Your baby is finally here and you've already made all the big decisions about how you're going to nurture and take care of your little one. If breastfeeding is one of those, you're in the right place.
Before we get started, I just want to let you know that I am in no shape or form a breastfeeding expert but I have birthed and successfully breastfed all of my six beautiful babies. My intention here is that you can gain some insight and reassurance by reading my experiences. I'm not going to go on a long rant explaining all the benefits of the breastfeeding process because God knows there are plenty of posts out there on just that. Breastfeeding is beneficial for mom and baby. We know this already.
The convenience of BF. No bottles, supplies, or warmers needed!
What I'm going to talk about in this post is the initial process of breastfeeding. I believe this to be the toughest and most crucial time for us moms and babies. As mothers, we've spent the past ten months prepping and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little one. We've planned out everything to a T right down to the way we are going to nourish our baby. Sometimes this BF process goes smoothly and sometimes it can be challenging. Some mommas choose to give up when they're having a difficult time but my hope for you is that this post can be somewhat helpful and encouraging.
When it comes to BF, there are only two main reasons I can think of, that would cause these challenges. The first concern would be a latch problem and the second would be that you are physically separated from your baby, for example, NICU, unexpected surgery, etc. I'm not going to tell you it will be easy but I will tell you that it is still possible to BF during these circumstances.
Babies have the ability to smell your milk from birth and can even latch on to your breast once placed close to it. This may happen and you may be thinking Great! That was easy. Sometimes that initial latch is just magical. After the first 24 hours you may begin to see baby having trouble latching again. You may even feel like you did something wrong or you may feel like something is wrong with your baby. They were latching initially and now they aren't. Or maybe baby just doesn't latch on at all?
When it comes to latching, there are many reasons your baby may be having difficulty. You'll know right away if there is a concern if you're experiencing pain during feedings. If so, this is a key sign of improper latch. Don't get discouraged just yet. This is where your lactation consult can be very helpful. If you have your baby in the hospital and they know you want to breastfeed, a lactation consult is always ordered and you can be sure they will be visiting you Day 1. The LC ( lactating consultant) wants you and baby to have a wonderful experience and is willing to help you in anyway so. And believe me when I say this:
LC's absolutely LOVE their jobs and they're extremely passionate about breastfeeding!!!
At least all of the ones I've met. So it is crucial to utilize their expertise.
Sometimes everything can go well in the hospital and then you start having issues the minute you get home. This has happened to me before and when it's 3am and you're wide awake and feeling discouraged, sometimes a simple post about this subject can lend some support. When it comes to latching, an improper latch not only causes discouragement but can cause your nipples to crack and bleed forcing you to give your baby a bottle. If your nipples are cracked, bleeding or in a tremendous amount of pain don't give up just yet. Take a deep breath and tell yourself I CAN DO THIS.
This is what you can do.
If you're initially struggling with this in the hospital you can always ask to use the hospital-grade breast pump. Or you can bring yours to the hospital if you don't want to use theirs. You are going to give your nipples a break by using the pump and giving your baby a bottle of formula. What? I know. Don't beat yourself up over it. This doesn't mean it's over. Your nipples need to heal so you can successfully do this and the pump is going to help with the process. What it will do is mimic the feedings and stimulate your breasts to produce milk. Those babies are like starving snapping turtles. I know there's literature out there stating not to introduce a bottle in the early days of breastfeeding because it will cause nipple confusion but I've done it several times. Maybe I was just lucky. I like to think that I am determined. It may be a little more challenging but you can successfully breastfeed after bottle.
Put your pump to use from the start.
When it comes to breast pumps, there are several really good quality breast pumps out there. This last time I decided to go with a newer pump. In my previous pregnancies, I used the Medela Pump In Style. This brand worked perfectly for me because the parts were interchangeable with the hospital pump I used when I worked. With my previous child, I wanted to try something new. So I purchased the Motif Luna Double Breast Pump. I love this one too! Not only is it lightweight and sleek, it's much quieter than my previous pump and is much easier to carry around. It also has a small blue light on it for those nighttime pumps. If you're after the appearance, this one is definitely nicer. The con to this pump would be that it generally has more parts than the Medela so it may take a little bit longer to put together.
