New to breastfeeding? We got you covered! Here you will find the best breastfeeding tips and essentials to begin your journey like a Pro.
The process of breastfeeding is an amazing aspect of the new mother's journey. However, all new moms understand how difficult and even unconformable it can be at times when it comes to breastfeeding.There’s tons of information out there about breastfeeding, here I would like to share what I’ve learned so far through my journey and what products actually worked for me as well as other experienced moms that swear by these products.
Remember, always seek for professional advice such a lactation consultant before making any changes on your breastfeeding routine.
I go ahead and list all the breastfeeding products on this Blog post that you can't miss putting on your baby registry and I will also give a brief review of each one so that you have an idea if this would be the right product for you.
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This blog post might contain affiliate links. Any purchase made through such links will result in small commission (or referral fee) for the author, at absolutely no cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally use and/or genuinely love.
Product Essentials Summary CheckList:
Tip #1 - Eat Well and Drink Plenty of Water
Yes, this is true 100%. I would noticed a significant decrease of my milk supply when not eating well and/or drinking plenty of fluids. I would also find myself hungrier than usual, the body is smart and is trying to pull calories from it.
Let’s talk about supplements, the only thing that I tried and worked for me was the lactation support tea specifically the Gaia Herbs Lactation Support Organic Herbal Tea which I used and you can find online or at any Sprouts/Whole Foods store. I would brew and drink one tea bag every morning to boost supply for the day.
Also, eating oatmeal is a true fact, not sure what properties it has but it works as everyone says! I used to eat cookies and just oatmeal as a cereal in general even before baby was here. I think this really helped when I delivered to bring milk in quicker. I kept doing this consistently as I love oatmeal anyway for breakfast.
The way I prepare it is very simple but yet yummy, I like to prepare mine with more liquid than most people (more water/milk).
Here is the recipe in case you are interested and it will make 1 serving cup:
Put to boil 1/4 cup of water then add 1 smidgen of salt, 1 tsp of sugar and 1 smidgen of cinnamon ( you can also use Mexican cinnamon sticks). Once boiling, you add 3 table spoons of organic steal cut oats and let it boil for another 5 minutes. Serve in a cup and add almond or Oat milk to boost potency. The brand that I use is the Pacific Foods Organic one, great taste and it will give a little bit of a more sweet taste to the Oatmeal.
This will get your milk supply going for sure, but be consistent! You can also add some dried fruit such as cranberries or raisins as it boils for extra sweetness.
Tip #2: Look For a Good Baby Latch
This is specifically important because as my mom would say; breastfeeding is a two individual’s job, Mommy’s and baby’s. If your hospital is offering some sort of breastfeeding support after delivery, take it! Lactation consultants are there for a reason and they know what they’re doing.
If you are having trouble getting a good latch, ensure that your baby is checked for tongue-tie, for more info click here.
Also, a good latch will help somewhat with the pain of the initial feeds, because I will tell you, my breastfeeding journey was initially very painful at least for the first 6 weeks, due to mainly a poor latch. Until I got help from a breastfeeding specialist. I noticed that when baby learned how to latch correctly, it became the most wonderful thing ever.
Technically what I figure through out the first month is that baby was also learning how to suck more milk trying different latches. So don’t get discourage, you will both learn what best works for you. Be patient with yourselves.
Tip #3: Protect Your Nipples
As you are trying to figure out Tip #2, the Tip that we will cover next it's a must. Protecting your nipples. This is particularly important because this is the reason a lot of moms give up breastfeeding in the first weeks. I am not going to lie to you, at the beginning it does hurt, your nipples will get sore, so you really want to protect your them as often as you can.
Because that area is overly sensitive for the first 6 to 8 weeks you don’t want anything rubbing against it, like, NOTHING! and you also want your nipple cream to last and to not mess up your clothing. For this you can use your favorite nipple cream. I personally used Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream for Breastfeeding which helped beautifully every time and was very inexpensive. There is a reason this product has over 42K 5 star reviews. But there are tons of options out there for you to choose from.
Along with the nipple cream, and this is my all time recommendation for protecting your nipples: Nipple Shells. I used the Medela SoftShells Breast Shells for Sore Nipples for Pumping or Breastfeeding but you can chose something different that will fit your size and needs, they are easy to wash and will catch any overflow milk as well.
These shells will protect your nipples from rubbing against your cloths and will let your nipple cream stay to heal faster in between feeds. I cannot recommend these enough. I promise you the pain will subside soon.
Tip #4: Nurse your Baby
Now that a good latch has been established, it is 100% true that the more you nurse the more you will produce. I kept reading this information all over the internet, and I found it very true. Supply and demand is real!
What I’ve noticed, even till this day that I’ve gotten back to work, is that there is a decrease of my milk supply when I stop nursing on a schedule. Interestingly for me, the effect of missing one or 2 feeds starts happening about 2 days after I missed the feed. All of a sudden, I would not feel much milk in my breasts. So not sure if this is the same for everyone, but I can tell you I could feel the difference and that there is some sort of delay effect.
