Breastfeeding can be an emotionally and physically demanding journey. One that I think takes some new moms by surprise because after all it’s “natural,” right? Wrong. For many new moms, breastfeeding does not come easy. In this post, I’ll share my experiences, advice, and some must have items as a breastfeeding mama.
Note: Some of these links contain affiliate links which means at no additional cost to you I may earn a small commission if you bought any of those products.
What to Expect
1. Latch Issues
2. Sore Nipples
3. Oversupply
Oversupply is an issue for some women. It’s when your body overproduces milk. In most cases, your body will regulate your breast milk production after a few weeks once it learns how much and how often your baby actually eats. In my case, my supply took several months to regulate. Oversupply can lead to plugged ducts and mastitis which can be very painful. If this happens to you, call your doctor.
Over producing milk made my breastfeeding experience much more complicated. I could not feed my baby without milk squirting everywhere like milk guns or choking her or needing a towel around to clean up the mess it made. I produced so much milk I could have cured world hunger.
In any case, whether you are an oversupply or under supply mama, I highly recommend wearing breast pads AT ALL TIMES! You do not want the leaky boob shirt. I liked these Organic Bamboo Nursing Pads because they were reusable and washable so I could protect the planet and my shirt!
4. Low Supply
Ironically enough, with my second child I had issues with under supply. I think my body was trying to tell me it made enough the first time around so this time it was going to take it easy. Having a low supply is stressful because your baby will get irritated at the breast and obviously left hungry. If you have low supply, you can try pumping after feedings to stimulate the breasts and milk supply.
The most important part about breastfeeding and protecting your supply is making sure you are eating enough! Now is not the time to worry about your baby weight or going on a diet. And, if you’re lucky like me the first time around, breastfeeding actually helped me lose all of my baby weight and then some. But, you have to take care of yourself, eat healthy foods, eat enough of them, and drink lots of water.
There are supplements and teas you can take and drink that have fenugreek in them that can also help with supply. Check out Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk Tea or Motherlove More Milk Herbal Breastfeeding Support supplement.
5. Nursing in Public
You may think that you are going to be perfectly comfortable breastfeeding in public, and I hope that you are, but for some it doesn’t come that easy. There are covers that you can use in public to help make you feel more comfortable if you’re worried about people “seeing” anything. I highly recommend getting a nursing cover that has multiple uses. This nursing cover can also be used to cover your car seat on cold or rainy days or to keep any unwelcome strangers from touching your baby!
6. Pumping
Pumping was my most dreaded part of breastfeeding. I had no idea what to do and I was stressed and overwhelmed. Make sure you have the right equipment and supplies. It’s also important to get a good hands-free pumping bra like this Bravado Hands Free Pumping Bra.
Do yourself a favor and purchase this Pumpin’ Mamas Course by Katie Madden, a lactation consultant. I HIGHLY recommend this course because it was a life saver. I learned about how much to pump, when to pump, how to store my milk properly, and most importantly how many bottles I would need to leave behind for my baby while at work.
I hope that you have found this information useful. Breastfeeding can be very stressful and overwhelming, but it is also a bonding experience for you and your baby that offers many benefits for years to come. Best of luck to you and baby!
Want to know what else you can expect as a new mom? Check out my blog post Unspoken Truths of Motherhood.
[…] Like what you’ve read? Check out what else I had to say about breastfeeding in this post here. […]