Remember the old saying "what's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander?" Such is the case with breastfeeding. There is no wrong or right way to do it - just do it in the way that works for you & your baby. That being said, when I first started, I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I googled around for bf advice; SO I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me successfully make it this far... (Not that I am one to talk, since I'm still a new mom myself, but following up from sharing our breastfeeding story I promised I would share!)
1) Drink LOTS & LOTS of water. & then when you're done with that, drink some more. I make sure that I drink over 100 ounces a day. I don't want to give my body any "I'm too dehydrated to make milk" excuse. Coming from a non-water drinker pre-pregnancy (I literally went back & forth from coffee to diet cokes all day) this is a total 180 - but soooooo much better for me. Remember when I said to get yourself a good water bottle while you're pregnant? I'm still using mine daily.
2) Don't drastically change your eating habits in the first 3 months. Oh yes, the temptation is there to go on a diet. You're already dropping weight quickly from breastfeeding, but wouldn't a diet help even more? Don't mess with it. It's not worth losing your supply over losing 5 pounds. I'm not saying to keep indulging in your daily ice cream habit you picked up in the last month of pregnancy, but just don't go all Atkins on me here.
3) It's NEVER too early to start a freezer stash for when you go back to work. I started freezing milk at 4 weeks. I still freeze milk on a weekly basis, rotating out older milk. To build up supply (very important if you are planning to go back to work) when you start pumping (I'd wait a few weeks unless you are planning to exclusively pump) do so by following up after a feeding. For example, if baby feeds for 10 - 15 minutes on each side then naps, immediately pump after that for 10-20 minutes.
4) Rub lansinoh / lanolin on your nipples RELIGIOUSLY. Even before they hurt. I went through 2 tubes in the first 2 months of breastfeeding. (& haven't needed to use it since)
5) When your baby starts sleeping through the night - or even sleeping through a night feeding - get up to pump anyway. Oh the unfairness of it all, I know. It is hard to drag yourself out of bed when you can *finally* enjoy a straight 5 hours of sleep, but it's so worth it. I brought my pump & an ice pack upstairs so that I wouldn't have to go downstairs to the kitchen at 3am, it helped. A little.
6) Invest in GOOD nursing bra's (& tops) But, be sure to do this *after* your milk comes in. I love my bravado's. They are worth every penny & then some. Oh & be sure to sleep in them too. They're not the "push me up" cute supportive kind you may be used to, but you'll NEED the support.
7) Learn how to plan your day around feedings... & once you're pumping don't ever leave the house without pumped milk or your breastfeeding cover/blanket. You never know when hungry strikes, & this baby won't eat a snickers. (sorry, bad joke re: the snickers commercials on as of late). Being out with a starving baby & no way to feed him/her only breeds opportunity to run & grab one of those pre-mixed formulas.
8) If you are encountering ANY issues of ANY kind, reach out for help. It gets confusing who you should turn to for this - your OB? your primary care doctor? your pediatrician? The answer is a mix of all of them... and none of them. Kellymom.com is a great virtual site & for in person support La Leche League most likely has a meeting near you. If you're in any major pain like a burning/lump call your OB - asap!
9) Pump for as long as it takes to fully empty your boobs. There is no set time for this, but after a few times, you'll know how long it takes. I'd recommend no less than 10 minutes, but no longer than 35. I always aim for 20 minutes, but now that my pumping schedule has changed, I often pump for 30 minutes 2x a day.
10) Look for breast milk storage bags everywhere. I have the Medela Freestyle pump. When I first started pumping I bought Medela EVERYTHING. Guess what... Medela brand is expensive.... & they are small. They hold about 5 measured ounces (6 at most). This is a good size at first, but eventually you'll start freezing in larger quantities. Lansinoh milk storage bags (hold 6-8 ounces) are much more reasonable (& available at grocery stores) & my recent favorite, Tommy Tippee's which hold 12 ounces at a time I found at TJ Maxx for $4!!! (yes, I bought every pack they had. If you can't find them there I think they are normally available at Target for a decent price too). **I should clarify, these are milk storage bags to pour milk into for freezing AFTER you pump into the Medela bottles (a set of 5 ounce bottles, which are reusable, come with the pump, or you can buy the bigger ones here - Which I suggest! I never tried pumping into bags directly.)
