Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to give your child the proper nutrient through his infancy.
I’ve breastfeed all my 3 kids and am currently still breastfeeding the youngest who just turned 18mths old. Even though it may not be suitable for every mother I would like to share with you tips which I have gathered through my personal breastfeeding journey.
1. Have the right mindset.
If you think from the start that you may not have the ability to breastfeed you are just setting yourself up for failure. Even before starting you may have the intention to give up without trying. Breastfeeding may come naturally to some but others may need more encouragement or help from a doula. If you dont’t try you will never know whether you will be successful or not.
For my 1[SUP]st[/SUP] child I wasn’t as successful breastfeeding him as I gave in to others who said that it would be better for him to be on formula at night so he could sleep through the night and I could get some rest. As a new mother then I didn’t know better and supplementing with formula let to a decrease in my milk supply and we had to stop breastfeeding at 6 months. For the 2[SUP]need[/SUP] and 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] child I knew better and did exclusive breastfeeding and it lasted 2.5yrs for my 2[SUP]need[/SUP] child while the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] child is still currently being breastfed.
2. Do a Thorough Research
Not all breast pumps/ breastfeeding equipment are made equally. Some can be a real dud and waste of money to invest in. If you do need a good breast pump do go for Ameda or Medela pumps as they are worth the investment and can last. Do not get battery operate pumps like Tollyjoy or Pigeon as they breakdown easily and spare parts are hard to find. My Ameda Lactine pump lasted me for the past 5 years and was really worth investing in!!
If you do need breast pads I strongly recommend Pigeon breast pads as they are highly absorbent and easy to use. You can always stock up on boxes from baby fairs which are held every quarterly.
Nursing wear is not a necessity. In fact I only bought 2 pieces of nursing wear to wear after #3 was born but had to stop using them after 2 months as they grew baggy and made me look frumpy. Another issue I had with nursing wear is that some of them were not well cut with the opening as weird or hard to maneuver areas making it cumbersome to detach/push aside while attempting to nurse the baby. In the end I opted for lycra tops as they were more fashionable and looked more presentable.
3. Include breastfeeding in your birth plan.
Do let the nurse on duty know that you intend to breastfeed your child immediately after birth. It does help to stimulate milk flow the sooner you get your child to your breast after birth.
4. Have family and friends support
Having family/ friends who also breastfed their babies in my immediate circle really helped. I felt at ease breastfeeding my child around them as they too do it too. It also made it easier for me to continue nursing my child till he was ready to self-wean.
Dominique Goh, Singaporean elementary school teacher, freelance writer and mom of three who is passionate about parenting and educating kids. In her free time you can see her dabbling in photography, cooking and cake decorating and blogging at Dominique’s Desk.
may I know if breast pads are a need? and what is their purpose?
and will breast feeding make your breasts grow bigger?
lastly, will breast feeding make your breasts grow bigger?
yes, as your other breast will leak when your baby drinks from one side. it’s a natural response. yes your breast will grow bigger.
Hi, will someone with small breast like me have lesser milk? Just afraid that I wont have much milk for baby. I heard that if my breast is small, i need to latch on more frequently as breast cannot store muc milk at a time.
how to increase another breast if baby prefer to latch on 1 side only? supply is dropping for one side as bb does not want to latch on the low supply/flow breast… help please.