The first two nights in the hospital and having to breastfeed my newborn was tiring. I could have cried because I felt like I was not producing enough colostrum for my baby to drink. By the third day, my nipples felt raw due to my baby's latching difficulties. My son's mouth was suctioned for over three minutes after birth.
He swallowed amniotic fluid during labor which caused him to not scream once I gave birth to him. His latching didn't improve until about the fifth day of constant breastfeeding. Which unfortunately for me meant extremely sore and aching nipples.
However, I still was reluctant enough to have the motivation to keep on breastfeeding without using a nipple shield.
This blog post is going to give you my tips on how I have been successful at breastfeeding my now almost 11 pounds 5 and a half week old baby boy. So let's get into the tips that I have to share.
Tip 1: The main way you will have a steady and increase the flow of milk is by nipple stimulation.
I learned this from my lactation specialist when I was going through the first two weeks of actually getting my breastmilk to come in and to build up. By constantly allowing your baby to be on your nipples you will be able to produce more milk and enough milk to satisfy your baby.
Tip 2: If you will be exclusively breastfeeding think about getting a pump no matter if it is manual or electric.
I have found that pumping my breast when I have a breast overload especially in the early mornings pays off. For me and my baby; I have found that breastfeeding him on my overly filled breast can cause him to spit up breastmilk even after he has burped.
By simply grabbing my electric pump and pumping my overly filled breast down gives me extra milk to store away.
Tip 3: Water and Breastmilk Teas are key to a constant flow.
If you are not a mama that's big on drinking water then water enhancers should become your best buddy when trying to get your water intake for the day, especially when and while your breastfeeding or even pumping. You should be drinking at least close to a gallon of water a day and you can incorporate teas that are specially made to increase your breastmilk into your day to day routine.
My favorite two teas right now that boost up my milk production are the Mother's Milk Tea and the Organic Milkmaid Tea. I don't go overboard with the "tea boosters." I only do one to two cups spaced out during the day of one brand of tea.
Tip 4: Rinse or wash your nipples during the day throughout feedings & change breast pads frequently.
I can't stress the importance of keeping your nipples clean in between feedings throughout the day. Rinsing your nipples with lukewarm water over the sink with a little bit of soap can help you decrease the bacteria and soothe your nipples. Think about it like this, you wouldn't want to stick a dirty pacifier from straight out of your diaper bag into your babies mouth. Keep your nipples clean and be sure to change your breast pads during the day as well to decrease any bacteria and to keep your chances of getting thrush on your nipples low.
Tip 5: Massage your breast during feedings and even clasp your breast forming the letter c with your hands (four fingers on the bottom and your index on the top portion of your breast) to encourage milk to let down.
I have found this tip to really be a great help to me while breastfeeding. You can truly notice a difference during your sessions and encourage your breast to fill back up with milk, by just emptying your breast. Trust me when I say you will know when your breast are filling back up with milk, because of a tingling sensation you will start to feel. If you want to be successful at breastfeeding emptying your breast is also a great way to go.
Here are two links that you can use to assist you along the way:
https://www.breastfeeding-problems.com/
http://www.llli.org/faq/colostrum.html
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