The odds are pretty high that you will struggle to breastfeed and stop breastfeeding all together like most moms in the western world. I am not trying to discourage you, but I want to be real with you. Two big reasons why we struggle are we don’t have family members that can help us with advice and access to formula is as simple as a five-minute drive to the store. And when your baby won’t latch and they need to eat that is your only other option. A large percentage of moms do attempt to breastfeed, but something happens and they give up. A bit of research before you even start can help you have a smooth breastfeeding journey! Here is how you can become an expert BEFORE you start breastfeeding.
There are so many moms out there that want to help you succeed so take advantage of it! Check out the groups Breastfeeding Mama Talk and The Leaky Boob Community on Facebook. The women on there are awesome! You can ask any questions you have and you will get so many answers in return. It’s so great to have that support especially in the beginning stages of breastfeeding.
I want you to succeed from the start and not have to go through the nightmare I had to. I had always wanted to breastfeed my child, but when she was born I almost gave up. My nipples felt like someone was stabbing them. She was also losing weight the first couple of days since she wouldn’t latch. I was scared to death!
But I reached out and got help from a lactation consultant as quick as I could. It didn’t take long before she was latching correctly and gaining weight. But then I started going nuts because I felt like all I was doing was breastfeeding! Thank God for the breastfeeding groups! They helped me through. I am proud to say I did recently make it to a year of exclusively breastfeeding my daughter! We are going for two years and I am not really sure after that.
I am so glad I stuck with it and I promise you will be too. I learned so much within the past year and want to share it with you. Here are a couple of the benefits first and then all my tips on how to have an amazing journey with your little one!
Benefits
FREE!!!!
It won’t cost a dime to breastfeed your baby. Compare that to the alternative. Formula is crazy expensive!
Breast is best
It is a proven fact. Just ask the World Health Organization or the American Academy of Pediatrics. I always hear about how a baby is allergic to a certain brand of formula, baby is always throwing up, or brands have been recalled. That’s some scary stuff! It’s no secret that people are sicker and more overweight than ever before. Is there a connection? I’ll let you look into that. With breast milk, there are no worries. Your baby is getting the perfect food. You can sleep easy momma.
Tastes better than formula
Yes, I have tried both. Someone talked me into getting some formula, so I got it thinking it would fill her up longer. She was about a month and a half old and I was desperate for a little break. She drank a bit, but then pursed her lips and turned her head away. So I tried it. Ugh! It tasted like metal or something. I threw it out and never thought about formula again. If you wouldn’t eat something why would your baby want too?
Less chance of LO being a picky eater
I won’t say all the time because not every case is the same. But most of my friends that formula fed have picky kids. The flavor of formula is always the same, day after day. No wonder the babies throw up more. But with breast milk, the flavor changes slightly from what mom eats. They automatically get to try new foods so their taste buds develop a liking for a wider variety of food! Breast milk also has a sweet flavor. There is a video on YouTube of adults trying breast milk and they actually really like it.
It’s easier!
Okay, not for the first month to two months, but after that you both become pros and its smooth sailing. No bottles to wash (unless you pump), you don’t have to listen to baby cry while you make a bottle, and it shuts baby up every time. That crying will definitely drive you crazy real fast so it is a big life saver.
Great for bonding
Yes, you can bond while bottle-feeding, but it’s not like nursing. While you are nursing, your body releases the hormone oxytocin, which promotes nurturing and relaxation. How could you not have a closer bond when you are literally feeding your child from your own body? Plus a lot of women get postpartum depression and breastfeeding is known to lessen the symptoms.
Delayed period
I had a light, short two-day period around 10 months postpartum and my LO just turned a year old and I had my first full period right around the same time. I gave her solids a couple of times a day since 6 months, but since she turned a year I give her a lot more solids. But hey a year plus the 9 months I was pregnant with no period is awesome!
Builds immune system
Your breast milk has antibodies in it that help keep your baby from getting sick and over time helps to build your child’s immune system. Breast milk is unique and nothing can compare to it. No animal milk. No formula. Nothing. A one year old immune system is only functioning at about 60%. It’s natural for us to breastfeed until their immune system developes enough to protect itself. Breastfed children are on average healthier and grow up to become healthier adults compared to children given infant formula.
Natural birth control
Our bodies naturally want to put space between pregnancies so no period means no pregnancy when you are nursing full-time for at least 6 months to a year and sometimes more. Check out this article by AskDrSears for more information on how breastfeeding helps promote child spacing.
