Top Breastfeeding Tips and Pitfalls

The value of parenting education is priceless. It helps gives us the tools and the confidence to be better parents and to enjoy the journey with less anxiety because we have more confidence in ourselves and our abilities.  I started my MomPrep Studio to provide educational classes centered around prenatal and postpartum topics. I have passionately tried to create a curriculum that empowers parents rather than make them feel judged or criticized for their choices. Parenting is a dynamic landscape and what is right for one family is not necessarily right for another. It is about being able to access reliable and up to date information so you can make educated and informed choices for your family.  That is why I am thrilled to announce my partnership with the very like minded Birth Day Presence. Their supportive and unbiased approach to teaching has made them leaders in be prenatal and postpartum educating space and together we will be launching a new series of classes centered around these philosophies.  Birth Day Presence is one of the premier Childbirth Education and Doula Services in NY. They have served over six thousand expectant and new families in NYC area since 2002! I truly hope that you will get to experience one of our classes and that we empower you to Love With Confidence.

 To celebrate our partnership and so that you can get to know the accomplished owners of Birth Day Presence, I have asked Jada Shapiro and Anna Merrill, to blog on a series of topics I know you’ll find fascinating and informative. So raise your mocktails and let’s toast to MomPrep and Birth Day Presence! 

~ Rosie x

To read more about Birth Day Presence and Jada and Anna, click here.

MomPrep by Birth Day Presence classes will be starting in October 2014 in our NY Stores, click here for class schedules.

Breastfeeding is easy and natural, right? You give birth, place the baby at your breast and poof! The baby finds the nipple and starts suckling, and you are now a breastfeeding mama. Well, the good news is that this actually does happen a lot of the time. (If you have never seen a baby perform the miraculous Breast Crawl, Google it now to watch some amazing videos of babies literally crawling up their mother’s chests and starting to suckle on their own.) Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work out that way for the moms who are missing out on critical support and information that would help make their early breastfeeding moments easier and smoother. Which is why, in order to help you get off to the best start possible we’ve put together a list of tips every mom-to-be who wants to breastfeed should know about ahead of time.

1. If all is well with your baby at birth, ask to keep the baby on your chest, in skin-to-skin contact, from birth until after initial breastfeeding is complete. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends not removing a healthy baby from its mother’s chest until after the first feeding has occurred. In fact, it’s not just that first moment of cuddling that’s important- the more time your baby spends on your chest in the early days after birth, the more oxytocin and prolactin you will produce. (These are two of the critical hormones in milk production.)
2. Delay all initial newborn procedures (such as eye ointment, vitamin K shot, weighing, etc.) until after the first feed, if baby is healthy. Best way to do this? Ask your midwife or doctor now about delaying these procedures at birth. Also ask your labor nurse, since she is actually in charge of these procedures. Why do this? The AAP acknowledges that if we just let the baby be, a mother is much more likely to breastfeed, because the baby will most often latch on on its own. When you move the baby from its mother it can disrupt the natural instinct the baby has to move toward the mother’s nipple and add one more hurdle to breastfeeding. When it’s time to do the procedures almost each one, besides weighing, can be done right on your chest.
3. If for whatever reason the first two tips don’t happen, don’t worry! Place your baby in skin-to-skin contact on your chest whenever you can, once baby is cleared to come to you.
4. Always nurse your baby at the earliest sign of hunger (mouth motions, tongue sticking out, rooting) or soon after baby wakes up, and let baby latch on to your breast whenever your baby seems hungry. Milk production is dependent on your baby suckling at the breast! Ignore any advice to hold off on feeding your baby for at least 3 hours. That’s old (and wrong) news! Newborns need to eat every 1.5 to 3 hours!
5. Don’t let anyone give your baby a bottle until breastfeeding is well established (2 to 4 weeks for most babies). Yes, we all want to sleep through the night. However, the amount of milk you make depends directly on how often you nurse your baby. Bottlefeeding in the first days after birth means less time at the breast. DO let people help you in the middle of the night by doing everything else for you and the baby besides feeding…changing diapers, soothing, swaddling, etc.
6. BUT…if you are having a hard time with breastfeeding in the early days, the most important thing is that you feed the baby! You can try a bottle or other options include eyedroppers, tiny cups, feeding syringe etc. Give yourself a break and do what you need to do. But do call a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for assistance or go to a lactation support group like La Leche League or your local hospital’s group because if you’re having a hard time, you need help as soon as possible.
7. Last, but not least: Don’t assume PAIN is normal! If you are in pain or have bleeding and cracked nipples, get help immediately. This is a sign that the baby is not latching in an ideal way. Not only does it hurt you, it means you may not be making enough milk. So get the help mentioned in #6 as soon as you can.

In all cases, you need to do what works best for you and your family. Breastfeeding, like birth and any new undertaking in life, takes practice and support. Go easy on yourself in the early days and ask for help if you need it! Remember breastfeeding does not have to be all or nothing.