8 Breastfeeding Tips For New Moms

by Dec 19, 2018Baby, Feeding Baby, Postpartum, What Wednesday0 comments

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

 

You just had a baby for the first time and everything is a blur. You read the baby books but nothing seems to be what you though it would be like.  If you are looking for some “New Mom” advice, well then this post is perfect for you. If you need some tips on how to simply feed your baby the first few days after giving birth, I know you will gain some answers after reading this.

It’s hard for a new mom to learn the ways of your baby. What does your newborn need? Is he hungry, is he tired, is he wet, is he cold? There is no way you could ever figure all of that out instantaneously as a new mom after just giving birth to your first baby. It takes weeks, and even months, to learn your baby’s habits and cries.

 

Related: 15 Mom Bloggers’ Best Advice For New Moms

I know many first time moms go through this initial period of frustration when trying to learn to feed their baby, whether it’s with breastfeeding or a bottle. Plus, the fact that new moms are running on empty with no time to sleep makes for a difficult transition into motherhood.

Someone really close to me recently had their first baby, and that is my cousin, Vanessa. She has written today’s post as a guest on my blog. I am so thrilled to share with you her wisdom from her experiences as a new mom.

 

Vanessa is a first time mom living in Southern California with her husband, Mike.  Bookish and adventurous, pregnancy and motherhood have been quite a shock to her system but she is learning as she goes and adjusting to this new phase of life. An IT Marketing Manager and a political activist, you can hear her thoughts on the world by checking out her podcast @chacharonnepodcast on iTunes, podbean, etc. and can follow her on Twitter @nessienoodle13 and on Instagram @noodlingaround. 

Breastfeeding Tips From A First Time Mom

 Written By: Vanessa Narad Axelsen

First time mom here!

 

We welcomed our bundle of joy on December 3rd – making him less than three weeks old. He arrived via unscheduled but not emergency C section after a day and night of pretty unhelpful labor. So I am slowly recovering and taking care of my stitches and moving slowly, all while trying to learn how a baby works. AND BOY is there a learning curve.  After a few days, the crying has subsided (mine, not the baby – he cries a lot) but that’s the hormones balancing, that isn’t the experience.

We read the books, but it turns out you don’t always absorb the information and you do what you think is right and who knows how the results turn out. For us, it was trial and error, with some better turn outs based on good advice from people we trust.

When I started out breastfeeding I was pretty heavily medicated in the hospital. I’m sure they said a lot of things, but the one that I heard was feed on demand. Whenever your baby is hungry – feed them. So I was feeding every ten minutes. Every time I saw a hunger cue, out comes the breast, baby latches on and away we go. As a result, I am mostly cracked and bleeding and SORE, Everything hurts, the baby wont stop crying, my milk hasn’t actually come in yet, just engorgement and it’s miserable. And I don’t know what to do.

Related: 10 Easy & Safe Postpartum Core Exercises

Seek Help

 

So I reached out to my amazing cousin Jena (you know her as @livecorestrong) and asked her advice since she has been feeding babies for longer than I have been married. I also asked a few other mommy friends and my doctor. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it? Otherwise it was gonna be all formula all the time real quick. 

Related: 5 Best Practices for Self-Care as a Breastfeeding Mom by MamaBuzz

And here is what they said:

1. Use the pump to fix the engorgement – even if its just a few minutes a day
2. Use warm compresses beforehand to soften the tissue
3. Offer 15 – 20 minutes on each breast at each feeding, but do not force the second breast if baby isn’t into it.
After 20 minutes the baby is just comfort nursing, most of the milk happens in the beginning anyway.
4. Feed every two to three hours – NOT on demand. Baby will get enough to eat and you won’t lose your mind. When you go for your well child appointment in the first two weeks, the pediatrician will inform you whether your are feeding the baby enough by measuring babies weight gain or loss. This is a good indicator if your baby is feeding well. 
5. It is totally okay to use a pacifier right away. The doc recommended Soothies by Phillips Aventa. Again this will keep you from losing your mind. Pure hubris on my part to think I didn’t need them. Helps the baby sleep better, and there is some science behind the idea that it helps prevent SIDS.
6. Nipple Shields – game changer. I use them for all day time feedings which gives my nipples a chance to heal and be protected, but doesn’t interfere with feeding in small hours of the night.
7. Nipple cream. SO MUCH nipple cream. I use mother love. The smell is inoffensive and doesn’t have to be wiped off before feedings, the kiddo doesn’t seem to mind the taste.
8. Lastly, breast feeding pads. Stuff em in your bra and wear them all the time. I am a leaky mess, but these will save all my clothes. Hopefully. There are reusables and disposables so whatever works best for you is a good choice. I like the reusables best, but you do you. Did I mention this will save all your clothes? Because I stained a ton before I figured out I need to wear them all the time.

I am sure I will learn more lessons as I go along, and if I’m lucky, Jena will let me continue to share with you all.
Next up – learning to baby wear!
Good luck parents – you got this!

—Vanessa Narad Axelsen

Vanessa’s Picks

Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier

Medela Contact Nipple Shields

Mother Love Nipple Cream

Reusable Natural Bamboo Nursing Pads

I hope you enjoyed learning from the experiences of a new mom. Was there a tip that was mentioned that you had never thought of before or maybe never tried? What has been working best for you as a new mom who’s learning to nurse their newborn? Comment below. We would love to hear from you!

Keep Smiling,

Dr. Jena Bradley, DPT

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

 

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-Jena

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Hi there, friend! I’m Jena, a mom of 4 and a Physical Therapist with a passion to motivate moms! I want to inspire you to be your best self by sharing my experiences and trusted advice on motherhood, health and fitness.

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Postpartum Ab Rehab by Dr. Jena Bradley