Getting Ready to Breastfeed: Tips from a (non)Expert

Congratulations on your new baby! Today is the beginning of your days as a mom!

Part of being a mom is learning the art of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is among the best ways mom express their love for her baby. Breast milk is the best nourishment a woman can give to ensure baby's health and later on in his life.

I’m not an ob or a pediatrician, not even a lactation consultant. I'm a newbie mom, just sharing how I started breastfeeding based on actual experiences and months of research.

My baby is exclusively breastfed for almost seven months now, not a single drop of formula so far!

[caption id="attachment_155" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Source of Photo:DOH[/caption]

Here are my tips based on my own experience:

Breastfeed right away!

Ask your ob if you can breastfeed right after baby is delivered, right in the delivery room. You need to breastfeed as early as possible. The rationale is that baby’s suckling on your nipples will signal your brain to start milk production. But in my case, since i had emergency c-section, i wasn't able to latch right at the operating table. We've previously discussed this with our ob, she said it was possible to latch right away after delivery normal and uncomplicated delivery.

If you were not able to breastfeed right after baby was born, don't despair! Just make up for lost time by letting baby suck more frequently or if not possible,  pump frequently.  After this time, the law of supply and demand will apply, meaning the more your breast is emptied, the more milk shall be produced.

Make clear instructions to your pedia and the nursery staff about feeding baby.

Make it clear that you don’t intend to give formula. Ask them about  baby's feeding schedule you can be there to nurse her. If for some reason, you can’t feed baby directly, express breast milk  and bring this to the nursery. Nurseries usually have refrigerators or freezers where expressed milk can be stored. Husband and I would go everyday to the nursery during the entire period baby was in the NICU. We brought the expressed breast milk i pumped the night before. Make sure to write the necessary information on the breast milk container.

It’s a good idea to bring these items to the hospital:

• Breast pump (even just a manual type will do). This  can be used if, for some reason, baby can be directly breastfed right away.  Since my baby was stuck in the NICU for 7 days, my husband  bought a First Years manual pump so that i could start pumping milk.


• Breast milk containers – hard plastic bottles or stoarage bags  will do. These will be used to store the milk you expressed. Remember to use sterilized BPA-free containers.


• Masking tape and pen  to label and date your milk. On the container write important details like baby’s name, date and time pumped and volume of expressed breast milk.


• Warm water & cotton – I used this to clean my nipples. Lightly scrub the nipples with wet cotton to clean them.


• Hot compress – Heat encourages milk production. I used a hot pack with warm water and it put this on  my breasts for a few minutes before i  started pumping.


• Nursing cover – just in case if you have visitors and you need to pump in your room


• Cooler with ice packs – Good to store expressed breast milk here in case your still too weak to bring milk every pumping session. If ever baby’s left behind in the nursery once you're discharged, cooler can be used to transport your expressed milk.

In case you feel that your milk isn't enough

• Yes, you’re free to give formula just so baby can be fed upon pedia’s orders. But don’t be too  dependent of formula if you intend to breastfeed. Let baby suck on your nipples so that your will be stimulated. Giving formula should be your last resort if you intend to breastfeed long term.

• Ask for your nursing mom friends to give you some expressed breast milk. I gave expressed milk to my sister's newborn so we can avoid giving formula.

Don’t fret if you get too little milk.

• Baby’s stomach is still as small as  a marble, so he required small amount of milk per feeding.


• Milk initially "comes in" as colostrum, which is thick, sticky and yellow.  These are just a few ounces,the perfect food to you newborn. Then "true" milk (colored white and less thick consistency) comes in later days.


• Don’t stress out. Stress impedes milk production,so stay motivated.

Here's what you can do encourage milk production:

• Directly breastfeed. No other breast pump can imitate your baby's sucking powers. Always put you baby on your breast so milk production  is induced. Newborns usually feed every 2-3 hours.


• Pump for a few more minutes after direct breastfeeding. This will signal your brain to produce more milk.

If baby seems unsatisfied even right after breastfeeding, don’t fret.It may not be because of your milk. These could be the reasons why baby seems hungry often:

• A newborn's stomach is still small (just the size of a marble) so he requires small but frequent feeding.


• Unlike formula, breast milk is much more easily digested so baby needs to be fed more often (8-12 times per day). This is the reason why formula-fed babies  seem more satisfied longer than breastfed babies.

