you first start. Once the nipples toughen up its all good. Feedings take forever during the newborn stage so get comfy on the couch watching tv. GL!

Drea926 · January 2014

PhieryBFly said:

Drea926 said:

The first 8 weeks are HARD and its tempting to give up. Try to talk yourself into a goal of 3 months or so. You may find that you've got the hang of it by then.

Also, find another nursing mother or even sign on to the Human Milk 4 Human Babies facebook page. It's helpful to know that if you REALLY want to breastfeed but are hitting a wall, you can get a little extra milk from someone with some extra. Just knowing that, even if you don't use it, can help with the stress.
3 months is a really long time. I think it's great to set goals but you don't want to make yourself feel like a failure if you can't make it that long. I had issues BFing DS. I am absolutely going to try with future LO but I have more realistic expectations this time around. Just my opinion. Want to give OP a different perspective. :-)

I agree with you. There are some times when it just doesn't work out. I just think its important to realize that it's hard at the beginning and , barring complications, it will get better.

Yes, that is good to know.

I'm glad you didn't interpret me as attacking you because that wasn't my intention!

jdilorenzo · January 2014

I cried for about 3 months every time I had to feed my daughter. It hurts! I didn't give up and here we are almost a year later and my daughter is EBF straight from the tap. I would suggest a lactition consultant. I never had one but will be getting one with future babies. Lanolin is great.
It really does get easier.
Good luck!

PhieryBFly · January 2014

Also, I would add that KellyMom is a great resource for questions about what is normal and what isn't and tips to help.

https://kellymom.com/category/bf/

Rosebean · January 2014

Personally, I found the first 3 weeks the hardest. It took a lot for me to come to terms with being the sole provider for nutrition for our son. Especially in the middle of the night when I was alone on the couch trying to get him to latch, ease through the pain and lack of sleep. My biggest advice, is if your LO is taking a long time to go back to sleep after nursing, pass baby off to daddy. I spent way too many hours trying to take it all on myself.

I agree with PPs that if it does not work for you, there is nothing wrong with that. Make the best decision for you and your LO, no matter which direction it goes. And I am going to quickly repeat "don't end on a bad day" and lanolin is your best friend. Also, find a comfy nursing bra you won't mind wearing to bed. You will need it to keep the nursing pads in place.

Finally, drink lots of water. And make sure you eat. Lacking both really affects your supply.

octobermama87 · January 2014

The first 5 weeks were the hardest for me but It was never even a question whether I'd ever quit or continue - I always knew that I'd just stick it out no matter what for at least the first year. I'm proud of being able to say that I EBF DS for at least the first whole year and I plan on letting him self wean when he's ready.

What helped me was nipple cream!!!!! It's not rainbows and butterflies and sunshine in the beginning- it hurts really bad.

What I did to keep a good milk supply was eat, eat, eat, drink plenty of water and ate oatmeal EVERY DAY! And your body runs on a "supply and demand" system for the first 3 months so the more baby nurses, the more milk your body produces. Good luck and go check out the Breastfeeding board!

anjil04 · January 2014

Breastfeeding is natural, but may not come natural-ly to all moms and babies. Seek help from a lactation professional if you have questions or trouble. They know tricks and things you won't find on a blog or forum...Some moms start bf and have no pain, cracking or anything and others the exact opposite. Don't be scared, more likely than not your body and baby will rise to the occasion.

I am a Lactation Educator & Counselor; feel free to PM me if you have any specific concerns. Good luck!!

babywisher · January 2014

Have snacks and water by you while you are nursing! You will be starving and thirsty. Keep water by your bed at night. It's not always difficult. Don't be scared by horror stories. Just be prepared that it could be hard.

tamarar5 · January 2014

Everything said here! I've ebfed two babies now and fully expect to do it again. It is hard at first! If you get cracks or start bleeding, DON'T just try to nurse through it. You have to still express but nursing through a bleeding crack will only make it worse. Don't beat yourself up if you have to pump and bottle feed, or even pump and dump.

I had these *terrible* cracks with my first, so bad that I had to pump and dump for days because there was blood in my milk. I felt so terrible that I was wasting this precious stuff, and I was worried that I was depriving my child. But she survived. I survived. It gets better with time.

And I totally agree with Verovladimir. You will probably hate your partner because they aren't lactating. I wanted to choke dh while he was snoring through the night when I was breastfeeding. Remember, payback can be a B****. You have 17 more years of making your partner miss a nights sleep with the kids.

