Our little stinky minks is turning 1 in just a few short days which means the end of our breastfeeding journey is quickly approaching. It wasn’t an easy journey but I’m proud of it. I never made it this long with my older 2 kids. The first one I made it maybe 3 weeks and the second one I made it 4 months. I had to supplement with formula for all 3 children as I struggle with a low milk supply. There were some things that I used and learned this time around to help me get to a year of breastfeeding and also increase my milk supply. I still had to supplement with formula, but I was able to increase my supply some. I tried EVERYTHING to increase my supply. And I mean everything! Everyone is different so I encourage you to try what you are comfortable with trying and see what works for you. There are a lot of “tips” out there. Some are legitimate but I believe most of them are useless. I gathered my information by doing my own research online, trying 57,000 lactation products (only a slight exaggeration) as well as joining a breastfeeding support group on Facebook. It would also be best to speak to a lactation consultant about any issues you are having. Your OBGYN will not have the best answers for you. Breast feeding is not their specialty. They will tell you what they think they know about it, but your best bet is a lactation consultant. With that being said, here is what I learned…
The first few weeks of breast feeding are BRUTAL! So many moms give up during that time because they think they aren’t making enough to satisfy their baby. I, myself, started supplementing with formula basically the day after my baby was born because he was nursing constantly…nonstop. I was sure he was starving. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would’ve stuck it out and not jumped right into supplementing with formula because as it turns out, it is completely normal for them to nurse constantly in the beginning. It’s what helps establish your milk supply. Latching your baby sends signals to your body to make milk. The more they nurse, the more milk your body will make. This process is not immediate though. It takes work and consistency. Basically, if your baby is crying and rooting around, feed them. Latch them. It is exhausting, painful, and you’re going to constantly worry that your baby isn’t getting enough to eat. But from what I have learned, if you trust the process…it works. Your baby’s pediatrician will weigh them frequently to make sure they are gaining weight properly. As long as your baby is having plenty of wet and dirty diapers, they are getting enough to eat.
One item that is an absolute must have is Earth Mamas Nipple Butter. Put that shit on your nipples after every single feeding even if you just put it on after the last feeding which was only 5 minutes ago. Do not wait until your nipples are already sore/cracked/bleeding/blistered. It is safe for the baby as well so no need to clean it off before feeding.
If you do end up with cracked/bleeding/blistered nipples and it is too painful to latch your baby, get you a nipple shield. It goes right over your nipple and baby can latch to the “fake nipple” and still get your milk without it being excruciating for you. I advise you to only use these long enough to let your nipple heal then go back to latching your baby without the shield. It’s probably best to get one of these ahead of time that way you have it when you need it. I actually just brought mine home that I was using while I was in the hospital. They do have them there so if you need it while you’re still admitted, ask for one.
As far as pumping goes, everyone is different. I learned from being in the breast feeding support group on Facebook that some women are over producers and its advised not to start pumping too soon because this can cause you to have an oversupply. An over supply sounds like a good thing (to me, an under supplier, it sounds wonderful) but apparently there are downsides to that as well. I can’t speak to personal experience on that but if you do a quick Google search, I’m sure you can get the downfalls of being an over supplier. Anyway, back to pumping… A lot of moms want to have some of their milk frozen in their freezers for emergencies or because they have to return to work and need to be able to send bottles of breast milk to daycare with their babies. In order to get this freezer stash, it is best to pump after each feeding. Let baby get full, then pump until your breasts feel empty and bag, date, and freeze that milk. If you’re like me, you may only get drops of milk after 30 minutes of pumping in the beginning. I kept at it though and it kept increasing over time. I stressed over how much my baby was getting from me, so I started exclusively pumping and feeding pumped milk to him in bottles that way I knew how much he was getting. To keep your supply up, you’ll need to pump every 2-3 hours if you are exclusively pumping. If you give your baby a bottle (whether its formula or pumped milk) you need to pump to replace that feeding. If you start pumping and/or latching less, your body will think that your baby isn’t eating as much and will make less milk. I got to where I was pumping 20 oz per day. It was a good amount but still not enough, so I was giving him formula as well. This is when I started my lengthy and somewhat expensive journey of trying everything out there that I was told might help increase my supply.
I tried lactation teas, lactation powders, lactation brownies, lactation supplements, Gatorade, Body Armour drinks, coconut water, oatmeal, oatmeal creme pies, Oreos, etc. You name it, I tried it. In my opinion, the best and most effective thing you can do is drink drink drink! Lots of water! Special drinks are not necessary. Think about it, back in the cave man days, mamas were able to feed their babies with only their breast milk and they didn’t have special foods, drinks, supplements, etc. They ate what they could, and they drank water and latched their babies as much as needed and that was all they needed. I definitely noticed an increase in my pumping output on days where I drank a ton of water. There are so many products out there made to take advantage of desperate moms who just want to make sure they are feeding their babies enough, but you already have everything you need.
Meet with a lactation consultant (ask to see one while you’re still in the hospital after having your baby). Do lots of skin to skin with your baby. Get a good breast pump and some breast milk storage bags. Get that nipple butter to save your nips from a lot of pain. Have a breast shield on hand, and latch latch latch!
One last thing worth mentioning…. Do not let anyone tell you that your baby doesn’t need to eat again already because you just fed them. Don’t let anyone tell you that your baby should be sleeping through the night so stop “comfort nursing” them. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for always having the baby and not sharing with family members. A newborn baby needs their mama. It is their instinct to need to be near their mom ESPECIALLY if you are breast feeding. If family members are feeling left out, you just have to let them feel left out because the baby is your priority. If dad wants to be more involved and needs help bonding with the baby, there are ways besides feeding the baby he can do that. He can do skin to skin with the baby. He can do diaper changes and baths. He can hold and talk to the baby. There are more ways to bond with the baby than by just feeding it. If you are breast feeding, then feeding the baby is mom’s job only until or unless you make the decision to bottle feed as well. But do not let anyone pressure you into that just because they want to feed the baby too. You earned this job. Don’t let anyone guilt you out of having it. Your baby is only a baby for a short while and the time goes by so fast.
