Every mother is different, every child is different, so I’m not here to tell anyone what works and what doesn’t. But what I can do is share what has worked for me, Krissy, 34-year-old mother of 4 (soon to be 5). I’m not special, I don’t have super breastfeeding boobies, I actually struggle, a lot, with breastfeeding and I always have. Breastfeeding isn’t an easy gig! If you are a mother, you know.
I’m not an expert, but I’m going to share some tips that helped me on my breastfeeding journey, and even if it helps one mama out that is struggling then I’ll be happy!
Breastfeeding Tips
1. Ok baby is out, now what?
The doctors have gone, the nurses have gone, hubby has probably ducked off, and it’s just you and your new little best friend.
- Make sure you have snacks handy (Totally Devoted Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies are my go-to!)
- Have a big drink bottle of water and drink at least 2-3L a day
- Have some fantastic nipple cream close. I have used a few, but the best one by far is Purelan 100. I got the biggest size, it’s a little pricey, but it’s absolutely worth it. It can be the difference between whether you decide to breastfeed or not!
2. The baby is crying!
Yay!! Now you get a chance to put those amazing boobies to work!
- Get comfortable, super comfortable, make sure you are supported, that your back is supported and the arm you are feeding on has a pillow under it
- Hopefully, you will get some hands-on help from your midwife or nurse on how you like to breastfeed (football holding, or across the front etc.) so I’m not going to go too much into that
3. How long do I feed for?
I have done it all, timed the baby, moved sides, kept track of timings. But to be honest, what worked for me was this:
- Baby cried, I pulled him out and fed him on one side until he was full, he always fell asleep
- Sat him up, burped him, changed his bum (this woke him up again)
- Breastfed him on the other side to finish
- Sat him up and burped him again
- Wrapped him up and laid him down
When he cried again, I would start feeding on the other side, and vice versa!
I don’t time in between feeds, I just fed the baby whenever he cried.
Some said I shouldn’t do that because he’s not always hungry, but what it helped with was that always presenting my baby to my breast helped my milk come in straight away. He was attached to my breast for the first 6 weeks.
My mum used to make fun of me, saying that every time he cried I just shoved a boobie in his mouth!
