Everything You Need To Know About Breastfeeding

Be Confident

Feeling confident in your own ability to breastfeed is key. One of the major barriers to finding this confidence is that breastfeeding isn’t something we see every day – so naturally, it seems a little alien and daunting. To help normalise things, watch videos, follow breastfeeding influencers and hashtags about breastfeeding support and visit a local breastfeeding drop-in group, too.

Know It’s Not All On You

It’s a common worry that breastfeeding automatically means the parenting load is all on you and that anyone else will struggle to bond with the baby. Remember, breastfeeding is the only thing that can’t be done by others. Bathing the baby, changing nappies and getting the little one dressed are all great opportunities for bonding. 

Remember, Problems Have Solutions

If things get tricky, there is help available and there is no shame in asking for it. Finding informed, objective and compassionate support is often crucial to success. Look for certified breastfeeding counsellors, La Leche League (LLL) leaders, or an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for guidance. 

Go With The Flow

While some babies will naturally show feeding cues from early on, this rarely lasts. It's far more common for young babies to feed at randomly spaced times during a 24-hour period. Responding to their cues and needs as well as your own – for example if your breasts are engorged – you’re more likely to establish a good milk supply and stress less.

Get The Oxytocin Going

Try the hypno-boobing effect. Start by taking three slow breaths, allowing the outward breath to be a little longer than the inward breath. Take a few moments to check in with your body and notice any areas that are tense. Take a deep breath in, and on the outbreath, consciously let these go. Snuggle your baby on your chest, sniff their head, feel their body rising and falling as you breathe, and repeat some affirmations such as “I am proud of everything my body does for me and my baby” and “I am proud of the mother I am”. It works wonders.

Aim For A Good Mouthful 

Our instincts tell us to line the baby up so their mouth is right opposite the nipple. However, if the nipple is opposite the mouth, they won’t bother to open their mouth wide, since there is no incentive for them to do so. They’ll end up sucking on the nipple like a straw instead, which is likely to be painful and ineffective. When the nipple is lying opposite the nose, the baby’s rooting reflex will drive them to tilt their head back a little, reach up towards the nipple, open their mouth wide and bring their tongue forward. This ensures they’ll get a good mouthful of actual breast tissue with the nipple, not just the nipple itself, which is essential for things to be comfortable and easy. Make sure there’s a decent landing pad available for your baby too. If your clothes, bra or fingers are too close to your nipple and areola (the dark bit around the nipple), the baby won't be able to open their mouth properly. If you have large breasts, you may want to try rolling up a muslin or scarf and tucking it underneath. This can help lift the breast away from your tummy and make it easier for you to position the baby.

Lean Back 

Rather than sitting bolt upright, shuffle your bottom forwards a few inches, place a small cushion in the small of your back and then lean back into the chair or sofa so that your upper back and shoulders can relax. If you are leaning back a little, your body will provide some support for your baby. Try bringing your baby’s hips down to sit over your leg, too. This will help them feel relaxed, stimulate their reflexes to feed, take some of the weight off your arms and means you don’t have to faff about too much (or at all) with cushions or pillows. 

Don’t Forget, We’re All Different

There are no hard and fast rules for breastfeeding. When it comes to feeding your baby, women only have two things in common: milk and breasts. After that, anything goes. Every woman has a different milk flow in terms of how much milk our breasts can store and how much comes out of the nipple. And then of courses there’s the baby. Are they really hungry or just after a quick pick-me-up? How old are they? What kind of mood are they in – distracted, hot, sleepy, over-excited, upset? All these things (and more) make it impossible to find one formula to suit everyone. As a rough guide, feeds are generally between five and 45 minutes and if they consistently fall outside of this then it’s worth having an assessment to check how things are going. It’s also always worth offering up the second breast at a feed until you and your baby find a groove. 

Never Compare Your Supply 

Once milk production has been fully established by around two-four weeks after birth, the volume of milk a mother produces hardly changes for the next five months or so, even though the baby should double its birth weight. The composition of the milk changes depending on the age and requirements of the baby. Formula milk is the same mix of ingredients each day and therefore a baby will gradually need more and more of it as the weeks go by. So, if you see a formula fed baby having a bottle and find yourself doubting how your supply will possibly keep up, take a breath – nature has this one sorted. 

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