Top Breastfeeding Tips

Hi, I recently uploaded two videos to my YouTube Channel about breastfeeding tips and my breastfeeding story and thought I would also put the information into a blog post.

I breastfed each of my boys for 1 year successfully and I feel that I have lots of tips and that I learnt a lot. Also, in the first week after birth, both of my boys put on weight where babies normally lose weight so I was very proud of that! 

To watch my video on breastfeeding tips:

To hear my breastfeeding story: 

My top breastfeeding tips are:

1. Make sure your latch is correct
   Make sure the baby’s mouth covers the whole nipple.  This is SO important and this NHS video really helped me to understand the latch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKVxVfCGHqw
2. Drink plenty of water
   This is so important for your milk flow and your healing after birth! To help me remember to drink water I hid large bottles of mineral water all over the house - under the baby chair in the nursery, in the sofa and everywhere I would feed. I always tried to drink water when I was feeding (and do my pelvic floor muscles).
3. Remember to eat!
   For some reason I went from being pregnant and getting ‘hangry’ almost every 2 hours when I was pregnant to completely losing my appetite once my baby was born. Remember to eat enough to give yourself and your milk nutrients. You require an extra 500 calories a day too so don't diet straight away! I used to also eat a pastry or cake at around 5:00pm so that the fat from that food would be in my 7:00pm milk.
4. Get help
   In the beginning feeding is a 24 hour job – tell your spouse, mum etc. to get you a pint of water and a snack every time you sit down to feed. You look after baby, they look after you.
5. Nipple pads When I was breastfeeding my chest got HUGE! And normal breast pads would slide around and not protect my clothes sometimes. So I found a solution, thin sanitary pads. They cover so much more and the big strip of glue alog the back meant they never slid around!
6. Don’t clock watch When I first started breastfeeding I downloaded apps on my phone to record what time they fed, how long for etc. and I got a bit obsessed with it. I would recommend not doing this in the early days and feeding on demand and by your instinct. You never know when your baby is having a growth spurt!
7. Predict hunger and try If my nipples were sore I found it less painful if I tried to feed my baby when he was nearly due a feed then wait until he cried and was wound up and starving.
8. Relax
   I know this is easier said than done but it really does help with the milk flow. I noticed this when I was expressing – if I was slightly stressed, I got way less milk. Try not to think about work r argue with your partner etc. when you are feeding.
9. Support
   In the form of a breastfeeding chair or pillow. I had the ‘My Breast Friend’ pillow from John Lewis and I loved it!
10. Take a supplement
    I took the Vitabiotics Pregnacare Supplements throughout my pregnancy and while breastfeeding to enrich my milk with omega 3 and other vitamins.
11. Buy nice bras
    It is hard to feel glamorous or attractive when you are feeling like a cow being milked! Your saving lots of money on formula so treat yourself to some nice breastfeeding bras. I loved Elle McPhearson bras, H &M and Figleaves.
12. How to know if a baby is getting enoughAs long as your baby is gaining weight, seeming satisfied after a feed e.g. ‘milk drunk’ and having yellow poo twice a day then you are doing great!