BREASTFEEDING BASICS, WHERE DO I EVEN START?

I'm sure most new mothers can agree that no matter how many books you read, doctors you see or classes you take there is still always something that happens as a new parent that you question.. what do I do??  The one topic I found to be the most confusing was breastfeeding. There was so much to learn and it all started the second I heard my baby girl cry for the first time. I realized I was her meal ticket to good health, steady growth and breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, midnight snack, 2 am snack.. well, you get the point. 

So as a new mom I thought I would give the best advice I had to moms who are interested in breastfeeding, are breastfeeding or are just curious as to what this whole thing is about, because let me tell you, it will be a constant job on your part, but it also is the biggest feeling of accomplishment when you are able to successfully do it month after month. 

First off, I want to make sure I make myself clear, I am not a licensed professional, I am simply a first time mom with experience that is still fresh in my mind. If you have any medical questions please make sure to ask your pediatrician or lactation specialist. 

To get you started here are the basics of MUST haves to get you started:

1) Breast pump
A piece of advice, ask your doctor to write you a prescription for this ahead of time, you will be surprised based on your insurance how many will cover it, if not 100% then some part. A really good one can cost you in the amounts of $300. I had mine billed thru insurance at the hospital, and my insurance paid for 80% of it and even had it delivered to my hospital room before I left. Talk about saving money and time!  I have the Medela Pump In Style Advanced. It has been great so far and works amazing on road trips due to its battery option.  

2) Milk Storage bags
If you are interested in buying in bulk, a great website for new moms is amazonmom.com You can join a subscription and find things at a much cheaper rate,everything from breast milk bags to diapers to wipes. Truly a money saver!

3) Hands free bra
You will find there are not enough hands to do everything, and the last thing you want is to be holding these lovely funnels up to your nipples for 20 min while a baby is crying or needing something.  The hands free Easy Expressions was one of my best investments!  

Now that you have your basics and your bundle of joy is finally here, it's time to pump, pump, pump it up!

Some tricks to getting and keeping a great supply:

1) The one thing I found super important right away is finding a routine. It will not only help your baby establish a sense of stability, but as well will help your body build up milk supply and be available for baby when needed.  I chose the method of PDF (parent directed feeding). This allowed me to every 2 1/2-3 hours feed my baby, and then pump following her feeding.  Within a week I had a great milk supply that came in, and was able to begin my back stock of milk. 
Every woman is different, some women like to nurse and only pump a few times a day, others like to pump and then give baby the bottle, whatever your method that's fine as long as you try to keep on top of every 2 1/2-3 hours.  It's also very important to make sure you clear out your milk ducts after breastfeeding to keep from getting Mastitis. 

2) Make sure you drink plenty of fluids. I found it tough some days and love to add some crystal light to my water to make it taste more enjoyable.  Gatorade is also known to help boost supply as well as orange juice.  Plus doesn't hurt getting extra vitamin c in there!

3) Healthy variety of good fats, proteins, fruits and veggies are key to both baby and mommy! Your body is working hard burning 500 calories a day, try to refuel it with healthy calories.

4) Be conscious of your milk and times as much as possible. I felt like the first few weeks my life was controlled by baby eating, pumping, diaper changing, quick nap and then do all over again, which was true, However staying aware of time was my foundation for obtaining a good milk supply. 

5) The one question that probably crosses every new moms mind is "Am I producing enough? Is my baby getting enough to eat?"  Your baby will eat till he or she is full, and pumping after helps to clear out the rest of the milk, however it also sends a signal to your body to make more, seeing as it thinks that's how much your baby needs for next time. This is how I was able to build up my supply before returning to work.  When you get comfortable with what back up supply you have you can start backing off the constant pumping. I now only do 3-4 times a day, where as when she was born I would pump sometimes up to 8 times a day. Not every woman has time for that, so do as your schedule allows. You will know your baby is getting enough to eat by monitoring their diapers. If they have at least 8-10 wet diapers in a day, and 2-3 stool's a day, you have a healthy growing newborn. They may have times they go thru a growth spurt and you need to feed before the 2 1/2 hours and that's ok. One trick I found was I would give my baby a bottle of my breast milk at these times to fill her up, so I could see that she was eating a nice full meal. 

Lastly be patient and kind to yourself.  You're a new mom, you and your baby are figuring this all out, and I promise you will look back week by week and realize, this was easy, and totally worth it.  :)