Keep baby nearby: If you can, keep the baby in your room at night, once you figure out how to feed laying down it’s really helpful for getting sleep. Most babies don’t even cry when they’re hungry, they have a way to tell you they are hungry before they cry. Rowan starts breathing through his nose really fast and moving his head all around. I hear this and I take him into bed and laying down I feed him and I usually fall back to sleep and so does he. It’s way better then sitting up and having my head keep falling because I’m so tired. I was doing that in the beginning because I couldn’t do it lying down, it hurt. But after I got used to it a little I tried it again and it’s much more restful. I’ve also heard of a lot of people who drop their babies because they are too tired feeding them. So if you’re up and exhausted make sure you’ve got the boppy and pillows or something supporting the baby so if you fall asleep the baby doesn’t fall.
Flashlight: Have a little flashlight or glow thing handy, it’s hard to get the nipple in the mouth in the dark, especially if it’s sore.
Pumping: If you pump breastmilk and you don’t get much milk, don’t worry. Pumping is a learned skill and takes practice. Also, your baby is way more effective then the pump. It took me 11 weeks before I would try pumping. It’s a very different feeling and it took me 8 min to get 2 oz. And my milk supply was very well established and rowan was 14 pounds! So I know the boobs were working. It’s a mental thing too, try relaxing and thinking about the baby. As I write this I am still struggling with pumping. Also, if you are going to pump a lot, get a good pump. You can rent them too. And if your nipples are sore don’t pressure yourself to pump in the first week, your nipples will only get less sore as time goes on.
August 19th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
[...] Tara?s breastfeeding tips: Part 4 at Leche, Baby! - [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Great advice! Personal experience is a great teacher