Puck1182 · January 2014

I'm going to add a different perspective. (Sidenote: My phone just autocorrected "different@ to "snifter envy." WTF?!)

Anyway, it's true that BFing may be hard... But it also might be fairly easy! My left nipple was a little cracked for a bit, but I was religious about rubbing breast milk on my nipples after nursing and letting it air dry, then adding some lanolin. After about a week it healed, and no more cracked nipples! Some oversupply and over active letdown at first. DD would cough and sputter at the breast because she couldn't keep up. Pumpin a little before nursing and/or nursing in a laid back position helped with this.

Other than my supply dipping when I got a cold, it was mostly smooth sailing! So there are lots of stories out there about how hard it is, and it can be, and either way there IS a learning curve. But I think it's important to know that it can be fairly easy too, so there's no need to be scared or intimidated or to stress about it.

Definitely research as much as you can, find a lactation consultant, take a BFing class. Also, if you have a hospital birth, don't assume the nurses know what their talking. About when it comes to BFing. I actually contacted my hospital's patient representative, because I was told to nurse DD every three hours MAXIMUM, but my LC (and every other reliable source) say this is the MINIMUM, as newborns should nurse at least 8x per day. And on day 2, when DD was too sleepy I nurse, they were going to give her formula and didn't even ask if I wanted to pump. I had to request a pump. Got plenty of colostrum and they syringe-fed her, no formula needed. So educate yourself, and if somewhat at the hospital tries to do something contrary to what your LC, or research (from a reliable resource, not just Dr. Google - I am a librarian, so authoritative sources are a sticking point for me!) says, don't be afraid to question them. They may be well trained in medical matters, but that knowledge doesn't necessarily extend to BFing.

Also: if you find you can't, or simply don't want to, continue BFing at some point, don't let anyone make you feel guilty about switching to formula! Yes, there are many benefits to BFing that formula can't replicate, but if you're depressed or overly stressed (I specify "overly" because there will be a good chance you will be stressed out by the experience i having a new baby even if BFing is going swimmingly :-p) to the point that you feel you can't take care of yourself or your baby, those benefits aren't worth it. We are so lucky to live in a time and place where formula is a safe option. So if you need to supplement or switch, there's no shame in it!

carriesu2003 · January 2014

1. Get to know your nipples. Are you inverted? I didn't think I was but if you squeeze your nipple does it push out or contract back in. If it goes in then you are inverted.

2. Have your breast pump ready to go in the hospital. If you are not making colostrum, you can pump to bring it in. Also, if you get nothing in the pump you will know that you are not making anything.

3. If your baby cries frequently and loudly the first couple nights right after feedings there is a problem. Go to one of the nurses immediately and tell them you don't think your colostrum has come in. Be persistent if you sense something is not right.

4. Lanolin. use it after every feeding and then wipe it off before baby tries to feed again.

(all based on my own very difficult first few weeks breast feeding)

chimneygrl · January 2014

Fight for it! Sometimes your milk will not come in right away. It took me a week to get anything. I was pumping around the clock with nothing coming out in my bottles. With such a rough start, I did not take to breast feeding and really started to hate it. When my supply dropped two month in, I decide that I had enough and stopped. I was pumping 5oz a day.

Rosebean · January 2014

All this reminds me to send your friend to one of the best BFing websites for references. I looked at so much from this site while I was BFing in the middle of the night, which was way better than googling. Tell her to check out kellymom.com.

PhieryBFly · January 2014

pinesnow said:

You have so much good info here. The only thing I will add is get a few good nursing tanks! I live in mine under my shirt, even now! Here is a link to my fave:

https://www.target.com/p/basics-women-s-felicity-slimming-nursing-cami-7402-assorted-colors/-/A-14580917

Totally this!

ally2011 · January 2014

The solution to several problems is put the baby to the breast more often and let your body regulate. Not all issues of course, but several.

ally2011 · January 2014

I had a csection on a Monday evening, could not nurse right away, really didn't do much in first 24 hours to speak of, nursed often for rest of week w/ no clue what or how much he was getting, didn't pump, milk came in overnight on Friday and I woke up engorged on Saturday morning. I hated it the first several weeks, but that passed, it got easier and we are closing in on a year

Breastfeeding Tips for a soon be new mom

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