Breastfeeding Tips Every Mom Should Know
Breastfeeding can be a challenge and it comes with a learning curve! It was so rough for me… I gave up the first time! I just simply couldn’t do it!
The second and third time, I persevered and boy, am I glad it did! It was well worth it!! It then became so easy, I was able to continue breastfeeding until their first birthday!
Luckily, I was able to pick up some amazing tips that got me through, and made it so much easier to breastfeed! I’m excited to share with you my top 10 hacks that made my breastfeeding journey so much easier:
***This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. Before implementing any health advice, please check with your doctor first as I am not a medical professional. Read my full policy for more information.
1. The Haakaa
When it comes to breastfeeding, the Haakaa is a must!! I got this the second time around and I couldn’t believe how amazing it was!
If you haven’t heard of a Haakaa, it’s basically a silicone manual pump. Although you can use it as a manual pump, I used it as more of a milk collector.
Every time you feed, you experience a “let down” (which causes your milk to spray out like crazy!!), all that milk is then going into your pad! What a waste of some great milk, right?! Well, instead of that milk being wasted, the Haakaa collects it for you! Win-win!!
All you have to do is attach the Haakaa to your free nipple and it will collect all that milk! When I use it, I usually collect between 2-4oz which is perfect! I then store this milk for baby cereal, or freeze it for later!
The Haakaa also helps with engorgement as you are releasing all that milk, instead of keeping it all in!
No more wasted milk!! Awesome!!
Check out how much milk I was able to collect in just one feeding session!!
2. Use a 2-in-1 Nursing Cover and Car Seat Cover
If you prefer to cover up while you’re breastfeeding in public, nursing covers are great! I would sometimes forget mine though, so I always tried to be creative when feeding my little one as I liked to cover up!
Then, I heard of car seat covers that can be used as nursing covers!! Love it!! Never forgot my cover-up after using this car seat cover!!
3. Have Milk Testers on Hand
If you’re like me and like to indulge in the old vino once in a while, these testers are a hit!
Everyone should know by now that you shouldn’t nurse your baby after drinking alcohol! Now, there are ways to calculate timings on when it’s safe, but for me, I wanted that assurance that it was safe for me to feed my baby.
This is where the test strips come in handy. If you’re unsure whether it’s safe to feed your baby or not, grab a strip, put a drop of your milk on it, wait as directed…then voila…you can either breastfeed or wait (depending on your result!).
They worked great for me. Sometimes I would feel fine but the test showed positive. I then waited until I was clear!
Milk testers will give you that extra peace of mind if you are planning to drink!
4. Put Together a Feeding Station Caddy
Setting up a caddy with all the things you need for breastfeeding is a must! I did it for my third baby, and I immediately wished I had done it before!
All you need to do is gather all the things you need for breastfeeding, and put it in a caddy. You can then move your caddy around, depending on where you plan to feed your baby.
Here is a list of what was in my breastfeeding caddy:
- Lanolin nipple cream (you will need this!)
- Spare nursing pads
- Burp rag
- Snacks (as you WILL get hungry! lactation bites are perfect!)
- Hydrogel nursing pads
- Water bottle (you will be drinking a ton of water!)
- Feeding journal (unless you use an app)
5. Indulge in Some Nursing Cookies
After my first baby was born, my milk took 4 days to come in! It sucked! My baby was hungry and I had no milk!
They say colostrum is enough until your milk comes in, but my baby was ready for milk, and it was nowhere in sight. Well, I gave up! I always thought “breast was best!”, until I quickly realized “fed is best”. She needed to eat!
I was then determined to breastfeed my second baby. I remember my lactation consultant recommending lactation cookies, as they can help your milk come in faster!
So, I decided to make some homemade lactation cookies, that tasted great! I packed them in my hospital bag so I could snack on them when I got hungry. Well, my milk came in within a few days! It was awesome!! I was so happy when my milk came in! It made everything so much easier!
I also bought some ready-made cookies that also tasted great. I carried them with me as they are the perfect snack for breastfeeding!!
6. Download a Nursing App
For my third baby, I decided to get an app to record my nursing sessions and his diaper changes. I used an app that could be used for my smartwatch as well! It helped so much! I was able to time our feeding sessions to see how long they were lasting!
The app also reminded me of when I fed my baby last, and which side I used (I have a terrible memory and was sleep deprived!). This was so useful!
The app I used also gave me a summary of everything, which I then passed onto his pediatrician.
I did use a journal for my first and second babies, but the app was a lot easier!
7. Pump Before Bed
So, my baby started sleeping through the night..wahoo!! Sounds great, right? Well, with my second baby, I would jolt out of bed at 3 am because my boobs were full, hard, and uncomfortable. I would then pump and go back to bed!
I pumped at 3 am for months!
It may sound simple, but I should’ve pumped before I went to bed! I did this for my third baby and it worked like a charm! I pumped before bed, went to sleep, then slept until my baby woke up at around 6 am.
Not really sure why I didn’t think of this before but pumping right before bed really helped me get a good night’s sleep, without being woken up by super full boobs!!
8. Take Postnatal Vitamins
I didn’t realize that postnatal vitamins have different ingredients than prenatal vitamins. They are similar, however, the postnatal vitamins have more nutrients that are beneficial to breastfeeding.
When I started taking postnatal vitamins, I realized that my energy levels were up and my milk supply had improved! Great combo for me!!
Your body is using a lot of energy producing that milk so you need to replenish that energy to keep your body producing more! That’s why it is important to take those postnatal vitamins!!
9. Use a Hands-Free Pumping Bra
This is one of my faves!! So, when you pump, you have to hold your pump attachments to your boobs. Otherwise, they will fall, your milk will be spraying all over the place, and you probably lost all that milk you just pumped! Disastrous, I know! I’ve been there!!
These bras are specifically designed to hold your pumps in place so your hands are free to do whatever you want! It’s great!!
Us moms need to be able to multi-task to get by and these bras give you that ability! I love it!!
10. Use These Breast Milk Storage Tips
Freezing your milk is the best way to store your milk as it lasts so much longer (up to a year in your deep freezer! Source).
When freezing your milk, ensure the seal is tight and lay it flat. This makes it so much easier to store, as the bags will be flat. Flat bags give you a lot more storage space. I didn’t do this at first, as I was scared the milk would leak. I ended up having a rough time fitting them in the freezer!
Be sure to buy quality storage bags!! Good bags don’t split. I use these breastmilk storage bags as they are very very strong, and they have a double seal! I have used other brands that ended up leaking or were too thin, so they would get pierced through by the sharp shards of milk when frozen.
Once your milk is frozen, you can store them in 2 ways:
- Use a soda box by cutting out the top, and putting your milk in. This is great for upright freezers. You can also purchase these storage boxes, but saving money and extra plastic is always my favorite method!!
Once your milk is in the box, just put it in the freezer!!
2. Use a ziplock bag or grocery bag to store your milk. I labeled these bags to show the month and week number (for example October, wk 1, December, wk 2…etc). Personally, I prefer using grocery bags as it is cheaper and you can fit more milk in! Ziplock bags are a lot more organized though, so it really depends which you prefer!! This is the best option for deep freezers!
So there you have it! The hacks I used to help me through breastfeeding! I hope this helps make your breastfeeding journey a little easier!
You got this mama!
