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How exactly does one prepare to breastfeed or chestfeed?  Shouldn’t it just be natural?

Do you feel ready to breastfeed? Did you know there are things you can do BEFORE baby is born that will help you be more prepared?

First, what have you heard about breastfeeding / chestfeeding?  Is it natural, healthy, convenient and free?   Sure, Public health flyers will remind you all about that.  But what about painful, exhausting, hard and stressful?  You don’t see that on any posters, but that’s what many expectant parents hear from their friends! 

Well, which is it?  Is it a calm, enjoyable bonding experience or a gauntlet of pumps, cracked nipples and babies with excess weight loss?

Honest answer?  It can be both.

It is very common to have at least a few struggles with breastfeeding, especially in the first week.

Whether it’s a painful latch, a sleepy baby, constant crying or someone telling you that baby isn’t getting enough milk.  There are lots of challenges you might encounter, because most of us didn’t grow up in a village where everyone was topless and sat around a fire feeding their babies all day.  If we had, more of us would find breastfeeding/chestfeeding natural, instinctive and easy. But for many, it’s not.  

Feeding your newborn is something you need practice, information, support, and time to get good at.  Also, there are some great tricks that can make a big difference if you know about them ahead of time, so you can know what to expect and what to try before any trouble starts!

Learning about breastfeeding BEFORE your baby is born, is actually very helpful, although there’s nothing like the real thing when it comes to actually practicing latch, and holding a real-live baby!  Knowing what is normal (like REALLY frequent feeding so baby can tell your body how much milk to make) and what it’s supposed to feel like (it’t NOT supposed to hurt!) are really good to know ahead of time.  Trying to Google “what is clusterfeeding” or “How to breastfeed a sleepy baby” after 30 hours labour is not as much fun as you might think!

Seriously, SO MANY issues that people have with breastfeeding stem from not knowing what to expect, how to prevent nipple pain, and what to do if baby is not latching, is too sleepy to feed well, or when baby is losing too much weight… learning all the ins and outs ahead of time can prevent may of these issues!

Here are some of my TOP TIPS to get you started….

1. Learn about Hand Expression 

If there is ANY reason a baby is having trouble breastfeeding in the first few days after birth, hand express your colostrum every 2-3 hours for 10-15 minutes.  You might only get a few drops but it signals your body that you’re still ‘IN’ for becoming a breastfeeder and that you would like to request a great milk supply even if baby isn’t feeding well right now.  

We can figure a lot of things out later on about a deep latch, nipple comfort, sleepy baby and excess weight loss if your body is reminded to continue making milk.

2. Spoons are made for babies too!

If your baby isn’t able to get colostrum out of your breast the ‘usual’ way because he’s tongue-tied, sleepy, it hurts you or he just won’t latch, then use a spoon!  

First, read #1 …..  Now hand express right into a spoon & give it to the baby! Spoons are easy to use, hold small amounts (which is usually all newborns need anyway….seriously!) and you can express your thick colostrum right into it so you don’t lose your 3 precious drops in the pump valve thingy!

3. Take off your shirt and hold your naked baby!

This one seems simple and obvious once you learn about how much ‘skin-to-skin holding’ can improve breastfeeding outcomes.  Most parents however, think they’re supposed to immediately put their new baby in all the cute outfits and hats they’ve had washed and waiting for this moment. I don’t blame you, that outfit IS super cute, BUT if your baby is having trouble waking up, calming down, latching, or is cold, I promise that the science here is right.  Your chest is the place to be.  Put your feet up, get comfy and hold your baby.  

4. Keep trying, and get help.
Ask for help, ask for more help, then if you still need help, find different help. (Yes, I do LIVE private virtual sessions ANYWHERE!)

5. We recommend that all our pregnant clients take this on-demand, online Breastfeeding Prep class :

“How to Breastfeed” from our Virtual Academy! 

(use code NUTMEGMOM50 any time to get 50% off!!)

This Breastfeeding Prep course will teach you

* how to sit * how to hold * how to latch * how to know if baby is getting enough milk… and what to do if they aren’t * what to expect in the first few days * how to avoid nipple pain * how to get a great milk supply * what to do with a sleepy baby * what to do if baby won’t latch

…. and how to get breastfeeding off to a great start!!