Finally, & I'm not even going to number this one because it is so important... so important that it would probably supersede the rest of the items on the list... DO NOT PANIC. Of course you're going to panic sometimes, I still do, so expecting that you'll never have a wave of panic or too is unrealistic advice. But I'm telling you, panicking has a negative effect on your supply. On days that I'm especially stressed I make less milk. No doubt about it. Maybe it's just me, but I'd guess not. I can sit down to pump at work & feel that I have tons of milk, but if I'm tense or stressed or panicked (about anything) it will barely come out. Staying as calm as possible at all times is so important to your milk production!! & under no circumstance should you ever, Ever, EVER feel badly about yourself / your milk supply. You are trying the best you can & we are all different. Do.Not. compare yourself to others. (however, again, I do urge you to find some support through a lactation consultant or your local la leche league if you are truly experiencing bf problems - which millions of women do!)
Oh & one other note... don't be embarrassed about breastfeeding! Your baby needs to eat & you are providing them nourishment in the most natural way - there is nothing embarrassing about that!
Any other bf'ing mamas have any tips? Please chime in!!!
xo
2) Don't drastically change your eating habits in the first 3 months. Oh yes, the temptation is there to go on a diet. You're already dropping weight quickly from breastfeeding, but wouldn't a diet help even more? Don't mess with it. It's not worth losing your supply over losing 5 pounds. I'm not saying to keep indulging in your daily ice cream habit you picked up in the last month of pregnancy, but just don't go all Atkins on me here.
3) It's NEVER too early to start a freezer stash for when you go back to work. I started freezing milk at 4 weeks. I still freeze milk on a weekly basis, rotating out older milk. To build up supply (very important if you are planning to go back to work) when you start pumping (I'd wait a few weeks unless you are planning to exclusively pump) do so by following up after a feeding. For example, if baby feeds for 10 - 15 minutes on each side then naps, immediately pump after that for 10-20 minutes.
4) Rub lansinoh / lanolin on your nipples RELIGIOUSLY. Even before they hurt. I went through 2 tubes in the first 2 months of breastfeeding. (& haven't needed to use it since)
5) When your baby starts sleeping through the night - or even sleeping through a night feeding - get up to pump anyway. Oh the unfairness of it all, I know. It is hard to drag yourself out of bed when you can *finally* enjoy a straight 5 hours of sleep, but it's so worth it. I brought my pump & an ice pack upstairs so that I wouldn't have to go downstairs to the kitchen at 3am, it helped. A little.
6) Invest in GOOD nursing bra's (& tops) But, be sure to do this *after* your milk comes in. I love my bravado's. They are worth every penny & then some. Oh & be sure to sleep in them too. They're not the "push me up" cute supportive kind you may be used to, but you'll NEED the support.
7) Learn how to plan your day around feedings... & once you're pumping don't ever leave the house without pumped milk or your breastfeeding cover/blanket. You never know when hungry strikes, & this baby won't eat a snickers. (sorry, bad joke re: the snickers commercials on as of late). Being out with a starving baby & no way to feed him/her only breeds opportunity to run & grab one of those pre-mixed formulas.
8) If you are encountering ANY issues of ANY kind, reach out for help. It gets confusing who you should turn to for this - your OB? your primary care doctor? your pediatrician? The answer is a mix of all of them... and none of them. Kellymom.com is a great virtual site & for in person support La Leche League most likely has a meeting near you. If you're in any major pain like a burning/lump call your OB - asap!
9) Pump for as long as it takes to fully empty your boobs. There is no set time for this, but after a few times, you'll know how long it takes. I'd recommend no less than 10 minutes, but no longer than 35. I always aim for 20 minutes, but now that my pumping schedule has changed, I often pump for 30 minutes 2x a day.