The list of benefits goes on and on, but these are the biggies.
Tips I Wish I would Have Known
Latch them on right after they are born
I asked the nurse if I should nurse my baby like a dork. She looked at me funny and said if I wanted to. Your baby practices sucking his or her thumb inside the womb so they come out knowing exactly what to do. Also, skin-to-skin contact is so important especially when they are a newborn. It helps them to regulate their body temperatures and regulates their heartbeat since they get in sync with yours. Our bodies are so amazing!
Don’t give a binky!!!
Nipple confusion is real! Wait at least a month before you introduce one if you must. This is why I had so many problems breastfeeding. She came out and latched on right away. And I messed it all up by giving her a binky on day two. I look back and shake my head at how ignorant I was since I had someone already tell me not too. But now I get to help some people to not make the same mistake. We live and learn. I gave this advice to a friend before she had her baby. Her baby came out and latched great at first just like mine, but she gave her baby a binky and shortly after stopped breastfeeding because her baby quit latching.
Nurse every 2-3 hours
Yes, wake the baby up for the first week or so because they don’t always get the feeling of being hungry and don’t cry. My lactation consultant informed me that was why Ayla wasn’t crying. I just thought she wasn’t hungry that often. I didn’t have the first clue about what was normal. Whoever said never wake a sleeping baby was poorly wrong when it comes to a newborn. Now that my LO is older I can agree 100% though. Plus, the more you nurse the more milk you will produce.
Visit a lactation consultant right away
Some hospitals have one on staff, there are private consultants, and WIC also has one in your local office that you can speak with. Set up the appointment as soon as possible. Maybe talk to them before and after your baby is born. I wish I would have.
If baby won’t latch, sandwich the breast or try pumping for a while
The first couple days you are only producing colostrum and the amount is very small, which is 100% normal. Your milk will come in a couple of days later and you will probably be engorged. It takes a while for your supply to balance out. Your baby’s mouth will be very tiny, so they might have a problem latching. Trying grabbing your breast like a sandwich and it will make it easier for your baby to latch. Also, you can pump like I did. Pumping isn’t recommended at first since your supply is trying to balance out. Bottles will confuse baby too, but it will help make your boobs smaller and help baby get some milk. You can always store it in the freezer for later. It helped shape my nipples for her to latch better as well.
The Medela breast pump is a very popular option among breastfeeding mothers, but I used The First Years. It is a cheaper alternative and I never had any issues with it. You can find both on Amazon and some other retailers sell them as well.
Babies have lots of growth spurts, so yes it will feel like that’s all your life consists of
That’s normal, unfortunately. Just relax and enjoy your time together. I used to always have to be doing something, so that took me some getting used to. I know it was annoying to hear when my LO was a newborn, but really the time does fly by. Ever since I became a mom I swear my life is speeding on by me. I was the type of person before that a month seemed like forever to me.
Extended breastfeeding
It is recommended to breastfeed for a minimum of 6 months, but a year and even two years is ideal. Our ancestors breastfed their children from anywhere to age 4-7, just like women in most countries around the world. It may seem weird in our westernized culture, but there is nothing wrong with extended breastfeeding. Our society is not the brightest or healthiest bunch, so do what you feel is best for your baby and forget what most people say. Those children eat solids and only nurse a couple of times a day, usually at home, so no one needs to know if you don’t want them too.
C-Sections & Premies
A lot of women say they couldn’t breastfeed because they had a c section or their baby was born early. There are cases where women really can’t produce milk, but that is very rare. Many women that were in these situations started out giving their babies formula, but in the meantime, they continuously latched their baby on and pumped until their milk came in. You know that friend I mentioned earlier? She quit breastfeeding her baby for three or four months and one day she started latching her baby on again. And shortly after her milk came back in! Isn’t that awesome? Our bodies are made for this!
And remember it’s not all or nothing
I have another friend that supplemented with formula, pumped, and breastfed her child. She worked and that’s what worked best for her family. Breast is best, but feeding you child is the most important thing.
I don’t believe in mom shaming and that is not why I added negatives to infant formula. This article is to encourage mothers that are interested in breastfeeding and comparing other options is key to accomplishing that.
Related: 13 Tips To Help You Spend Under $4000 On Babys First Year
Do you think these tips will help you on your breastfeeding journey? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
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