How to Breastfeed Successfully

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I assumed breastfeeding would be easy.  Baby latches on perfectly and I could pump as much milk as I wanted.

Yea, I was in for a complete shock when none of that happened!  I failed and it sucked! My baby wouldn’t latch at all, so I bottle fed a mixture of formula and breast milk.

Oh, and I learned that you can’t pump as much as you wanted.  I felt terrible that it didn’t work, and I honestly felt like a failure.  The second time around I was more determined than ever to succeed.  Here’s what helped me accomplish this:

***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.

Get a Good Latch

Getting a good latch is by far the most important step. Remember that it can take time and practice.  It’s a learning curve for both you and your baby.

I wish I knew this before I started nursing. Sadly, I forgot to get a good latch for my third baby and paid the price of very painful nipples.  Not fun at all!!  I was so close to giving up!! I felt like a complete idiot because I forgot to ensure my baby was latched correctly! Don’t miss this step!!

Here’s what helped my baby get a good latch:

Step 1: Wait until your baby opens their mouth wide.  (They typically do this when they start to smell your milk).

Step 2: Point your nipple toward their nose facing upwards.

Step 3: Place in baby’s mouth and ensure their mouth is covering most of your areola and not just your nipple or it will hurt. Their tongue should be covering their lower gums.

Step 4: Make sure they are sucking. If they are getting milk, you can hear it and see their neck move up and down.

Step 5: Make sure you and your baby are comfortable. Use a good nursing pillow to help.

Without a good latch, you will be in pain and your baby will struggle to get enough milk!

Use a Position That Works for You

If your baby is in a good position, they are more likely to establish a good latch. There are 4 main positions that you can hold your baby when feeding them (there are more but these are the basic positions!).

• Football Hold: The baby will be positioned under your arm, pressed at the side you are feeding on with their legs towards the back and their head is facing upwards. It is just like holding a football. This is the best position if you’ve had a c-section or your baby is just a few weeks old.

• Cradle Hold: My favorite position!! Lay your baby over your lap with your arm supporting the baby. The baby’s head will lay in the crease of your arm. This is great after a few weeks when your baby has more head control.

• Cross-Cradle: The cross-cradle took a little mastering, so I never really continued with this position. Use your opposite arm to the breast you’re feeding on to hold your baby, while your hand is supporting the baby’s head. Your free hand will be used as extra support to their head and to help guide your baby.

• Side-Laying: This looked a little uncomfortable for me, but this is where you lay on your side and feed your baby.

Breastfeeding pillows are amazing and offer more support and comfort for you and your baby. On a budget? The Nursing Pillow is a great option (enter code TNM40OFF) for your free pillow. Just pay for shipping!

Start Breastfeeding as Soon as Possible

Ask to hold your baby and have skin to skin contact as soon as possible. Once you’ve had some skin to skin with your baby, try to breastfeed. I did this all 3 times and I think it really helps establish breastfeeding.

I did have a lot of help from the nurses the first time (as I was pretty clueless about the whole thing)! The next 24 hours is pretty awesome as all your baby will want to do is sleep. During this time, they don’t really eat much but you do need to offer it every 2-3 hours.

After the first 24 hours, things get a little crazy and you honestly think that you will lose your sanity! I sure felt like it!! This is where your baby wants to eat ALL THE TIME!! The nurses always reminded me that my baby is “cluster feeding” which is completely normal. This sucked though as you really get no sleep, and you feel like you aren’t feeding your baby well.

With my first baby, my milk took 4 days, my second took 3 days, and my third took 2 days (maybe if I have another it will take 1 day?…..yea, no more kids for me…3 is plenty!!).

Anyway, before your milk comes in, you have colostrum, which is a thick, sugary liquid that has a ton of good nutrients.

Once your milk comes in, everything calms down and your sanity comes back (most of the time!!). Your baby will eat until they are content and full (they end up looking super drunk and it cracks me up every time!).

Feed on Demand

I’m pretty sure this is the key to successful breastfeeding. I remember reading somewhere that you should feed your baby on a schedule, so that’s what I did the first time…yea, worst mistake ever!!

