Bumpie Tip of the Week: Advice for Breastfeeding Success
Photo: Thinkstock / The Bump
Having trouble feeding baby? You’re not alone! The moms on our Breastfeeding message board shared the #1 piece of advice they wish they’d known when they first started breastfeeding.
“I am sure people have told you, but you will be sore at first. Make sure to get some good lotion, like Lansinoh cream. That was a lifesaver for me!” –dureem
“Good advice I’ve gotten from moms is that if it hurts to breastfeed (as in not just tender nipples, but actual pain) get help from a lactation consultant right away—don’t suffer through it because you assume things will heal. The lactation consultant at my hospital said that most pain is caused by an incorrect latch and that if you don’t correct it, it’s just going to get worse.” –Jinnifah
“Get the numbers for local support groups and lactation consultants if you have a difficult time at first. Be committed, but make sure you have a good latch and don’t continue if it is super-painful without making some changes (breastfeeding should not be very painful if done properly, but a bad latch can cause a lot of pain).” –theresat858
“Make sure you have Lanolin for the first 6 weeks or so and apply it after every feeding and after you shower. Also, give your breasts plenty of air time. That will help with the pain.” –sarahandeddiejune212008
“Ask your hospital if they have a lactation consultant that can come in and help you. There is nothing like on-the-job training and guidance! You can read about it all you want, and take all the classes you want, but the best help will come from someone seeing and helping you.” –gracie__r
“I start pumping as soon as I get home and start storing milk. I found the best thing to do was pump about 2 ounces after each feeding from each breast.” –theabbey5
“My advice is to learn about your anatomy. It was news to me that I had ‘flat’ nipples, which affected my son’s latch.” –courtfsu
“Your milk is most abundant first thing in the morning; if baby only eats off one side, you can pump the other to start your stash. Don’t be surprised if you get very little when you first start pumping (just because you only pump 1 ounce doesn’t mean that’s all baby gets nursing).” –EMO-mamma
“Check your insurance policy! I was pleasantly surprised to find that mine completely covers a lactation consultant to come to my house the week I am home from the hospital, and mostly covers a second visit within two weeks after the first.” -MissMusic
“You have to remember that both you and your little one are learning. The key is to not stress out, or your baby will pick up on that.” –Wifey4Lifey
Still having trouble? Get advice and support from the moms on our Breastfeeding message board and check out our expert’s advice for how to solve the top 10 breastfeeding problems.
What advice would you give a mom who is having trouble breastfeeding? What tips or tricks were helpful to you?
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
Patience and perseverance. My son could not latch onto properly so he didn’t breastfeed for several months. One day, probably 3 months in (pumping every day, several times a day), I told a friend I was going to throw in the towel. She said don’t do it. Keep trying. I listened to her advice. She was a nurse who breastfeed her two kids (teenagers at that time). Thank goodness I didn’t give up. The next time I tried to get my son to latch, he got it. Success!! I continued breastfeeding until my son said ‘no mas’ at a little over 12 months.
Definitely see a lactation consultant or visit a breastfeeding support group at your hospital (often free) if you’re having any problems. It is 100% worth it.
My favorite other tips:
1) Remember: IT WILL GET BETTER, I PROMISE. IT WON’T BE HARD FOREVER AND THIS PHASE IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE OVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. YOU ARE DOING A VERY GOOD THING FOR YOUR CHILD AND IT IS WORTH IT!
2) Cut yourself some slack and do whatever it takes to cope. This is really tough and it takes several weeks for it all to come together. Eat your favorite foods, watch sex and the city marathons while nursing, get lots of neck and shoulder massages and do whatever else it takes to get through it.
3) Make others help you. It often takes four hands (note that you only have two) to get it right for the first few weeks. My husband would help hold the baby while I squished the boob into the “sandwich” (see lactation consultant if you don’t know about the sandwich), then he would make sure the lower lip was down far enough.
4) Use tools like nipple shields to get you through the worst of it. Seriously, don’t be a hero. This was the difference between me quitting and continuing.
5) Try to get out of the house and maybe even away from baby for 30-minutes, even just to walk the dog. Your days might spiral out of control at first. Your arms get tired!
6) Don’t beat yourself up if you expected to love breastfeeding and you kinda hate it sometimes. It’s a big adjustment. At some point, it will be natural and you’ll love it. It took me 6 weeks until the problems were gone.
7) Stay hydrated. You will get very cranky and desperate if you get dehydrated – and it can impact your milk supply too.
8) Make sure you get comfortable before you start nursing. Nothing worse than getting baby latched on properly after several attempts and then realizing that it is impossible to continue sitting in the position you are in for another 5 minutes without having a muscle spasm.
Every book out there says that Breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt; if it does, you’re doing something wrong. Well, my advice to any soon-to-be mom is that it *can* hurt, especially in the first two weeks, even if you’re doing every thing right, so don’t assume you’re a failure and you’ll never figure it out just because it hurts at first. Get all the help you can with your baby’s latch, let your nipples get air time, use lanolin, and get some sleep (yes, sleep did reduce my overall pain!), but don’t get discouraged if it’s still very uncomfortable for the first few weeks. It took me about a month to feel like breastfeeding was a reasonable exercise and by the end of the 2nd month, it started to be the easiest part of motherhood. Now that I’m back at work, I love breastfeeding my little girl when I get home. That’s a pretty big change from wanting to hide under the covers everytime she cried in that first week.