Common Concerns

Help a Mama Out: Surviving the First Few Weeks of Breastfeeding

What tips do you have for surviving the first few weeks of breastfeeding?

Maren: Lots of skin to skin to get those endorphins going so you can take advantage of all that delicious oxytocin (which will make you want to keep breastfeeding, even with things might be tough!)  Take advantage of all of the support you can – it will help normalize the experience so that you feel totally confident in your decision to breastfeed.  And know ahead of time that there is definitely a learning curve, but it only gets better and better, so hang in there!

Amanda: Make sure to talk to your partner about how you need him/her to support breastfeeding and encourage you, even when you get discouraged and feel like giving up!

Jamie: Get the latch correct right away!  Take advantage of the lactation consultants at the hospital and ask for a referral even if you don’t think you will need one.

Andrea: Trust your body!  Skin to skin, lots of water, and lots of rest.

Heather: Surround yourself with at least one supportive person.  I would never have made it through those weeks without the support of my husband.

Alicia: Hire a postpartum doula.

Juli: Surround yourself with women (and men!) who support breastfeeding.  It gets easier – it is definitely worth pushing through the tough parts in the beginning!

Billie: Make really good friends with the lactation consultant and local breastfeeding support group before delivery.  They will be able to offer so much support in those first few weeks.  Trust your supply.  Make sure you are comfortable!

Monica: I went to classes and read books, which helped, but nothing prepares you for the real thing.  Get help early, if you need it.  Hiring a lactation consultant was the best thing I did.  Keep telling yourself you will try it for one more day and one day it will become second nature.  Coconut oil worked wonders on sore nipples.

Christine: OMG… best advice I got was to rub breastmilk around your nipples after every nursing session!  My cracked tatas healed within 2 days of doing that!

Chelle: If it hurts and you are dreading the next nursing session, don’t just tough it out!  Get help ASAP before it gets worse or turns into an issue that makes you quit! Take a prenatal class.  Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn’t mean you will naturally know what to do.

Sarah: Don’t expect anything else from yourself.  Set up what you can ahead of time and find someone else to do everything else that needs to be done.  Establishing your breastfeeding relationship is your job.

Jen: Get a Netflix subscription and ignore the dirty dishes!

Danielle: Don’t do anything but rest, breastfeed, nap, and eat.  Nothing else matters right now.

Abbey: Celebrate every success, no matter how small it seems!

Desiree: Find support!  And be patient…it’s not always easy, but it’s most certainly worth it! 

Sofia: Learn the basics!  Before birth is possible!  Proper latch, how milk supply works, most common myths about breastfeeding, how to know if your baby is getting enough, why it is REALLY important to feed on cue rather than a schedule, why baby doesn’t need ANYTHING else but your breastmilk, etc.

Amanda: Don’t give up! Get help and support!  Spend as much time as you can with your baby (in bed if you can.)

Priscilla: Relax.  Don’t listen to anyone that’s not helpful. Determine your own needs for comfort.

Joanna: Expect to care for your baby and get others to help with meals and housework.

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to our questions on our San Diego Breastfeeding Center and The Boob Group Facebook pages.  Check back every Tuesday for a new Help a Mama Out tip!

 

To find an international board certified lactation consultant, visit www.ilca.org

 

Here are a few more articles on our website, specifically dealing with breastfeeding a newborn:

Advice for a Newly Breastfeeding Mama’s Partner

Breastfeeding Expectations for the First Month

Newborn Hands: Why are they always in the way while breastfeeding?

Advice for the New Breastfeeding Mom

What Advice Do You Wish You Had Heard Before You Started Breastfeeding?

This is a question I hear quite often, so I thought I would share my favorite tips, as well as share the amazing comments we received from our Facebook page when we asked our fellow breastfeeding mamas!

My Top 5 Pieces of Advice Every Woman Should Have Before She Breastfeeds:

1. Find a lactation consultant in your area before you have your baby. 

No one should have to google this information at 3:30 in the morning when you feel like your nipples are going to fall off.  Instead, spend a few minutes on the computer, in between your stroller and diaper research, to find an international board certified lactation consultant who seems like a really great person. Check out her Yelp reviews and ask your friends who they would recommend. 

Common Concerns - Do I Have Mastitis?

Welcome to our blog series…. Common Concerns While Breastfeeding.  These aren’t the complicated, ‘come-to-my-house-immediately’ phone calls I receive.  Rather, these are the questions that come from clients and friends in the middle of the night, by text or by email, that don’t necessarily warrant a lactation consultation.  They can often be easily resolved with a few simple tricks.  So, I would like to share those tricks with you!

