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Breast Pump

Breastfeeding Tips - Set Yourself Up for Success

If you are a first-time mom-to-be who is planning to breastfeed you probably already know all about the benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby, but you may feel still feel a little anxious about nursing. Luckily, there are things you can do now, before your baby arrives, to help ensure a smooth, successful and rewarding experience nursing your new baby.

Take a class
If you do nothing else to prepare to breastfeed your baby, take a class. Ask your doctor or midwife if there is one he or she recommends and sign up with your partner. They are usually inexpensive and last just a few hours. A class is a wonderful opportunity to learn, among many other things, the different breastfeeding ?holds?, how often to nurse, how to tell if your baby has the proper latch and how to fix it if he or she doesn?t. It will give you and your partner an idea of what to expect and, best of all, will give you the opportunity to ask questions.

Find a Lactation Consultant
Ask your doctor or midwife to recommend a lactation consultant near you and write down her name and number. If you have any questions about nursing after your baby?s arrival you?ll know just who to call. Lactation consultants are dedicated to helping you succeed and are a wonderful source of advice and encouragement.

Talk to your mom
?and your partner and your sister and your friends and anyone else who is normally part of your support system and make it clear that you?re planning to breastfeed and that?s it?s important to you. Breastfeeding can be difficult and it is enormously helpful to have the support of the people who love you.

Stock up on supplies
Chances are good that driving around shopping for nursing supplies will not be high on the list of things you want to do after your baby arrives, so why not get it done now? Here are a few things we recommend.

*Nursing cover
If you have a baby shower coming up, an elegant nursing cover is a great thing to hint for. The benefits of nursing covers are two-fold. First, you won?t need to invest in a whole new nursing wardrobe. It won?t matter if you have to pull your t-shirt up or unbutton your blouse to your navel because your chest and post-baby belly will be neatly concealed by your nursing cover. Second, many women give up breastfeeding because they are not comfortable breastfeeding in public and a nursing cover eases the transition while you?re still figuring out how to undress, remove nursing pads and get your baby latched on in a room full of strangers. We recommend a nursing cover that doubles as a blanket; you will have less to pack into the diaper bag and it will be useful long after your baby is no longer nursing.

*Hand pump
Relatively inexpensive, a hand pump can be a lifesaver if your breasts start to become overly full or if your baby is impatient waiting for your milk to let down and you need to ?prime the pump? a bit.

*Lanolin & Soothies gel pads
I doubt there?s a single breastfeeding mom who hasn?t complained about sore nipples at some point. Luckily, there are great products out there to alleviate your discomfort. Lanolin ointment and Soothies gel pads are two favorites.

*Nursing pads
The fact of the matter is, nursing breasts are sometimes leaky breasts, don?t forget nursing pads.

*Nursing bras
If you invest in a nursing cover you won?t need nursing shirts but you will definitely want a bra that is easy to get into. We recommend waiting until a couple of weeks after your baby is born to stock up on nursing bras (so your breast size has stabilized a bit) but it?s a good idea to buy at least one comfortable nursing bra in advance for those first couple of weeks at home.