Nursing Journey Pt. 2: Breastfeeding Tips and Tools
Happy and fed
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a few coins if you purchase an item at no extra cost to you. Also, please note that the links and items listed were available via the vendor at the time of this writing (Aug. 2020).
In my first post, I discussed the motivation behind my decision to breastfeed and the highs and lows of those first few months. Now I’m going to share a few tools and tips that helped me navigate this journey in hopes that some will help you or any nursing mothers you may know.
Spanish Road Trip 2019 - Oviedo
TIPS
Figure out your why
Do you want to bond with your baby? Do you want to help your uterus recover? Do you want to save money? Do you want to figure out all the hype and see if this is something you can do yourself?
Some even do it for the “snap back” and weight loss benefits (calories burned). Whatever your reason(s) identify them and remember them in those moments when you feel like giving up.
Knowing your “why” will help you on the road ahead, especially when you hit detours and pot holes.
Anticipate the potholes
For example, my daughter didn’t want to drink out of a bottle. And we tried everything, talked to various experts, looked at websites and books. But, and perhaps I was too tired and drained to “enforce the rules,” she didn’t drink out of a bottle after a few successful attempts at 3 weeks postpartum.
And for this reason, I was definitely sleep deprived. Some swear by various methods and have tried them all. Maybe we’ll have better luck this go-round.
I know if we were both working instead of me staying at home, I’m sure Lavi would have definitely opted for the bottle over breast much sooner. But she chose the option that she preferred and that was all naturale!
In Part 3, I go into a few of my major potholes and how I overcame them.
Solid support matters
I was fortunate enough to not only have the support of the local breastfeeding support group but my husband. It mattered that he encouraged and respected my decision to nurse our daughter.
He understood the benefits and did what he could to make it easy for me. From heating or cooling nursing pads, to cooking extra food that nourished my body as I battled hunger pangs and fatigue, he was my champion.
Say cheese!
Be honest with yourself and others
If it hurts, it hurts. If you feel miserable, you feel miserable. Don’t sugar coat or pretend that it’s a walk in the park or a piece of cake if it’s not.
I’m not saying you default to sulking and complaining. But I also don’t want to suggest “toughening it out” because you might be tempted to reject help or remain silent when struggling.
Join groups, forums, whatever you need to connect with people who can relate to and encourage you throughout the various phases of the journey. You can even journal your thoughts in those spare moments when your brain is awake and you’re tired of binging on a show or movies.
Know your body and pay attention to your child
And that brings me to this point. Pay attention to the changes that happen. It may seem strange to include this, but it’s not. Make note of what you’re feeling. What happens when you’re having a let down (that moment as the milk surges into your ducts right before it’s time to feed your baby)?
For me, it was an odd sensation and even saying the word brings about an odd phantom moment. Your body might signal a let down right before it’s time to feed your baby or when your baby cries. I recall very few letdowns when my baby cried. Instead, mine was on some type of internal clock synched with hers.
Remember you’re learning together and everything is all over the place with a new baby (even if this isn't your first)
So don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s easy to say that (especially now that I’ve been out of the game for 5 months) but it’s true. You are doing the best you can and know how so extend grace to yourself.
It took me roughly 6 weeks before I got the hang of it.
A few people told me it would get better by the 6th week. I didn’t want to believe it would take so long, but it really did take 6 weeks and just when I wanted to give up and throw up my hands, everything did fall into place and we found our rhythm.
And even when I did get into a rhythm, it was still tough and bumpy, but I knew and remembered my why.
Facts and affirmations...affirmations and facts
If your mind is foggy and you can’t think of anything nice to say to yourself, get a deck of affirmation cards to read to yourself daily or weekly or whenever you remember.
That also goes to facts. Some people will try to convince you that what you’re doing is primitive or maybe it’s too (fill in the blanks) and they don’t think your baby is getting enough food. Most of these people have never breastfed and honestly don’t know what they’re talking about.
Maybe they raised five healthy kids on formula. Maybe they don’t have children or only heard about the horror stories of mastitis and pain.
Whatever the case, you’ve been entrusted with your child(ren) and God chose you to raise them. So you’re doing your best and your babies will be fine. Know your facts, know your why and do what you know to be best for your child.
