....And what do you need to expect.
I remembered when the nurse asked me do I want to bottle-feed or breast-feed my newborn after the delivery I answered solemnly,"Breastfeeding,"without knowing what challenges that lay ahead us. There were times whenI cried and cried because I couldn't understand why the baby keep on latching onto my breast and nearly gave up,but of of course, Flo always there to support me on my journey.
So these are some infos for mothers who are planning to fully breastfeed their baby.(Based on my personal experience)
1. For the 1st day of your baby's life, their tummy is still as small as a pea so
colostrum is more than enough to feed the baby until your milk supply comes up on the next 2-3 days.(If you don't mind,no need to bring along a tin of formula milk,it s not necessary by the way)
2. There is no baby feeding schedule, he would demand on you anytime,anywhere,probably less than two hours he would request to nurse again.It is normal for a breastfeed baby to nurse frequently and that makes the mother is producing more and more milk supply.
Let say if you want to feed him every 4 hours, your milk supply would abruptly decrease.
3.There is also no time limitation on how long does the baby would latch on each breast since they need to properly empty each mother's breast to get the
hindmilk(which high in fat) which always makes the baby doze off as soon as he is getting it.
4.Be prepared for the baby and you to get the rhythm of learning together when he just started to nurse and latch, baby needs to be teach how to latch properly otherwise mother will be getting a seriously breasts soreness/pain.
Preparation for the mother:
1. Set your mindset to commit for the never-ending feeding until your milk supply stabilize, usually it would take up to 3 months for the milk supply to fully increase.
2. Be prepare for the emotional and physical challenges, have faith on your milk production.
3. Continue to prescribe all the pregnancy supplement even after the delivery.(Especially the Neurogain supplement(it helps to keep mother away from the post postpartum depression)
3.People who doesn't familiar with the breastfeeding method would not understand why the baby keep on demanding your milk and would suggest to give a formula milk so that the baby would be less feeding.
( Please don't get tempted on this old wives tales)
4. For those working mother, you need a good breastfeeding pump and a milk storage to keep your milk while you are at work,do read infos for Full Time Working Mother at
Farrah's blog.
What breastfeeding accessories does mother need :
1. A good nursing pillow - This one really comes in hand to support your back, hand and the baby while nursing.
2. A comfortable nursing blouse - An excellent gadget when you are nursing in public.
3. A poncho or a nursing cover - Other good alternative to nurse in public is either using a poncho or nursing cover for a discreet breastfeeding.
4. Nursing cream - To relief your sore breast, even the breastmilk also good to heal the soreness around your nipple area.
5. A ringsling - Dual function, not only you can easily carry your baby but this is also a good option to nurse in discreet.Look
here to see Farrah's nursing her newborn with ringsling.
6. Breastpump and Milk storage - This is a must have for a FWTM(Full Time Working Mother)
The most important thing is, a mother who plans to fully breastfeed her baby need a full support from the whole family especially from the spouse.
I won't stand the way I am today without Flo fully support which started from the beginning.
Good luck on your breastfeeding journey!!
Another good info about breastfeeding please click
here.
