5 Things I wish I Knew Before I Started Breastfeeding

Hey there! 

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When we had our first daughter, I struggled hard for 6 months to make breastfeeding work- and failed. That's a story for another day though. When we had our second daughter, I was dead set on making it work. 

Before baby arrived, I did a lot of research. Read books, read articles and even asked questions during my ob appointments. And while I made it work (18 months strong), there where still some things I wish I had known prior to starting the journey that I'll share today.

1. Before the baby is even born, download a breastfeeding app on your phone. They help you track which side you last fed on, duration, when you pumped and how much you pumped. Some apps even have communities where you can connect with other moms. It's totally worth it!  My suggestion is Glow Baby. It's easy to use and free! Another app I highly recommend is The Wonder Weeks. This app offers insight on growth spurts and what comes with them. I recommend this app to help ease your mind. During growth spurts babies eat more, and for some moms (like me) you'll worry you're losing your supply or worse. This app just gives a little heads up that's it's more than likely a growth spurt. The app is not free but it's worth it.

2. Set up a breastfeeding area somewhere you'll be comfortable while feeding the baby. Include a box of essentials within reach. Include items like nipple shields and cream, burp cloth, a book for you, tablet and charger, maybe some snacks and water. You'll thank me later!

3. In the beginning it hurts, a lot. You're going to be sore and chapped for the first month or so. It makes sense, it's a sensitive area, but I wish one of the nurses or the lactation consultant would've given me a heads up. 

Here's a few things that helped me through it: 

Nipple shields! On the days when it's tearfully painful, use the shields. They reduce the direct contact between the babies mouth and your nipple giving it a chance to recover. I highly recommend these, but also suggest you use them in moderation to avoid possible nipple confusion or dependency. There are many brands and sizes available but Lansinoh worked best for me.

                                             

Nipple cream and lots of it! You can apply it before and after each feed, and it helps to heal and soothe. This is what I stocked up on:

                                           

Cold packs or ice packs. These help with the pain. I would keep some in the freezer and fridge.

Finally, believe it or not, air. Just letting them breathe does wonders! If you can, go topless for a bit.

4. It is exhausting. Feeding your baby every couple of hours on top of your body healing on top of other responsibilities results in pure exhaustion. So please, take care of yourself and sleep when baby sleeps. Now I'm not saying to sleep every time the baby sleeps, but when you need sleep- sleep. The chores and adulting can wait until the next nap. 

5. Finally, it is 100% okay to not know all there is to know about breastfeeding and it's 100% okay to ask for help. It's natural but its not easy. Reach out to your local hospitals lactation consultant, join breastfeeding groups on Facebook, or you can even ask me! If I don't know the answer I will do my very best to help you find it. 

If you're expecting or a new mom, you've got this! And even if it doesn't work out, please don't be hard on yourself, a fed baby is perfect in my book. 

If you have any tips to share or questions feel free to comment or send me a message! 

Thank you so much for reading and remember, always enjoy the little things!