Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Breastfeeding is vital to a baby’s health and is the most natural way of nourishment as well. However, it can be quite an uphill task for a first-time mom that is still not acclimated with the process. If you are a new mom or want to brush up your knowledge the second time around, here are 10 ways that will make breastfeeding easier for you:
- Purchase a set of nursing pads
Leaky breasts are quite an embarrassing issue to most lactating moms. No woman wants to have wet spots of leaking milk on their outfit. The one sure way of handling this problem is by the use of nursing pads; you only need to place them inside your bra, right on top of your nipple and they will absorb any milk leakage. The cloth ones are cost effective as you only need to wash them and use them over and over again.
If you wear a figure hugging outfit, the outline of the nursing pads may be visible. In such a case, silicone pads will do the trick; they are invisible under garments and also exert enough pressure on your nipple to prevent them from leaking.
- Ensure your baby latches on properly
Practitioners will tell you that breastfeeding is not supposed to be painful. However, for most moms, the first days of lactation can be painful. You can prevent this from happening by simply making certain that your baby has a proper latch; you only need to ensure that your little one sucks your entire areola and not just your nipple. Also, it is important that you make sure that the baby’s lips are turned out. Dealing with this issue will become much easier by using a nipple shield; it will ensure that you get a great deal of relief and create a proper latch for the baby.
- Make use of breast shells
Breasts come in different sizes and shapes. Some women have flat or inverted nipples; making it very difficult for a baby to have a proper latch. If you have inverted nipples, the market today has your back; breast shells are designed in such a way that pull your nipples out. It is advisable to wear these breast shells while pregnant; before you begin nursing. This ensures your nipples are out ahead of delivery.
- Apply topical treatments
Most nursing moms will have cracked nipples at one point or another. A nipple shield will definitely take away some ouch from your girls. However, if you have cracked nipples, you may have to apply some topical treatment to ensure that you heal as soon as possible.
Most topical treatments in the market have no preservatives or additives; this means that you will not need to wash it off when feeding your baby. You should do your due diligence here and ensure that what you are buying is safe for you and your baby. This means that you should absolutely contact your physician and ask them which topic treatments you can take, if any.
Every women’s situation is different and only a professional that you trust can lead you to the right direction. Always remember that!
- Get a healthy amount of rest
After delivery, getting a goodnight’s rest can be super hard; you have to wake up late at night to nurse your baby. Sleep deprivation can be dealt with by use of breast pumps; these pumps are not only for moms who go back to work immediately after delivery but also for moms who are about to lose their mind due to inadequate sleep.
Another great idea is to get yourself a breastmilk pump to use as a backup option to extract some milk before going to bed. You can view a list of the top options from this guide by Maternityathome.
Doing so will then allow you to have your spouse feed the baby while you get your beauty sleep, as well as various other times where you will inevitably need a break from breastfeeding too.
- Get some privacy by utilizing a nursing cover
Some moms do not mind feeding their babies in public but some are quite shy. For all the shy moms, a nursing cover is the way to go. A nursing cover will give you the privacy you need while feeding your baby. It also allows you to peek in from the top.
- Use the warm or cold gel pads
Now that your baby is able to sleep soundly through the night, you may be experiencing some soreness in your super full boobs. Here, a breast pump comes in handy but if you do not have one, gel pads will do the trick for you. Gel pads, warm or cold are placed inside your bra for pain relief.
- Adopt the shortcuts of lactation
Make your breastfeeding process easier by making use of pumping and saving breastmilk in storage bags. These bags are directly attached to your breast pump and once you are done, you can detach it, seal it and store it in a fridge or freezer. This eases the breastmilk pumping process.
- Learn your baby’s “I’m hungry” behaviors
When your baby gets hungry, there are multiple non-verbal cues they will use to let you know they are hungry; licking the hands or fingers, mouth movements and turning the head from one side to another. All these cues will ensure that you know it’s time to feed the baby; before they start crying and make breastfeeding much more difficult.
- Read up on nursing
After delivery, all you will want to do is get some good rest and recover. It may not be the ideal time to start learning new things. For this reason, it is advisable that you do your research on nursing ahead of delivery. If you wait until the last minute, you can instead take a breastfeeding class as that is the most hands-on approach to find and correct any miscues you may be doing from the direction of a professional.
Thanks for the great post i real like to breastfeed my baby but my older son was not at all in to my breast milk he never wanted antthing to do with it, but this time i will do any thing that i can to make sure i breastfeed my baby without introducing any other form of feeding.
Breastfeeding is an incredible journey the first 6-8 weeks is the hardest whilst your milk supply is establishing itself. One of the most important things that contribute to mum’s breastfeeding for longer is a good family support structure
Yes I couldn’t agree with you more there Michelle. My husband, in laws and parents were amazing support, especially my husband. He was incredible!
My husband is my greatest support. He encourages EBF (Exclusive Breast feeding) until 6 months and I wean at 2 years
He always teases that our kids are “milk monsters” because they love their milkies!
I didn’t have any troubles with my daughter but suffered with painful nipples with my son, I had milk blebs (which are basically clogged ducts) it took a few days to go away and for my son to latch on correctly and it sorted out itself
I used pure, virgin, unrefined coconut oil on my nipples between feeds and it helped a lot
Ouch yeah I remember the sore nipples… very clearly! I had to have laser treatment on my nipples with both my babies and it worked like a charm. With my daughter my nipples were cracked and bleeding – I nearly quit in the first few weeks but so glad I persevered.
Thank you for the insightful article. I used a breastfeeding pillow during feedings and it really helped me alot. It supports the baby really well. Cracked nipples can also be a big challenge, especially in the first month of breastfeeding. I can recommend Lansinoh Nipple cream as well as the Lansinoh Pearl heat pads that will also help to stimulate milk supply. I can agree on the support of your husband or family members. A nice cup of coffee/tea after a long day is heavenly…
Stay hydrated and well nourished yourself. Breastfeeding is the best bonding time in the world. But one needs support and lots of it. Its mind over matter. Because lets face it. Its hard. Surviving without coffee is hard. Surviving without a glass of wine is hard.
I am still furious when I think about my mother in laws mantra whilst I was breastfeeding. She kept saying breastfeeding is a lazy woman’s excuse to lay around all day doing nothing. I’m fuming just remembering this.
I think for a first time mommy this is all new and no one will ever be able to explain to you how hard it is and how much you have to learn and change. With my firts born i had difficulty to get it right but kept out for about 4 weeks. Now i wish i had tried harder. My second vorn i tried harder and it was perfect. I think we should just take advice when we need it and have a food support system. At the end of the day it is very rewarding. And i would do my best to help any mommy out there.
Before I had children, I never even really gave breastfeeding a thought. I remember being surprised at a midwife’s telling me she had done a year-long course on breastfeeding; surely it was simply a matter of the baby’s sucking the milk and that was that? Then, I had a little one, and reality suddenly hit. I was SORE! And my baby bit me. She didn’t have a single tooth, yet she bit hard enough to make me bleed. I tried a nipple shield and she bit through it. She looked like a pint-sized Dracula with my blood dripping from her mouth. I went to the physio to have lazer treatment, but what really made a difference was being visited by my friend who had just had her fourth baby and was a La Leche leader. She latched her newborn and gave me a few tips; then I tried with my baby again and from that moment, it became so much more manageable. It was thanks to her that I was able to continue with, and enjoy, my breastfeeding journey.
Breastfeeding is the best