If your baby is hungry, feed them. Looking back, I can’t believe I was trying so hard to fit into a schedule. I would freak out if the baby was hungry too early and wasn’t sure what to do.

Now, I’ve scrapped the crazy strict schedules and I feed the baby as soon as I start to see the hunger cues without being concerned with the timings. The most obvious cue for me, was when my baby would try to suck their hand like crazy.

Sometimes I would end up feeding them every hour if they needed it. Might as well just stay latched 24/7, right?

Another thing to consider is that babies digest breast milk a lot quicker than formula so it is important to feed them on demand.  If you wait until they are screaming mad, you will need to console them before trying to feed them.  Your best bet is to avoid this entirely by feeding them when they start showing the early hunger cues.

Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?

So, the first time around, I hated the fact that I had no idea how much milk my baby was getting.  There is no measurement.  When I started using a bottle, I ended up being more paranoid about how much my baby was getting than if I didn’t know!  I would freak out if my baby was eating 2oz instead of the 4oz she was supposed to eat.  This didn’t help.

When I was able to exclusively breastfeed my second and third baby, I wasn’t worried about the amount.  I was more focused on the signs that showed they were getting enough milk.  Here are some of the signs I looked for:

• Nursing often (usually 8-12 sessions every 24 hours)

• Baby seems content after a feed (may even seem drunk at times)

• They are gaining weight (I wasn’t really worried about this as I didn’t have a way to weigh my baby accurately… oh and no, the bathroom scales don’t work unless you hold the baby and do the math).

• You hear your baby gulping at first and their throat will move up and down (this was pretty scary at first as it sounded like they were drowning in my milk!)

• They have enough wet and dirty diapers (this amount changes depending on how old your baby is).  Below are the minimum amounts of wet and dirty diapers they should have by age (source):

Day 1: (First 24 Hours)	1 Wet	1 Dirty
Day 2:	2 Wet	2 Dirty
Day 3:	3 Wet	3 Dirty
Day 4:	4 Wet	4 Dirty
Day 5 to 2 Weeks:	6 Wet	6 Dirty

After 2 weeks (and your baby is back to their birth weight), they should have a minimum of 1 wet diaper every 8 hours and 1 dirty diaper per day (more is better of course!).

Luckily, I had the confidence (the second and third time around) to know my baby was getting enough.  Every baby is different.

Baby number 2 nursed for 5 minutes which was a little scary at first as they say a nursing session should last for around 20 minutes.  My pediatrician said that some babies are like that as they seem to be able to drink quicker than others.

Then, my third baby would feed for 20-30 minutes so each baby is different here.  If they are full and have enough dirty and wet diapers, timing shouldn’t be a huge concern.

Take Advantage of Your Lactation Consultant

Boy, do I wish I did this the first time around!! I wanted to appear like an “experienced” mom when I simply wasn’t!! So, what did I do? I told my LC that I didn’t need her help because I got this!!

I then ran into trouble and regretted this immediately.  The second time around, she spent 2 hours with me going through some real gems of advice.

She also measured me and told me what size breast shield I actually needed, and it made a huge difference when pumping!! I also emailed her here and there when I had a question or concern and she always responded.

Drink a Ton of Water and Eat Often

If you don’t eat or drink enough, your body won’t have the energy or nutrients needed to produce milk.  I always carried a water bottle and snack everywhere I went!

You typically burn extra calories when producing milk so this needs to be compensated for.  I didn’t drink enough water the first time and I really think it had a huge impact on my milk supply.

Finally, Don’t Suffer in Silence

I was really struggling with my third baby as he wasn’t latching well no matter how hard I tried.  I talked to both my lactation consultant and his pediatrician.  Both of them agreed that he needed to see an ENT specialist to take care of his tongue tie.

This was a little scary, but the procedure took like 2 seconds and he didn’t even cry or bleed.  I nursed him right away and I nearly jumped for joy!

The pain went away, and it was well worth it!  There is a ton of support out there so take advantage and don’t be ashamed to ask for help no matter how many babies you’ve had as each baby can present different challenges!

You got this mama!!