Many mamas have been reaching out to me about breastfeeding their little one. Many women seem anxious and nervous about breastfeeding before they’ve even begun, or even if they’ve done it before! Why? Well, every baby is different, so success in the past doesn’t guarantee it will be as easy the next time around. Also, more women are sharing their struggles for others, which is wonderful and helpful, but those stories can really mess with a new mom’s head. Either way, I want to help calm your worries and share some breastfeeding tips for beginners. Whether you’re having your first or third kid, I hope you find these tips useful!

As always, I love your comments and love your discussions in the comments below. Join our Mommy Feeding Family Facebook group to connect with other mamas!

Dietitian’s Breastfeeding Tips for Beginners:

Stress will make it harder. Stress inhibits our bodies ability to produce oxytocin, the hormone that allows for the milk “let down” reflex. We need this “let down” to occur for your milk to come in. If you’ve nursed before, you can tell when the let down is happening (it’s when you feel your breasts filling with milk). For me, it almost feels like the tingling sensation that happens when your foot goes numb, but it’s in your breasts (it does feel odd). It can happen sometimes if you’re in the store and you hear a baby crying. Or when you’re holding your baby staring into their beautiful eyes and you start to leak. The let down is vital for milk production, and if you are stressed, it will be difficult to allow for a good let down to happen.

Going back to work too early is a big reason moms struggle, its stressful going back to work. Period. And our policies around maternity leave in the US are not protective for the mother/baby. So if you’re going back to work early, make sure to take good care of yourself. We’ve had some good discussions about maternity leave with the moms inside the Mommy Feeding Family facebook group.

Breastfeeding Gear To Buy:

Here are some of my favorite breastfeeding items:

Milk catcher. I can tell I have a pretty strong let down because when I am nursing on one side, the other breast leaks, sometimes .5-1 ounce at a time. That’s a LOT of milk in the beginning, so save that shit! Don’t just get a breast pad. I have tried the Milkies Milk Catcher and the Haakaa, and I prefer the Haakaa. It has a slight suction that seems to get more milk. The Haakaa is also a manual breast pump, which is a helpful function. I tried the Milkies milk catcher too, but I prefer the Haakaaa.

Pump. Even if you plan on nursing (like myself) instead of pumping 99% of the time, a pump is something that is good to have. Emergencies happen, and sometimes, I think it’s good to just get away from baby and the house, even just for dinner. Not to mention, you may need to pump before/or after breastfeeding. If you are going back to work, a pump is a necessity. There are ways to get free or nearly free pumps! If you don’t know how, ask!

Nursing tops & comfortable clothes:As if pregnancy wasn’t uncomfortable enough, for the next foreseeable future, plan to become one with the couch. But seriously, you will not get much else done at all the first month or so; babies eat around the clock. Get rest when you can (easier said than done, I know), but get some books ready, download some podcasts, get your Netflix binge list ready… but in planning for your babies arrival I think you need to know realistic expectations, and that means you are the source of food and energy for your baby, and you’re not going to get much else done. You just need to be okay with that.

More Breastfeeding Tips:

Know when your baby growth spurts are. 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). A growth spurt means your baby will likely be more hungry and may sleep less or “change” their sleeping times.

Don’t do too much after your 6 week check up. Many mamas go to their 6 week postpartum check up and get the “a-okay” to return to working out, birth control, sex, etc. These items, in conjunction with one another, the stress of it, the expectations around trying to workout and lose weight after 6 weeks, all of that pressure, the new medications that start after the 6 week mark… all of this can affect a mothers milk supply.  Birth control, combined estrogen and progestin pills, have been associated with reduced milk volume and duration of breastfeeding.

What to do? Any time you make an adjustment to your routine, whether that is starting to workout again, taking a new medicine, or changing up your diet… just do one thing at a time. Trying to change too much at once can not only cause extra stress, but it CAN impact your milk supply. It’ll be easier to pinpoint the culprit if you only change one thing at a time. Listen to your body, watch your supply, and make sure you adjust accordingly if something doesn’t seem to be working for you.

Plan to eat healthy. In my next post on foods to eat while breastfeeding, I’ll give more specifics about diet while breastfeeding, but it’s important to remember that your baby’s diet (the milk) is impacted by your diet. All mothers, whether you have a healthy diet or not, giving your baby breast milk is optimal. We do know that by enhancing your diet while breastfeeding further enhances the benefits of breast milk quality.

Nutrition Tips for Breastfeeding Moms:

• Review my article on foods to eat while breastfeeding.
• During pregnancy you want to make sure that you are consuming proper diet and supplements for growth, and I have more details about natural supplements during pregnancy here.
• Hydrate- get a good water bottle system.
• Don’t try to cut carbs or do intermittent fasting or any other kind of fasting.
• Herbs can help support your milk supply including fenugreek, lavender, chamomile, and more.
• You’ll eat a lot.
• Quality is important.

Remember to share your success stories below! Breastfeeding can be hard. Hopefully these breastfeeding tips for beginners can help you on your journey. Being a new mama (for the first time, or second or third) can be hard. But there is strength in numbers and it really does help to know you’re not alone in this journey! Join the Mommy Feeding Family Facebook group to connect to more moms.

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