Breastfeeding takes practice.  Learning about what to expect in REAL life can make a big difference in your confidence.  The sooner you find help the better, but even if things aren’t perfect right from the start, try these things and reach out! Your breastfeeding career really can continue almost always with the right information, if you are a bit stubborn, and just a little bit lucky.

Angela Grant Buechner, BA, BScN, RN, IBCLC is a Registered Nurse • Lactation Consultant • Birth Doula • Postpartum Doula • Newborn Care Specialist • Educator in Toronto offering LIVE virtual support sessions worldwide!

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                            Will any of my pre-pregnancy work clothes ever fit the same?

                            Will making a decision about daycare/nanny/part time/full time/gradual start/home daycare be easy?

                            Do I have to stop breastfeeding if I’m going back to work?

answer to all of the above? NO. One of the most common questions I get is how to prepare for going back to work if you’re breastfeeding. If you’re lucky and live in Canada (and can live off Maternity leave for a year) then you may have a very different experience than most parents living south of us in the United States who have to return within weeks of their birth.

Although we can feel lucky that we have a whole year to be with our babies, and get a chance to establish breastfeeding in the early weeks and months, we also go through very different phases and many babies have never had a need to drink their breastmilk in any other way then straight from the tap.

Many people think that it’s expected that they will just stop at a year because they’re going back to work (and we’ll talk about how to approach that if it’s your choice) but MANY parents decide to continue breastfeeding once or twice per day or more, even if they are going back to work full time.

Breastfeeding an older baby is very different than breastfeeding a newborn. Often, many day-to-day things are intertwined with breastfeeding, including nap time, meal time, the need for magical nursing sessions to cure any problem/injury/injustice and even just chilling out and snuggling. Many moms don’t know that they can absolutely continue to breastfeed, even if they also want to make sure that baby can drink from a bottle/cup/straw so they can go to daycare, still have naps and have a way to get liquids when their usual source is at work.

1. FIGURE OUT YOUR PERFECT PLAN

What would your perfect scenario be for nursing/pumping/bottle/cup/weaning be?

There are many ways to continue breastfeeding even if you are going back to work full time. Many people breastfeed just first thing in the morning, right when they pick up baby or get home, or at bedtime. Some babies will nurse once overnight or early morning instead, and some will do any combination of these. Whatever works, what do YOU want to do?

2. DON’T PANIC!

Many breastfeeders think that they have to plan for MONTHS ahead of time for their return to work at a year, but many people need almost no drastic changes ahead of time. I usually say about 4-6 weeks is enough time for most plans, even if you want to drastically reduce the number of nursing sessions that you do per day.

Many people just continue to nurse as usual right up until the first day of daycare/return to work, and they may just have had their baby practice with a cup/bottle ahead of time so they know that their baby can take liquids in another way. Recommendations say that a child at a year doesn’t necessarily need replacement ‘MILK’ (pumped/cow/ formula etc) as long as they are breastfeeding two or more times per day. Water and food can be enough during the day, and baby can nurse and make up for it when you’re together again….. get ready to be tackled!!

3. BE READY TO PUMP OR EXPRESS IF NEEDED.

Sometimes moms are told that if they pump they will increase their milk supply (which can be helpful if needed see blog HERE. )…. If you are stopping, reducing or skipping a feed, then your body is still expecting that you will need that feed as usual and the milk will be ready. If you skip the feed then you may become very full and uncomfortable. Pumping or hand expressing just a little bit (not to empty the breast as much as usual) can be helpful and necessary to prevent painful engorgement and even mastitis. You’d still be removing less milk than usual, so you would still technically be weaning.

If you want to maintain your milk supply, or collect and provide expressed breastmilk for baby while you’re away, then you may want to pump once or twice for 10-15 minutes, and collect as much as you can. More pumping advice HERE.

4. TEACH BABY ANOTHER WAY TO FALL ASLEEP

If you nurse your baby to sleep, it can be very helpful to give them a chance to ALSO learn another way of falling asleep. I never stopped nursing to sleep whenever I was home, at bedtime or on weekends, but I made sure that during the few weeks before my return to work, my babes were able to practice being rocked, walked in a baby carrier, back rubbed etc to sleep.