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So after you've gained access to a breast pump you're going to use the pump every 2-3 hours for a good 10 minutes each time to help stimulate your milk supply. Even throughout the night. Yes this can be tedious but this is what your baby would be doing if he or she were on the breast. You can either try to get the baby to latch before or after each session. Try to find the root cause of why your baby is not latching properly.
Could it be that your baby has a tongue tie? Or could it be that you have flat or inverted nipples? Maybe large nipples? Or do you just need to try other techniques? If you have inverted nipples sometimes the suction from the pump can help bring the initial nipple out so baby can latch properly.
If that doesn't help, try purchasing nipple shields. This device goes over your nipple and the baby uses it to help bring the milk out. If your baby has a tongue tie, only a surgical procedure will fix that. I don't have too much information on it because none of my children have ever had that issue. If your little one has a tongue tye, continue to pump until you can breastfeed. This seems like a lot of work but just think of the outcome. It's worth it! Pumping every time your baby would feed is exactly what you're going to do until you get this down. This would be the same advice I would give a mother who is away from her baby for any reason.
In the first few days after your baby is born, you're going to have a very small amount of milk anyway. That first amount is very important. It is what they call LIQUID GOLD aka colostrum. If you pump and get this dense golden milk, try to give it to your baby with a small spoon, or syringe or just drop it into their mouth. It doesn't seem like much but it is full of dense nutrition. Newborns stomachs are very small. Within a few days, your milk should come in and you can begin to give baby your milk in a bottle, instead of the formula. Keep in mind, the whole goal is to get baby back to breast.
I've had six children and each one was different when it came to latching. Some were natural and some took hard work. Sometimes my baby would latch properly and other times they wouldn't. The lactating consultants advised me not to use a bottle. Well, I did what they said and put myself through hell by not giving my nipples a break. They cracked and bled and I was completely miserable. Not only did I cry for days, I felt like a failure. I wanted to give up but I couldn't. So I did what I had to do and continued to feed my baby even through the pain. It was so bad that I almost gave up but I prayed and asked God to help me. The very next day everything went smoothly. There is power in prayer y'all!! The breastfeeding success I had been longing for literally happened overnight!
With another child, I began to have problems once I returned home. Baby just wouldn't latch right. I started having difficulties and I had to resort to a bottle. Instead of going through the painful process I had experienced before, the bottle was my temporary friend in the meantime. Baby received a bottle and I pumped so that my nipples could heal. Once they healed,( and they healed pretty fast) I tried again. This time I tried a different technique. If baby wouldn't latch, I tried pumping from that breast until I saw milk and then put baby to breast. Sometimes baby would latch and sometimes she wouldn't. If she didn't latch, I just pumped and gave her the milk in a bottle. I continued these steps until baby finally started latching on properly every single time. It was frustrating. I tried several techniques until I found one that worked for us. With much prayer and a determined heart, I pushed through it and you can too!
If for some reason you've tried these steps and still cannot breastfeed, don't beat yourself up over it. There is still always the option to continue pumping and giving your baby breast milk. There is definitely more work involved but I promise you the time will fly by and you'll be so glad you did.
When it comes to bottles there are a few that I recommend. To give your little one the closest breastfeeding experience, try using the NanoBebe bottle to help give baby that nursing feel. The bottle's unique design has made feeding time as close to the real thing as possible. It was designed to keep other family members and caretakers in mind when they are helping with your new bundle of joy. Now dads and grandparents can give us a break and feel like they're bonding with baby too. Another bottle that I would highly recommend is the Nuk simply natural bottle. I say this because the nipple itself resembles more of the real thing. Once baby grasps down on your nipple, it changes shape and these are specifically designed to resemble that. I used these with my last two little ones. They responded very well to these when adjusting from nipple to bottle and vice versa.
Disclaimer: I am just a mom sharing my experiences. I am in no way, shape, or form a physician or lactating consultant. These are suggestions that have worked for me and may not guarantee results for you. If you have any medical issues or concerns please refer to your physician or midwife.
I hope this post sends you happy vibes on your breastfeeding journey! If you enjoyed my post or have found it to be helpful, please leave me a comment in the box below. Thank you so much! Stay blessed and humble!