Learning to latch is hard! Some say breastfeeding is a natural process, but i had difficulties as well. It’so overwhelming to carry your baby for the first time and then feed him on your breasts.

• I found this visual guide useful when baby and i were learning how to latch. Research on  different breastfeeding positions and try which one works best for you and baby. Baby might cry if you try to let him suck, but don’t get stressed. Just try again.


• Some moms swear that trying to latch is painful at the breast,this may be because of your poor posture or bad breastfeeding position.


• Don’t be discouraged if you feel like an idiot learning to latch at the nursery. Once you are at the comfort of your own home, you'll be free to try other breastfeeding positions.

Newborns are naturally sleepy almost all the time. My then newborn sucked for 2-3 minutes and dozed off.

• You should wake baby up  to encourage him to suck some more.To wake baby, remove some of his clothing or tickle his feet! I did not this then, so i just held my sleeping newborn for one hour, hoping he would wake up so he could suck.


• Holding baby can strain your back and arms so use pillows for support.


• Some moms hire lactation consultants to learn breastfeeding techniques, but some, like me, learn as I go. Ask the nursery staff for some breastfeeding pointers.


• You can also contact breastfeeding advocate groups like Latch. They do respond! I personally emailed them once and they replied.


• This, this and this websites were my main source of information when i was doing research on breastfeeding.

Feed on demand.

• There’s no hard and fast rule on how long and how often baby should feed, so don’t be too strict in the timing. The every-three hour rule is arbitrary.


• Instead of watching the clock, watch out for baby's hunger cues like, sucking or putting her hands on her mouth.

 Baby’s suckling vs pump

• Babies are  better at emptying your breast than a pump. A pediatrician said pumps could only collect fore milk while with baby suckling,  he can access hind milk, which contains more fat.


• Treat the pump as a back-up to direct breastfeeding. Pumps come handy if you can’t directly breastfeed right away. These are some situations when direct feeding may not be possible:
  
  
  
  • If you had c-section
  
  
  • If you are too weak to go to nursery
  
  
  • If baby’s in the NICU and still under observation

If possible, avoid offering articial nipples or pacifiers. Initially, all of baby's suckling should be on your breasts.

• Milk can be fed thru cup feeding, but some doctors suggest a nipple to check on baby’s ability to suck.


• If it’s a must to train baby to take the bottle,  like when mom needs to work, introduce bottles later. Bottles can be introduced 4 to 6 weeks later or when direct breastfeeding is established.


• Bottle refusal is common, according to my pediatrician. She said, it’s natural since no man-made nipple (silicone or latex) can be as soft as woman’s nipple. Don't be too concerned about bottle refusal, my baby eventually learned to feed from a bottle after i went back to work.

Anxious moms ask, when does milk come in?

• This is a valid mommy concern. For me, breast milk came in 2 days after baby delivery. Some say milk comes in much later. Initially, when baby sucks on, you can't really tell if he get any milk at all. Don't be discouraged by this. Remember that every sucking motion will only be added stimulation to encourage lactation.


• What’s important is breasts are stimulated right away through baby’s suckling or pumping as soon as possible.

The first few weeks post partum are crucial to establish milk production.  One of my friends says she was frustrated with breastfeeding because her milk came in  only after two weeks! She said she quit breastfeeding because she got discouraged when baby cried and can't get any milk from her. She had a pump much later.  She then decided to give formula to baby.

How do you know if you're on the right track? You can't really tell how many ounces you produce or is that enough. Breastfeeding is on the right track if these conditions are observed:

• he's gaining enough weight


• he wets at least 6 diapers daily


• he seems satisfied after a feeding

Ask your pediatrician for advice if you feel you're not producing enough milk. I you feel intimidated about the volume you produce, you're also free to mix feed. By all means, add formula to his diet. It's better to supplement with formula than no breast milk at all.

Don't give up on breastfeeding right away. Exhaust all efforts to make breastfeeding a success. Virtually all moms can breastfeed but some moms lack the proper information and technical know-how.

Take time to try and give the best nourishment for your baby. You may read my list of breastfeeding benefits for your inspiration!

Good luck!!!

Also worth reading:

• Learnings from an emergency cesarean delivery

***