If possible, ask your daycare provider what they are able to do for nap time, and what the usual routine is. Will they be willing to provide individual care? Rocking babies etc? Then have another member of your family give it a try a few times. At around 1 year, most babies are able to figure out that when mom is here they get to breastfeed, but when dad/partner/nana/friend/caregiver is here, I get the other way.

5. KNOW THAT IT WILL GET BETTER WITH TIME….

Everyone needs time to learn a new thing, practice a new way, and get used to a big change. Just like we can feel sad or nervous, babies will still have big feelings and nursing when we are with them can be a wonderful way to re-connect. Research shows that nursing even a couple of times per day can be very helpful for reducing illness during the transition to a new daycare situation, so it can really be worth it to keep it going if possible. Your body and your baby will adjust to the new routine.

If you need more help setting up a plan or want to discuss all the options for you and your situation, feel free to reach out for a chat, or schedule a ‘Return to Work’ consult with us.  We’d love to help!

http://www.nutmegconsulting.ca

The post Returning to Work AND Breastfeeding? It can be done! appeared first on Nutmeg Consulting.

Whatever your breastfeeding story, it is very common to have at least a few struggles with breastfeeding especially in the first week. Whether it’s a painful latch, a sleepy baby, constant crying or someone telling you that baby isn’t getting enough, there are lots of challenges you might encounter. Most of us didn’t grow up in a village where all the mothers were topless and sat around a fire breastfeeding all day. If we had, more of us would find breastfeeding natural, instinctive and easy….but for many, it’s not. It’s something you need practice, help, and time to get good at. Also, there are some great tricks that can make a big difference if you know about them, so that’s where I come in!

Now Presenting: The top 4 things that will help you keep breastfeeding, even when things aren’t quite perfect at the start…..

1. Learn about Hand Expression

If there is ANY reason a baby is having trouble breastfeeding in the first few days after birth, hand express your colostrum every 2-3 hours. You might only get a few drops but it signals your body that you’re still ‘IN’ for becoming a breastfeeder and that you would like to request a great milk supply. We can figure a lot of things out later about a deep latch, nipple comfort and excess weight loss if your body is reminded to continue making milk. Check out a great Hand Expression video here

2. Spoons are made for babies too!

If your baby isn’t able to get colostrum out of your breast the ‘usual’ way because he’s tongue-tied, sleepy, it hurts you or he just can’t latch, then use a spoon! First, read #1 and watch that video. Now hand express right into a spoon & give it to the baby! Spoons are easy to use, hold small amounts (which is usually all newborns need anyway….seriously!) and you can express your thick colostrum right into it so you don’t lose your 3 precious drops in the pump valve thingy!

3. Take off your shirt and hold your naked baby.

This one seems simple and obvious once you learn about how much ‘skin-to-skin holding’ can improve breastfeeding outcomes. Most parents however, think they’re supposed to immediately put their new baby in all the cute outfits and hats they’ve had washed and waiting for this moment…. I don’t blame you, that outfit IS super cute, BUT if your baby is having trouble waking up, calming down, latching or is cold, I promise that the science here is right. Mama’s chest is the place to be. Put your feet up, get comfy and hold your baby.

4. Keep trying, and get help.

Ask for help, ask for more help, then if you still need help, find different help…and CALL ME! Breastfeeding takes practice. Learning about a few ‘normal’ things can make a big difference in your confidence too.

• Shaping your breast the SAME direction as the baby’s mouth will help him get a deeper latch
• The tiny amount of colostrum that babies actually need
• That weight loss in the first week is NORMAL (get help if it’s more than 10-12%) because of ‘water weight’
• That breastfed babies need to SUCK! (That’s what brings your milk in so don’t expect to sleep longer than an hour or two in a row for a while!)

The sooner you find help the better, but even if things aren’t perfect right from the start, try these things and your breastfeeding career really can continue almost always, if you are a bit stubborn, a bit knowledgeable and just a little bit lucky.

The post TOP 4 Things You Can Do if Breastfeeding Your Newborn Just Isn’t Working… appeared first on Nutmeg Consulting.