Breastfeeding Basics for the New Mom

NOTE: I no longer breastfeed my baby girl due to a dairy and soy allergy, but I feel like I tried it all! I hope some of this advice might help others learning to breastfeed.

The hardest part of my recovery from Evie's birth besides the raging hormones trying to balance themselves out was learning alongside my baby the art of breastfeeding. The lack of confidence in what I was doing mixed with the physical pain of nursing made those first few weeks of feedings a nightmare. I sought advice from anyone and everyone: online forums, my doctor, multiple nurses at the hospital, the on call lactation specialist, my mom and siblings… 

I received some fantastic advice, but everyone had their own opinion on what would work and that added a level of frustration when I'd try it and come up against another wall. I'm sure other new moms have their own unique struggles to overcome when it comes to nursing a brand new baby so I wanted to share what worked for me as well as the advice I got that didn't work for me but might help other new moms through the rocky first few weeks of breastfeeding.

Advice that helped me:

• Engorgement: This was absolutely awful the first week or so. Although you're taking care of your baby, take care of yourself too. Take hot baths/showers and ask your spouse to help out with breast massages (don't forget to use some olive oil so it doesn't hurt as much). He'll probably be happy to help out but make sure he gives you no mercy. Also, feed your baby often - every 2-3 hours minimum.

• Latching: Soften your breasts prior to feeding your baby by either hand expression or pumping so that your baby has an easier time latching on. You can also use one hand to guide the baby to your breast while using the other to pull her jaw down to make her mouth bigger. Once latched, ensure her lips are pursed in a fishy way. 

• Alternating: Switch breasts every 10 minutes. Most babies will get everything from a breast that they're going to get in 10 minutes. Anything beyond this is using you as a pacifier. If after eating on the second side for 10 minutes, your baby is still hungry, offer the first again.

• The most important thing is that your baby is happy and healthy. As long as you achieve that, it doesn't matter how you do it.  Breastfeeding, pumping, supplementing formula or offering formula exclusively. They're different methods of feeding your baby but doing one of them over another doesn't make you a better parent. 

• When nursing, sit up in bed and bring the baby to your breast, not the breast to the baby. This will help keep the baby more awake during the feeding and keep your back from hurting as much. 

• If you have a hard time getting baby to latch, try stimulating your nipple before trying to latch either through hand expression or using a nipple shield, which you can remove once you're hard. 

• If your baby falls asleep routinely during nursing, you can rub her feet and remove layers of clothes to wake her back up. 

• Each feeding session should begin on the opposite breast to keep things even

• Supplemental Feeding: 1 TBS of colostrum has enough nutrients for 24 hours but the baby's tummy may not be fully satisfied. If she's not satisfied after a good feeding (in the first days before your milk comes in), you can supplement a little formula to help her feel full.

• Nipple Pain: The latch WILL be painful those first weeks while she's learning to eat, but it should ease as she continues to suck. Use Lanolin cream religiously after every feeding to strengthen and soothe your nipple and help the pain to pass quicker. 

• Clogged Ducts? This was the worst! If you have a clogged duct, be aggressive and you can clear it up in a few days. Put heat (I used a hot water bottle) on the duct 10-15 minutes before each feeding. Have your baby nurse on the breast with the clogged duct first at each feeding. You can also massage the duct as your baby nurses. Take a hot shower at least once a day and massage the duct to help clear it up.

Advice that might help you

• Change your baby's diaper before feeding her to wake her up even if she's not wet. You'll likely change multiple diapers during each feeding. This didn't work for me because Evie pooped a couple of times during each feeding AND during the diaper change so we just waited til the end. 

• If your baby is consistently having a hard time waking up to eat, give her 12 cc of formula with an eye dropper to get something in her tummy. Let it sit for about an hour to give her energy and then try again. 

• To get your baby on a schedule, when your milk comes in, forc her to wait. First feed her at an hour/when she's hungry, then add 15 minutes. Make her wait an hour and 15 minutes until the next feeding. Once she's got that down, add another 15 minutes and have her wait an hour and 30 minutes. Burp her, change her, rock her, even let her cry if you need to. 

In the end, it's all about survival. Ask yourself, what will help you and your new baby survive? And then do that. There is no wrong way to feed a baby or to be a parent. However you parent is the absolute best way when it comes to your kids. 

Do you have any advice that helped you survive those first few weeks or months?