10) Look for breast milk storage bags everywhere. I have the Medela Freestyle pump. When I first started pumping I bought Medela EVERYTHING. Guess what... Medela brand is expensive.... & they are small. They hold about 5 measured ounces (6 at most). This is a good size at first, but eventually you'll start freezing in larger quantities. Lansinoh milk storage bags (hold 6-8 ounces) are much more reasonable (& available at grocery stores) & my recent favorite, Tommy Tippee's which hold 12 ounces at a time I found at TJ Maxx for $4!!! (yes, I bought every pack they had. If you can't find them there I think they are normally available at Target for a decent price too). **I should clarify, these are milk storage bags to pour milk into for freezing AFTER you pump into the Medela bottles (a set of 5 ounce bottles, which are reusable, come with the pump, or you can buy the bigger ones here - Which I suggest! I never tried pumping into bags directly.)
Finally, & I'm not even going to number this one because it is so important... so important that it would probably supersede the rest of the items on the list... DO NOT PANIC. Of course you're going to panic sometimes, I still do, so expecting that you'll never have a wave of panic or too is unrealistic advice. But I'm telling you, panicking has a negative effect on your supply. On days that I'm especially stressed I make less milk. No doubt about it. Maybe it's just me, but I'd guess not. I can sit down to pump at work & feel that I have tons of milk, but if I'm tense or stressed or panicked (about anything) it will barely come out. Staying as calm as possible at all times is so important to your milk production!! & under no circumstance should you ever, Ever, EVER feel badly about yourself / your milk supply. You are trying the best you can & we are all different. Do.Not. compare yourself to others. (however, again, I do urge you to find some support through a lactation consultant or your local la leche league if you are truly experiencing bf problems - which millions of women do!)
Oh & one other note... don't be embarrassed about breastfeeding! Your baby needs to eat & you are providing them nourishment in the most natural way - there is nothing embarrassing about that!
xo
I wish I had started pumping earlier - with the freezer stash in mind, like you had! I think I waited until the 6-8 week mark, and then never got into a routine until maybe 12 weeks? (I had no impending return to work date so that didn't help). And when I did, I tried to squeeze it in *between* feedings, not extending a feeding as you talk about. I wish I had done that strategy instead, less stress (I worried that he'd wake and be hungry) and more manageable to plan for.
ReplyDeleteSo true about planning to be out of the house - get comfortable with nursing in public! Once I did, I LOVED the freedom it gave us. I knew I needed to leave the house with me, and baby. Anything else was bonus (diapers, etc). I could provide what baby needed, no extras required. It is a nice feeling, knowing you could be out longer than anticipated and still be fine.
SO THANKFUL you mentioned the breast milk bags! I've been meaning to ask you! I can never tell what brand from the box would work with the medela pumps - so good to know Lansinoh and Tommy Tippee work too (I assume you mean that they have holes to hang from the hooks?). I hate only pumping in 5 oz bags!
Sorry for the novel comment! Congrats on 6 months and holy hell your freezer stash is so impressive! :):)
oh! and wanted to add my own tip - or add to #8 I guess. Get "help" even before any issues start! I credit a ton of our success to a class we took while pregnant and our saint of a lactation consultant in the hospital. *That* is my biggest piece of advice to pregnant friends - see the lactation consultant in the hospital. Whether or not things are going well, whether or not you have any questions, just meet with them and hang out. Some of the most valuable tips we heard were when she was in our room and baby was asleep in our arms, she was not even witnessing a feed. And the class was perfect for setting up our expectations beforehand, so that we didn't go into it assuming it would be easy or stress-free. Those two things were huge for us!
ReplyDeleteFollow @nancyholtzman on Twitter. If you don't "do" Twitter, just sign up simply to follow her. She is a nurse/LC with TONS of practical advice, for not only BFing but all things baby too. She has been so helpful to me when I have a random question at any time of day.
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