Snacks and entertainment
I had a nursing caddy. It was a little felt storage container that I used to store snacks, nursing items (nipple shields, nipple cream, wipes, water bottle, etc.) so that I didn’t constantly have to get up and grab something. I loved it!
You’ll find that nursing can be time consuming. Whether you’re back in the office or at home, pumping takes time.
Feeding takes time. Stash up on snacks and something to keep you entertained. Yes, watch your baby stare into their eyes, and know that there’s nothing wrong if you decide to watch something on TV while nursing your child. We all do it.
Your bra and bedsheets and other things might get soaked
Milk, milk, milk! Everywhere.
On my bras, sheets, clothes. And you feel like a walking napkin with the baby vomiting and drool and tears and whatever sweat you get from hot flashes.
If you’re like me, you might have a high production. For nighttime surges and co-sleep feeding, get Chucks (those medical pads that are used when you’re recovering from bleeding in the hospital) and place them under your fitted sheet.
You’ll thank me later and so will your sheets and mattress.
Timeline
Liquid gold!
Some might ask you how long you plan to nurse. Some might question you if you go past whatever they think is “too long.” Again, it’s your baby, your journey and your timeline.
You can come up with a phrase that is both tactful but also shuts down further interrogation about your decision to nurse your child.
“I’m nursing my baby until you produce enough milk to nurse her for me,” gets the point across, though I wouldn’t call it tactful (I might just use it though). But in all seriousness, you might decide to go for 3 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months 2 years, etc. Your body, your baby.
It’s based on what works for you and your circumstances. I had planned on going until my daughter was 18 months, but got pregnant with our second before then and I wanted to give my body a break.
I also experienced nursing aversion (something I’ll touch on in Pt. 3), which made it difficult to continue beyond 15 months.
Storage and other uses
The one thing that you have to consider with nursing is where to store the milk. As you nurse on one side, the other side is leaking milk. So your first order of business is to salvage that precious liquid gold.
Thank you Haaka cup! I used to yield so much extra milk with that bad boy. Once you accumulate milk with the passive pumping method or an active pump you’ll need to store it. So be mindful of how and where you store it.
You can also use it for milk baths, which come in handy if your child develops eczema, cradle cap, etc. Some people report that it helps with pink eye, stretch marks, and
God I miss this tub! This beautiful color is brought to you by Lush Cosmetics bath bomb in “goddess”
TOOLS & NETWORKS (affiliate links)
Below are a few tools I used extensively during my first nursing journey. I plan on using them again for this second round of nursing. Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever used any of the following or if you recommend using others.
Tools
Words of Wisdom
Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy (book)
Mama Natural Week by Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth (book)
Breast Pumps
Breast & Nipple Care
Nursing Pads
Diaper Caddy (can be used for stashing nursing tools and snacks)
Medical Absorption Pads (also good for changing tables)
Stay hydrated! It should go without saying, but if you decide to breastfeed, you’ll need to stay hydrated.
Support
Your hospital and La Leche League would have a list of local breastfeeding support groups. In addition to the tips from the Naval Hospital, including one of the fabulous nurses (Erin) who let me vent in her office about my frustrations and my husband’s Command Ombudsman (Rebecca), who is a nurse and nursed her own children), I also used the following support networks to help me get through the valleys:
Breastfeeding support group in Rota, Spain
Home visiting nurse program
Other nursing moms and friends
Black breastfeeding Facebook groups
Instagram accounts and hashtags, such as: #breastfeeding #breastfeedingmama #blackmom #normalizebreastfeeding #breastmilk #motherhood #nationalbreastfeedingweek #worldbreastfeedingweek #fedisbest #breastfeedingjourney #breastfeedingjourney #breastfeedingmom @jaleesa_desine @blackbreastfeedingclub @thlactatingmama @breastfeedingmagazine @blackmomsbreastfeed @mamaglow @chocolatemilkmommies
In Part 3, I’ll cover a few unexpected potholes and challenges I overcame while breastfeeding as well as my experience weaning my older daughter and how I’m preparing for breastfeeding round 2.
In the meantime, share any tips or tools you’ve used in the comments below and check out this interview I did with Nurse J (@Jaleesa_desine) on Black moms birthing and breastfeeding journeys for National Breastfeeding Month.