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Disclaimer: I’m not an OBGYN, pediatrician, or lactation consultant. The following information is based on my personal experience only. Please consult your own medical professionals with questions and concerns.
I have been truly blessed to breastfeed two beautiful babies. Generally speaking, I’d say my breastfeeding journey has been an easy one.
In 2018 when I gave birth to Amelia, my plan was to breastfeed for three months (the duration of my planned maternity leave). I say planned maternity leave because Amelia had other ideas, refused to take a bottle altogether, and I ended up taking an extra month home with her before returning to work. That said, the actual breastfeeding part was pretty easy. She latched immediately after birth… and pretty much never left my boobs for a solid 2-3 months. My supply was good, I never had to supplement, and she was growing steadily.
When I returned to work, my goals changed. “Breastfeed until she’s six months old, and eating some solids, then re-evaluate.” Quickly I learned that I didn’t respond as well to the pump as I did to Amelia. My supply slowly dipped in the following months. I started supplementing formula on the days I worked, but was still able to exclusively breastfeed on my days off. Fed is best. I want to emphasize I still do feel this way.
Amelia never took to solids at all during her first year of life, which landed us in feeding therapy at twelve months. She eats everything and anything now, but it definitely affected my view of her nutrition that first year. I wanted to breastfeed as long as possible, supplementing with formula as needed, to make sure my baby was getting every possible nutrient. Eventually, Amelia self-weaned and preferred bottles of formula to my dwindling supply of breastmilk, and our journey ended at nine months old.
This time around, Adeline did not quite take to breastfeeding as easily as her big sister. The latch was off, my nipples were sore, cracked and painful. I started pumping much earlier both to provide relief to my sore breasts and to start stockpiling milk for my return to work, in an effort to avoid spending so much on formula for supplementation. Eventually, after a few hard weeks, breastfeeding became more natural for her, too. At the time of posting this, Adeline is 2 months old, breastfeeding like a champion, gaining weight much more quickly than Amelia ever did while eating less frequently, and taking a bottle (of pumped breastmilk) from our nanny a few times a week.
There are a few items and ideas that helped me with successful breastfeeding of either one or both of my babies that I’d like to share with you.
#1 Spectra S2 Plus Premier Electric Breast Pump
#2 Motherlove Nipple Cream: As I mentioned earlier, I never experienced sore, cracked and painful nipples until breastfeeding Adeline, and OHMYGOSHWERETHEYPAINFUL! I tried some of the common brands of nipple cream and not only did they not provide relief, but they were thick and stained my clothes, and tasted awful (yes, I tasted it to see why Adeline hated breastfeeding even after I wiped it off). A friend recommended Motherlove brand, and I would never recommend anything else. It’s thin, absorbs quickly, provides instant and lasting relief and really healed my nipples. It doesn’t taste bad (kind of like olive oil — yes, I tried it), Adeline doesn’t mind it, and it doesn’t stain my clothes! I also use it for a pump lubricant, and have even rubbed it on dry cuticles and chapped lips.
#3 Nursing Tanks: Find tanks are thick enough to “hold in” the postpartum tummy jiggle but comfortable enough to sleep in, like the H&M brand nursing tanks, which have enough support in the shelf bra that my normally-a-C-but-breastfeeding-made-me-a-D-cup boobs are comfortably contained, even when I’m engorged. The clasp is super easy for one-handed use. Mine have held up through two babies so far and are still in good shape, and they’re affordable and come in packs of two from H&M in quite a few color combinations.
#4 Medela Quick-Clean Micro Steam Bags: These make sterilizing pump parts and bottles so fast and easy. I just rinse and soak parts for a bit and then rinse again and throw in the microwave for 90 seconds. Be careful not to burn yourself on the steam. I love these because I don’t have to break out a pot of boiling water or store anything bulky in my kitchen!
#5 Drink TONS of water. Like quadruple what you normally would. I get super thirsty at night and while breastfeeding, but during the day I have to be very conscious of making sure I’m drinking enough.
#6 BODYARMOR Lyte Sports Drink: Staying hydrated is super important when breastfeeding, and I’m a La Croix and coffee girl normally. These drinks are yummy (I love the coconut, it’s like a pina colada), and not only hydrating but contain vitamins and electrolytes while being low in calories and sugar. I still recommend upping your water intake SIGNIFICANTLY while breastfeeding, but especially when I needed to chug something quickly at work to increase my afternoon pumping production, these were a must-have!
#7 Get lots of rest. It sounds like a joke when you have a needy newborn, but a tip that helped me feel rested during those hazy newborn days: Learn to breastfeed in the side-lying position. I’m not kidding. It’s life-changing. Being able to lounge/lay with my babies while breastfeeding relieved back pain (holding these little footballs can be hard on your back!), let me relax and rest while they ate, and allowed for some great bonding time — newborns tend to gaze up at you in this position and I’ve always felt so connected to my girls during this time.
#8 TRY to feed your baby until they are FULL. If they fall asleep after just a few minutes of nursing and then wake up 20 minutes later hungry again, chances are they are not filling up at their feeding. I’m a fan of “breastfeeding on demand,” but momma needs to get some things done too, like sleep, eat, and occasionally shower! Breastfeeding your baby in just a diaper (skin to skin), tickling their cheeks and feet, and even a cool rag on their feet to wake them are all tricks that I learned to keep my babies awake for AT LEAST a 10 minute feeding each time. In the very early days, 15-30 minutes was not uncommon. But it would buy me at least an hour after to set them down for a nap so I could do other things.
#9: Gerber Gentle formula: If you find yourself in a place where you are having to supplement, it can be confusing and difficult to find the “right” formula. Sure, I guess some babies are easy to please and will take what is offered, but not mine! Amelia refused two or three types of formula, until my pediatrician recommended Gerber Gentle. Apparently the milk protein is most similar to breastmilk. She took to it easily and never had any tummy upset. If you end up going this route (or any formula supplementation, or stop breastfeeding altogether), I’m here to say — Good job! Way to do what’s best for your baby! Fed is best! Keep up the good work!
#10 Lactation cookies: Finally, find you a recipe for something yummy that will help boost your supply. I’m kind of a cookie junkie (though I don’t care for most other sweets), especially when pregnant and postpartum. I scoured the internet for lactation cookie recipes, combined a few different ones, and removed the egg so my egg-white-allergic toddler could eat these too and I eat two or three every night with a glass of milk. They’re delicious!
Lactation cookie recipe: Melt 1 stick of butter in a microwave-safe bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons ground flax seed with 4 tablespoons of butter. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to melted butter. Stir in flaxseed mixture. In a separate bowl mix the following dry ingredients: 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in 1 1/2 cups rolled oats and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!
I hope this helps someone out there, and please remember to be kind to yourself during this sometimes difficult journey. There is nothing easy about being the sole source of nutrition (and almost sole source of comfort) for a brand new human!
If you liked this post, check out my top ten newborn essentials (from a second time mom to a newborn) here.
