Are you new to breastfeeding? If you are, it may be feeling a bit overwhelming. Maybe you are wondering if there are some tips and tricks to making breastfeeding a bit easier as you and your baby are learning how to breastfeed. I can think of 5 tips off the top of my head that I want to share with you.
Skin to Skin
I cannot express how important skin to skin is for you and your baby. Skin to skin can help a fussy baby to calm down, help with milk supply and latch. It helps the oxytocin flow and the cortisol to come down. When I worked in the hospital setting, if we had a baby who wasn’t breastfeeding well we would put them right back skin to skin again. As the days with your newborn pass, it is never too late to do skin to skin. If your newborn is still sleepy for feedings, undressing them and feeding them skin to skin can help.
Avoiding Bottles
If your newborn is breastfeeding well, avoid giving bottles for about 2-4 weeks if you can. It’s important for the baby, you and your milk supply to just be breastfeeding the baby during this time. Introducing pumping can cause an oversupply issue which can cause a whole different set of problems. Pumping and giving bottles is also just one more thing you would have to do. Right now we don’t want to add more to an already full plate. It’s also important for your baby to learn how to breastfeed and they are only going to be able to do that by breastfeeding. After a couple of weeks you are safe to start introducing bottles if you want to. It’s important to remember that once you introduce a bottle, you have to pump the feeding you miss. This will keep your milk supply where your baby needs it to be.
Breastfeeding on Demand
Breastfeeding on demand, instead of on a schedule is the best thing for your baby and your milk supply. Babies that are breastfeeding on demand are happier and gain weight better than babies who are breastfeeding on a schedule. Milk supply is being stimulated often, which will keep your supply plentiful. Breastfeeding on demand is also called responsive feeding, which means that you are responding to your baby’s cues.
Rest When You Can
It’s important to try and rest when you can. Even if you are someone who is not used to taking naps, try and at least rest or slow down a bit when the baby is settled in for a nap. There will always be things to do, but believe me they can wait a little longer.
Call a Lactation Consultant
Call a lactation consultant the minute you think something isn’t right. If the latch is painful, the baby isn’t gaining weight well or you have questions about milk supply, call a lactation consultant. Let’s face facts, there are always questions when you are learning something new and this is no different. It’s important to address any breastfeeding problems you may be having earlier rather than later.
