Gatorade helps my supply a TON! I am busy running after toddler twins and rarely have the time to drink the amount I should be to be successfully breastfeeding a baby in the 76th percentile for weight. I drink 1-2 a day.
If you are pumping, these flanges are a MUST! This listing is for all the sizes, but if you know what size you would need you can order individually. They are slanted which makes pumping so much more enjoyable. I hated having to sit straight up before I purchased these. Also, having correctly fitting flanges will make a difference in the amount you are able to express.
Absolutely purchase a hands-free bra to use while pumping. No one has time/desire to sit there and hold the flanges!
Do not stress if the baby does not latch immediately. I wish someone had told me that before I had my baby. I was completely freaked out the first 24 hours when he had no interest in nursing. He wanted to sleep. Then a lactation consultant came to my room and told me this was perfectly normal.
REQUEST A LACTATION CONSULTANT! It makes such a huge difference to have support! While you are in the hospital see if they have lactation consultants and request them to come daily.
The Medela shells are a GOD SEND! I wore these the first 6 weeks. My nipples never cracked, bled, hurt, etc. They keep anything from touching them during those weeks of toughening them up. I think they are one of the main reasons I was successful through the difficult first weeks.
Have a nursing position you love! I love to nurse cross-cradle with my boppy. He is 5 months old and I still use my boppy!
Side lying position was incredibly difficult for me when he was a newborn. I have a very large chest, and he was 8 lbs 7 oz at birth. It was still too far of a distance from his mouth to my nipple. After a couple months we were able to do this position at night, and we love it!
Buy Lansinoh Lanolin cream before going to the hospital! This cream goes on your nipples and helps keep them from drying/cracking/bleeding. I used it when I was pumping for my twins. With the Medela shells this time around, I did not need it.
I store my pumped milk in Lansinoh Milk Bags. I did not pump until he was 2 months old. I stored it in 3 ounce increments. I wish I had done 4 ounces. Freeze them laying flat, so they will take up less space.
At 3 weeks old I decided to try a pacifier. I knew you were supposed to wait longer, but I felt like he was using me as a pacifier. He used a pacifier for less than 24 hours. All of a sudden it was taking me 30 minutes to get him latched where as before it was immediate. The only way I can explain it is it felt like he was sucking too soft. It was awful. I thought I had ruined my chances at breastfeeding. I cried and cried. The next day we were back to normal and he never had a pacifier again!
I did not introduce a bottle until he was 2.5 months old. I was worried about nipple confusion, especially after the pacifier incident.
We had Dr. Brown's bottles from our twins, so I tried those first. He would suck them, but it took FOREVER for him to drink a bottle. Nearly 30 minutes for 3-4 ounces. So, I tried the NUK bottle since it more resembles a breast. He does much better with this bottle.
Hi there! I have a question about your blog! My name is Heather and if you could email me at Lifesbanquet1(at)gmail.com that would be great :-)
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