If this happens, I would usually take one of my two supplements mentioned above, or both. Also, I would start to nurse again as much as I could and as I said, this would pick back up in around 1 or 2 days.
Another thing that I kept reading is that your baby sometimes will “use” you as a pacifier, not necessarily sucking milk. However, when baby does this, it is triggering certain hormones in your body to produce more milk. In my opinion and experience when I left baby on boob for a period of time asleep and just suckling, I will feel a let down afterwards then my milk supply would pick back up.
Tip #5: Manual and Electric Breast Pump
Start pumping when you can, if you're like the majority of mothers, you might sometimes be in a position that requires you to pump milk to feed your baby since it's almost impossible to stay with your child for every feeding, particularly when they grow older.
Some mothers may need to pump milk at work to maintain their milk supply and continue to provide breast milk for their baby. As well as a manual breast pump can be used to increase milk production by stimulating the breasts to produce more milk comfortably.
If you're searching for the manual pump that could help you store and reuse the breastmilk, we have feedback from several users regarding user-friendliness, efficiency as well as comfort, portability, and much more to help you choose the right pump.
A manual breast pump could be useful in a variety of scenarios including relieving engorgement which could happen when breast become full and uncomfortable due to too much production of the milk. The brand that I used with my first child and that I will use with my second is Medela Manual Breast Pump
Electric Breast Pump
As you get use to your breastfeeding routine you might want to start incorporating an electric breast pump, which will be quicker than using a manual pump. Breast pumps that are hands-free can offer mothers who are breastfeeding the chance to be free themselves when pumping the milk, allowing them the freedom to utilize their pumping time as they like.
Breast pumps that are wearable are altering the way you pump milk for your infant. What was once something you had to perform sitting down tied to the wall has now become something you can do during diaper changing and cleaning up after your dinner, or working at your desk.
Our top choices are thoroughly studied and evaluated by parents and nursing professionals based on their user-friendliness, comfort, and efficiency. Then one that I highly recommend and will be using with my second child is the The Momcozy S12 Pro Wearable Breast Pump
The Momcozy S12 Pro Wearable Breast Pump is equipped with a rechargeable battery and can be used for up to 2 hours on a single charge. The pump comes with a number of features to make pumping more comfortable, including adjustable suction and vibration modes, and a massage mode to help stimulate milk flow. It also has built-in timer, which makes it easy to monitor and control the pumping process.
Also, you must wear a top that has a low neck so that the pump will not be visible from your clothes or put it in a button-up shirt that you can keep open for your comfort.
Tip #6: Silicone Breast Pumps
Breast pumps come in different types. The choice of one that is best for your requirements is a difficult challenge to make, given that there are a variety of choices to pick from. You've probably heard about electric and manual breast pumps. Certain of these pumps have a body made of silicone and are referred to by the name silicone breast pumps. The silicone breast pump, just as its name suggests, features an easy-to-clean silicone body. They work on suction principles.
The silicone breast pump is the latest trend at the moment. They're discreet with no cords to tie and are ideal to pump, or for capturing the breast milk that has been let down. What is the ideal breastfeeding pump made of silicone you might ask?
If you're a mother seeking a breast pump which is manual and works great then you're in the right place. Breast pumps that are manual have been growing in popularity, and it's easy to understand why: they're smaller and are able to help clear blocked milk canals, and are easy to clean. So, which one is the top-of-the-line? To help you in your decision, we've reviewed Haakaa and Medela breast pumps.
Haakaa's Silicone Breast Pump
Haakaa Silicone breast pump functions as a non-hands-free breast pump that can serve as a milk catcher or pump. When you finish breastfeeding, you can also use the Haakaa breast pump to connect to the other breast to collect the milk and then store it for later use. It can also be used to alleviate discomfort and engorged breasts as well as draw breast milk even when you're not with the baby. After you apply suction to the Haakaa onto your breast it draws out the milk just as easy as it sounds.
Moms can easily refrigerate the extracted milk for up to 3 days. The pump is simple to operate and can be sterilized in boiling water.
Medela Harmony Breast Pump
The Medela Harmony (TM) breast hand pump has been upgraded with the modern Personal Fit breast shield. The manual pump is believed to be less invasive on your milk ducts than standard breast shields and is scientifically proven to offer greater comfort to mom, as well as more milk for your baby.
The Medela Silicone Breastmilk Collector is a dependable breastfeeding partner that also saves breastmilk. The Medela Silicone Breast Milk Collector guards every drop of milk against getting lost, ensuring that your baby gets all of it!
Moms can easily put it together and take it with them anytime, wherever. Because of its compact dimensions, it is able to be tucked away in a normal bag, which is ideal for traveling.
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