Kiddipedia
Breastfeeding can be a wonderful experience to share with your new baby, but it can also be hard work, exhausting, and make you feel like you’re not good enough. Here are a few things that I wish I knew before I started breastfeeding. So, if you’re struggling with breastfeeding, or are getting ready before the arrival of your baby, hopefully, this list of breastfeeding tips will help you get over whatever challenge you’re facing.
Get Help
Breastfeeding can be challenging. It’s normal to struggle even if you’ve done it before. Each time you need to learn what works for you and your little one, and your little one also has to figure out what to do. With all this learning to do, it can help to get some advice.
Partner participation in the early days is really important for both you and your baby. Luckily, research shows that most partners are willing to do so. From getting you a pillow to giving your baby a bottle of expressed milk, there are many things the non-breastfeeding partner can do to support you.
If you have a midwife, they can be a great source of information to help you get over the early struggles. However, if you’ve left the care of your midwife, there are still options. Lactation consultants can be a fantastic choice if you are struggling, especially if there are complicating factors, such as tongue-tie.
Another great source of help and support are breastfeeding support groups such as the Australian Breastfeeding Association. These are groups of nursing mothers who get together to give each other advice, sympathy and support. They can be a wealth of information when you first start, and they also know the places with the best chairs for breastfeeding while you’re out and about.
Try A Nursing Pillow
Positioning your baby correctly can make it much easier to get them properly latched. However, that can be hard. Most parents handle their new babies like they’re made of glass for the first few days. As babies get bigger, they get heavy fast. Both of these things can just add to the challenge of getting your baby into the correct position. Even when you do, you might find that your back and arms start to ache.
A nursing pillow can help with all these problems. You can arrange the pillow just right, then lay your baby down when it’s time to feed them. If you need to make adjustments, you can move the pillow with your baby on it. Then once they are latched, the weight is taken off your back, and you can both get comfortable.
Pump Milk
Breastfeeding has a lot of benefits for both baby and parent. But it can put a lot of pressure on the parent breastfeeding. If they are the only one that can feed the baby, it’s hard to get a break. One way to ease the burden is to offer a bottle for some feeds. If you don’t want to use formula, a breast pump can let you bottle feed with the same milk as your baby gets from you.
Breast pumps will become your best friend if you’re planning to go to work (far from your baby) as you continue to breastfeed.
There are many different types of breast pump to choose from, and it’s worth having a real think about how you plan to use it before you pick. The electric ones are much faster and let you do other things while you pump, but it can be an odd sensation. I was hesitant about using an electric pump as it made me feel like a cow being milked. However, once I got used to it, it made life easier and was much faster than my manual one.
Breastfeeding Friendly Clothes
Planning your clothing when you’re breastfeeding is essential. If it’s a hassle to get your breasts out, it makes everything harder. However, there are some great maternity clothing options to choose from. You can get all sorts of tops and even hoodies that have subtle access for feeding.
The biggest advantage of these specially designed clothes is that they can be easier to feed in without exposing more skin than you feel comfortable with while still making access easy.
Nipple Pads
When you first start breastfeeding, it isn’t uncommon to find that your breasts leak milk sometimes. It’s totally normal and can be triggered by all sorts of things, such as your baby crying or even for no apparent reason at all. However, while it is normal, it can be a little embarrassing and frustrating when you get damp patches on your clothes.
Nipple pads are an excellent way to prevent your tops from getting wet. They slide into your bra or top and just absorb the milk before it gets to your clothes. You won’t need them forever. This issue tends to stop on its own after a couple of weeks. Usually ending once your supply is established and your baby is settled into a feeding routine.
Dealing With Common Issues
Two of the most common breastfeeding issues are nipple pain when feeding and blocked ducts/mastitis. Unfortunately, they go along with breastfeeding, especially in the early days, but there are things you can do.
When it comes to sore nipples, one of the most effective treatments is your breast milk. It has many antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and can do wonders to help soothe the pain. When you’re done feeding, just express a little more milk and rub it into your nipple. Another option is to use nipple shields. These provide a barrier between your nipple and your baby’s mouth and can reduce the pain. But, not all babies get on with them.
Blocked milk ducts can cause inflammation and pain. If they don’t clear, they can lead to an infection known as mastitis. If you get a blocked milk duct, you’ll often be able to feel a small lump, and it will be tender in the area. The best thing to do is wear loose clothing, massage the area and fully empty the affected breast as much as possible. If the pain doesn’t get better, you may need to see a medical professional. If the duct does get infected, you may need a course of antibiotics to clear it.
Remember That It Gets Easier
The final piece of advice I have about breastfeeding is that while it is challenging to begin with, it gets easier quickly once you get the hang of it. If it’s right for you and you can persevere through the first few challenging weeks, then it becomes effortless. However, if you can’t get through it, and it’s too much, or it just isn’t working, that is perfectly ok. The most important things are that your baby is fed and that you are happy. So, if you choose what’s right for your family, you’ll be making the right choice.
Silvia is a mum-of-three busy kids, writer and co-editor at MumsDelivery. Between part-time work, school run and one-million kids activities, Silvia is always on the hunt for that magic work-life-balance!
