5 Tips for Breastfeeding Moms
I remember sitting in the hospital room after having our first baby like it was yesterday. I was full of love, excitement, and oh so tired! Never did I imagine the number of nurses, consultants, and doctors that enter your room during your hospital stay. It felt like our hospital door was revolving, but one of my most valued experiences was with the lactation consultant. The nurses shared with me that we would need to supplement with formula because my milk wasn’t in yet, which was crushing to hear because I wanted to breastfeed so badly. The pressure to breastfeed is very real for a mom (new or experienced), and takes a strong support system to cheer her on to keep going and to let her know when it’s okay to stop. Breastfeeding is definitely a mind game.
Now that I am breastfeeding baby number three, I think it’s time to share five things I’ve learned along the way. I hope you find at least one of them helpful or useful!
1. Take Care of YOU! (The mama!)
It can be extremely challenging to care for and bond with a new baby when he/she is sucking the life out of you (literally!). Take time for yourself to relax without the baby. Hot showers with eucalyptus leaves, lavender body butter, something that gives you a small sense of YOU before you had your baby. Your sanity matters. You can’t fill the tank of others if your tank is empty.
2. If you’re pumping, quit washing bottle parts in the middle of the night!
This was HUGE for me with my first-born. Once our first-born was sleeping through the night, I continued to pump at 3 AM to build up a frozen supply of milk. Someone told me to throw my pump parts in a zip lock bag and put them in the fridge instead of immediately washing them. Then once you have gotten ready for your day, revisit the bag of pump parts and wash. Raise your hand if you want to go to bed sooner or stay up washing pump parts?! Exactly.
3. Buy a Haakaa
I did not have a Hakka with my first two babies, but man do I wish I had! What is a Hakka? It’s a silicone breast pump that attaches to your breast through hand suction and catches milk as it is expressed. Look into it HERE or HERE, you may love it! I’ve been able to save more milk because of the Haakaa.
4. Ask your insurance provider about breast pumps
Now that I have had three kids I’ve used multiple breast pumps. There are pros and cons to them all! One thing I learned is that they are not all designed to use the same parts. For example, the circumference around the top of a bottle used to pump might not match the circumference of the bottle for another brand pump. Yes, there are adapters, but again why do you want to wash more pump parts? I learned, too, the value of a pump that does not have to be attached to an electrical outlet. I read a poll once comparing two pumps on a mom blog and there was no “winner” pump because everyone’s experience is very different. You do you!
Aeroflow Breastpumps specializes in helping moms receive the very best medical equipment and supplies (like breast pumps, maternity compression, postpartum recovery items, and more) for each unique stage of motherhood for little to no cost through insurance!
It’s simple! Just visit Aeroflow Breastpumps website and fill out their quick and easy Qualify Through Insurance Form with basic health insurance info!
The Lansinoh Smartpump 2.0 is one to research! It’s their newest and ultra-quiet double electric breast pump. This pump features a backlit LCD screen, is lightweight, and has a carrying handle. The Lansinoh Smartpump uses Bluetooth to track and monitor your pumping sessions. Bonus? It comes with an AC adapter, but can also be used with batteries or a car adapter for on-the-go pumping!
5. Buy multiple nursing bras …… that you actually like!
You have to wear them, so they might as well be bras you feel confident and comfortable in! Nursing bras are expensive…heck all bras are expensive. Buy, try, return, and keep what you like. It’s like a scavenger hunt sometimes. Some stores, like Nordstrom, will convert a bra into a nursing bra for you for a small price. I’ve found awesome nursing bras at Target and Soma. I say all that fully knowing I have a nursing bra that looks like it came straight out of the 1920’s and that’s what I call that bra… “1920’s” I’ll spare you the details but I’m sure you can imagine. Ha!
I have loved my breastfeeding journey with my littles(mastitis three times and all). There can be an unspoken pressure a mom puts on herself to breastfeed and be good at it. It’s challenging and wonderful at the same time. There’s a Taylor Swift lyric, “Yeah, we’re happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time. It’s miserable and magical.” That is breastfeeding. If you have a tip or trick that has helped you along the way please share! We are a community of women that support each other and everyone is the expert at their own experience!
