Breastfeeding 101: Getting Started

Here we begin a series of articles concerning breast feeding; the series includes Breastfeeding 101 (Getting Started), Why pump?, Breastfeeding Older Babies, and Common Obstacles/Troubleshooting.

A big part of our (both the authors) feeding approach is breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. It is optimal for both babies and mothers. For babies it can protect against infections and reduce the rates of later health problems including diabetes, obesity, and asthma. Breast milk has the perfect combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates. For more information on the advantages of breastfeeding for both mother and baby please see the American Pregnancy Association site.

Before I continue, let me say if you did not or do not breastfeed---that is perfectly fine! We must all make decisions that best suit our families. This post is intended to serve as a reference for those who want to breastfeed OR are trying to breastfeed as long as possible! For us, breastfeeding has been the best choice for our two families.

Getting Started (pre-baby and the first 10 days):

• Commitment vs. Decision-Breastfeeding is a commitment by both mom and dad not merely a decision that should be made on a whim. A commitment is something we will strive to stick with through the peaks and inevitable valleys; much like our marriages (it is not a direct analogy to marriage, a commitment to marriage is MUCH more important). Making the commitment does not mean you forsake your sanity to breastfeed, it means you do not allow one set back deter you---you give it your all. KNOW that it is a commitment and KNOW there will be both tough and easy times.
• Set goals and expectations-Set an initial goal for how long you would like to breastfeed. I would recommend everyone try it for at least 2 months. After 2 months, mommy and baby are much more comfortable with the experience (not to mention, baby’s sleep has stabilized, everyone is more rested and mommy has healed significantly). I committed to 2 months initially and then each month after that I evaluate and must recommit myself each month. I could NOT commit to a year up front, it seemed too big and too scary! But, YOU and your husband decide. Your decision may be different than mine. And remember have realistic expectations: your body simply may not make much milk or you may physically not be able to breastfeed. All you can do is TRY your best and the rest is up to our heavenly father!
• Be patient-Be patient with your milk coming in; it takes everyone a different amount of time. Do not be afraid to supplement with formula AFTER nursing; its OK. It can take a week for some moms to get their supply up to the level it needs to be. Just wait and try not to give up too quickly. Pray for patience and pray for God to bless your supply.
• Pumping-Although we have a separate article on pumping (Breastfeeding: Why Pump?) here are a few things to remember. Start pumping right when you get home from the hospital. Pump after every feeding. Do not dismay, you may not get much at first, but soon you will. This will help your milk come in faster. After your milk comes in, you may decide not to pump as much, but I pump A TON so that I can have a GREAT storage in case something DOES happen to my supply (that was part of the commitment I made up front). Pumping can also help increase your supply as well as give you a liquid to thin your baby foods with in the future :)
• Keeping baby awake to ensure a full feeding-I struggled tremendously with this for the first 3-4 months. Little Joy would ALWAYS nap before every feeding (she is a babywise baby) but yet would still fall asleep during feedings. It is essential babies learn to take a FULL FEEDING otherwise, you may have a snacker on your hands and you will be feeding them every hour or two even when they are older (whew, that must be exhausting). Here are some tips to keep baby awake (I rotated through these since using any one tactic too much rendered it ineffective): cool wash cloth, stroking feet, talking to them, saying their name, switching sides, rousing more rigorously before eating, remove clothing, skin to skin, clicking your tongue and moving the arm on top up and down/side to side.
• How Often to Feed-This is tricky. For the first 10-14 days, I would not worry about the clock. Feed when the baby seems hungry however DO NOT BE SCARED TO WAKE UP YOUR BABY TO FEED THEM. I woke up Little Joy every 3 hours during the day/evening to feed her, but if she needed food sooner--she would get it. Waking to feed her was important because 1) it helped establish a stable milk supply for me, 2) she quickly understood the difference between day and night and 3) she was able to get what she needed during the day NOT in the middle of night (she slept from 10 PM until 5-6 am at 3 weeks old). Every baby is different and every 3 hours was perfect for Little Joy; most babies need to eat close to every 2.5 hours at first.
• Encouragement-This was vital for me. My husband and friends (especially the other author) have encouraged me throughout this journey. I would not be nursing at 8.5 months and one week had it not been for them. This also means, encourage others!
• Ignore criticism-If people discourage you from doing this or tell you to give up when you express any challenges just remember---you made whatever decision you made because it was best for your family's unique situation. Also, just because a baby is on formula does not mean things are easy; there are challenges no matter what feeding approach you use!