I remember when I was pregnant with my first son, I was certain that I wanted to breastfeed. I had a mindest of success even though many of my friends weren’t sure why I wanted to breastfeed. I had one looming question that I had to answer:
How can I prepare?
I started by looking for breastfeeding tips for new moms in chat forums and on blog pages. Because I was determined not to fail, I started by doing some research (because that’s what I do), and then I ordered a couple of books.
I read the books cover to cover, and I searched YouTube for videos. Then, to really cover my bases, I took a breastfeeding class at the hospital in which I would be delivering my son. I hadn’t really been around many nursing moms, so I wanted to have as much information as possible to feel like I had a clue as to what I was doing.
Why do women fail to breastfeed?
There are many factors leading women not to breastfeed. Lack of knowledge, work schedule, health problems, and embarrassment are just a few reasons women say no to breastfeeding. It’s not easy; it is a lot of work. Like tons. of work.
Some women want (or unfortunately have) to be able to run out and leave their baby with a sitter soon after birth. Breastfeeding requires mom to be present or be pumping, and not everyone is willing (or able) to make that commitment.
The Best Way to Encourage More Women To Breastfeed
Educating (one of my favorite things ever) is one important way to help moms feel confident in their choice to breastfeed. Knowledge really is power, and equipping moms with the right tools and resources helps them to choose to breastfeed their babies.
Nine years and four babies later, I have put a few miles on the old milk makers. While I’m not a professional, I do have almost a decade’s worth of in-the-trenches experience. I’ve compiled my best tips to prep yourself for breastfeeding your new baby in hopes of helping new moms to be successful in reaching their breastfeeding goals.
Here are my top five breastfeeding tips for new moms:
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1. Take a class.
I can’t emphasize this enough! Taking a breastfeeding class at your hospital or birthing center is an amazing way to get acquainted with the ins and outs of nursing your newborn. After all, you can’t know how to do something well without a little bit of learning along the way.
Classes are typically organized and taught by specially trained nurses called lactation consultants. LCs are an amazing asset to nursing moms! They know all kinds of tips, tricks, and techniques to help even the most difficult types of breastfeeding situations.
By taking a class, you and your partner will become familiar with terms, techniques, and troubleshooting. Setting the groundwork with a class is also an excellent way to get excited about the beautiful relationship you will soon begin with your little one.
2. Utilize your hospital’s lactation consultant.
Once your baby is born, you’ll be able to, in most cases, enjoy skin-to-skin contact with your newborn and then begin nursing right away. Your labor and delivery nurses will be able to assist you as you latch your baby for the first time.
Once you make your way out of delivery and into your postpartum room, you should ask to see the lactation consultant as soon as possible. This will ensure you get started successfully by giving you the help and confidence you need.
Even the most seasoned moms can be rattled by the challenges of nursing a newborn! A little instruction and reassurance go a long way. Seek out your lactation consultant for both of these things. You will be grateful you did.
3. Be prepared: make your space conducive to nursing.
Before your baby makes his or her big debut, prep your home to be nursing friendly. You’ll be sleepy and sore, so having what you need handy will alleviate unneeded stress later.
Every mom is different, but a few basics to keep on hand at your nursing stations include a nursing pillow ( I prefer My Brest Friend brand), breast pads, lanolin, burp rags, and simple snacks. You’ll also want to find a handy spot for your breast pump and all its accessories. I linked to some of my absolute favorites! I also keep a lip balm and bottled water handy wherever I sit to nurse. Water is your friend when you’re a breastfeeding mom.
4. Nurse early and often.
The best advice I ever got was to put the baby to breast very frequently in the newborn days. Newborns are very sleepy, and they will not always wake to feed as frequently as they should.
It was recommended to me to offer baby the breast every two hours until nursing is well-established and baby is gaining weight. This advice proved to be golden for me. I simply set an alarm and roused baby every couple of hours for the first couple of weeks.
I know what you’re thinking: I will never sleep. Initially, it’s true. You won’t sleep much, but it’s a short-term sacrifice for long-term success! This helped me to establish a robust milk supply and helped my babies to gain weight without any supplementation.
Babies have tiny tummies, and breastmilk is easily digested. This means that they need to be fed early and often!
5. Lower your expectations.
This is something that takes a little bit of patience which is great practice for any new parent. Just having a mindset that your primary job will be nursing and caring for your newborn will help you tremendously.
Being realistic about how much you can expect to get accomplished in a day is a huge step towards your success. Explain to your partner that your primary job, at least for a few weeks, will be nursing and caring for your baby. Things like dishes, laundry, and meal preparations will fall to your partner or a helpful friend or relative while you are busy caring for your baby.
This is perfectly fine and reasonable! Relying on your partner or another helper to work on household chores will allow you to get the rest your body needs to care for your newborn. And let’s not forget that you just gave birth. You must allow your body time to heal from the marathon that is pregnancy and childbirth. Many women do not slow down and rest as they should for various reasons, but if you can lower your expectations of yourself for just a few weeks, you and your baby will both be grateful!
The Last Thing You Need to Know About Breastfeeding
I hope that you are able to use these tips as a jumping-off point as you begin the amazing journey of breastfeeding your baby. I must say, breastfeeding is a lot of work and sacrifice, but just like other aspects of parenting, it is so worth it. No matter what happens or how you feed your baby, the most important thing you can do is love your little ones with all your heart.
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