Why is my breast so swollen???

Does your breast suddenly feel like it is going to explode, like a balloon, off of your chest?  Does it hurt to breastfeed, yet you know you have to remove your milk ASAP?  Are you starting to feel exhausted and lethargic... not something that can just be blamed on being a new mom?  Sounds like you may have mastitis!

What is mastitis?

How Long Does My Breast Milk Stay Fresh?

Breast milk storage guidelines can be incredibly complicated to decipher.  With each pump company and breastfeeding website having its own storage and handling recommendations, how's a mother to know which one to follow?  Plus, throw in whether the baby is full-term, pre-term, healthy, or in the NICU, and we have quite a confusing situation.

After delving into our lactation consultant guidelines for human milk storage, I think I have the definitive list for you….at least for this year!

 

How long does my breast milk stay fresh?

Here are the recommendations, for a healthy infant, according to the Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice, 2012:

Room Temperature 72 º:   6 -10 hrs.

Refrigerator:  5-7 days

Insulated cooler with ice pack: < 24 hrs.

Completely thawed in the refrigerator: < 24 hrs.

Freezer compartment in 1-door refrigerator: 2 weeks

Freezer door in 2-door refrigerator (not in door): 3-6 months

Deep freezer: 6-12 months

Here are the recommendations for a hospitalized infant, according to the Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice, 2012:

Room Temperature 72 º: < 4 hrs.

Refrigerator:  up to 7 days

Insulated cooler with ice pack: < 24 hrs.

Completely thawed in the refrigerator: < 24 hrs.

Previously frozen, brought to room temperature: <4 hrs.

Freezer compartment in 1-door refrigerator: not recommended

Freezer door in 2-door refrigerator (not in door): < 3 months

Deep freezer: < 6 months

 

How should I store my breast milk?

  • Glass or plastic baby bottles
  • Clean food storage containers with tight-fitting lids
  • Disposable feeding bottle liners and mother’s milk bags

How do I warm my stored breast milk?

  • Never use the microwave to warm up breast milk.  Not only does the milk heat unevenly in the microwave (which could cause unintentional burning), but it decreases the anti-infective quality of the milk and reduces its overall health properties (ABM Protocol #8)
  • Defrost frozen breast milk in either the refrigerator overnight, by running under warm water, or setting it in a container of warm water. (ABM Protocol #8)
  • There have been no studies done to provide recommendations for how long milk can be kept at room temperature after a baby has partially fed from the cup or bottle.  The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recommends using the milk within 1-2 hrs after baby finished feeding.  (ABM Protocol #8)  Many lactation consultants and pediatricians recommend using the rest of the milk at the next feeding sessions and then throwing any leftovers away.

Do I need to sterilize my bottles and nipples?

 

  • Bottles, nipples, and pump pieces need to be sterilized before you first use them.
  • Once a bottle, nipple, or pump piece has been used, sterilizing is unnecessary.  Instead wash everything in hot, soapy water and then rinse, or throw them in the dishwasher.

Less complicated, right?  

I hope that I was able to clarify a few of those difficult-to-figure-out questions you had. 

Now go.... breastfeed, pump, and give that delicious goodness to your child!  And, definitely check back in a few years to see if anything has changed!

Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - Help! I’m Engorged!

Welcome to our blog series…. Common Concerns While Breastfeeding.  These aren’t the complicated, ‘come-to-my-house-immediately’ phone calls I receive.  Rather, these are the questions that come from clients and friends in the middle of the night, by text or by email, that don’t necessarily warrant a lactation consultation.  They can often be easily resolved with a few simple tricks.  So, I would like to share those tricks with you!

Check Out My Cleavage!

I remember the first time I knew my milk had ‘come in.’ It was 4am.  My son was 4 days old.  And I woke up to my breasts looking like I had visited the local plastic surgeon a few hours prior.  I immediately woke up my husband and announced with pride, “Take a look at this cleavage!”  Even without a bra I had cleavage!  It was amazing!

Several hours later, those taut, perky breasts had become quite sore and I was searching for any remedy to help soften their powerful fullness.  I knew that they weren’t engorged, but I also didn’t want to get to that point of challenging return.

Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - Sore Nipple Therapy for the Breastfeeding Mom

Help!  I Think My Nipple Just Fell Off!

Welcome to our newest blog series…. Common Concerns While Breastfeeding. These aren’t the complicated, ‘come-to-my-house-immediately’ phone calls I receive. Rather, these are the questions that come from clients and friends in the middle of the night, by text or by email, that don’t necessarily warrant a lactation consultation. They can often be easily resolved with a few simple tricks. So, I would like to share those tricks with you!