remind yourself how much you’ve achieved and take it one feed at a time.
Trust Yourself
Breathe ...
Just before you put your baby on the breast, take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly and evenly. Count to ten, drop your shoulders away from your ears and relax.
Trust Yourself
One Day at a Time
Say to yourself, ‘Each day I breastfeed is a great achievement and I’m doing something very special for my baby.’ Keep on adding an extra day and before you know it you’ll have been breastfeeding for weeks and then months.
3. Persevere: take it a one feed at a time
Babies can be very demanding and all-consuming. In the early days when you’ve had hardly any sleep, you’ve got sore nipples and you can’t remember the last time you washed your hair, it does require great determination and perseverance to keep on going with breastfeeding – but it does get better, and you’ll feel such a strong bond with your baby for doing it.
The support network you have can really make all the difference in helping you to keep on breastfeeding for as long as you want to. It may only be you that can feed the baby, but your partner and family have a big supportive role to play here, too.
It’s important to ask for help and support; if you are talking to a health professional never feel that a question is silly or insignificant – it’s not. In some areas other mothers who are breastfeeding or have recently breastfed their babies offer mum-to-mum support. This gives you the opportunity to get help, tips and encouragement from other mums who’ve had similar experiences. It can be really good to find out about nice cafés and places to go where women enjoy breastfeeding their babies, because you won’t want to stay at home forever, and it’s important you find places where you feel comfortable. Breastfeeding in public can be a very liberating experience – it is what breasts are for, after all!
Trust Yourself
It’s Good to Talk
A problem shared really can be a problem halved. Whether it’s with a professional, your mum, your sister, your partner or a friend who is going through the same thing ... breastfeeding is not without its drama days, and it’s nice to know you’re not the only one.
I remember when ... I first worked in rural Kent getting a desperate call from a mum late one Christmas Eve. She was near to giving up breastfeeding her newborn baby, and there was no way I was going to make her wait for help until after Boxing Day. It was getting dark and I made my way through the snow down the country lanes in my trusty Mini to see her. When I got there I saw straight away that she had a very long baby who was also a very cross baby who needed more breast milk to satisfy his mighty appetite. When I looked in his nappy he had a light green poo that only stained his terry towelling nappy. We both knew he needed more milk. I sat down with his mum and together we calmly revisited latching on and how to calm him; we talked about and tried to find a good feeding position for her, and I told her about the ways you can tell if your baby is getting enough milk. This lovely mum also needed a little TLC herself; she was rushed off her feet and needed to take a little time to eat and drink while I had a cuddle with the baby. I was with them for a couple of hours, and when I got back to my Mini I realised I’d left the headlights on and the battery was flat. Now, the snow was falling heavily and I was miles from home. I walked to the telephone box to call out the local mechanic, trying to work out how I was going to pay the bill. He came out on Christmas Eve and got my little Mini going, and when I asked him how much, he said, ‘No charge, Nurse.’ I learned that day that patience and perseverance are just what mums and newly qualified health visitors need to get them through. I’ll never forget the kindness of that mechanic; he had the true spirit of Christmas.
Is my baby getting enough milk?
I don’t think I have ever met a breastfeeding mother who didn’t have some anxiety about whether her baby was getting enough milk, even when it feels like you are feeding non-stop. I have found there are three signs that tell you if a baby is getting enough milk, which I will talk you through in a moment.
I know it can be hard to believe that all your baby’s food and drink needs can be satisfied by breast milk – but for the first few months they really are. It is supply and demand; the more the baby suckles, the more milk is produced, and this is why your Little One needs to feed so frequently. You’ll notice your appetite increases, too, and you need to eat well and drink lots of extra fluids to make that milk.
The three signs your baby is getting enough breast milk
1st sign: the sound your baby makes when feeding
When a baby is getting mouthfuls of feed and swallowing it sounds like gulping, there will be a glug, glug, glug noise as the milk goes down into their stomach, often with a siss, siss, siss sound as well.
When the baby latches on they will feed for a few minutes and then have a little rest and a breather whilst more milk travels down. After a couple of minutes’ rest, if you gently move your baby they will start up again and have some more. They may do this several times before they have finished on that breast. It’s like they are saying to you, ‘Not finished yet, Mum. A little more, please.’ They will do this four or five times before they allow you to finish on that side, and they will look sleepy – milk drunk, in fact.
If you think about the way you eat, generally we don’t take everything on our plate in one go. Sometimes you feel like a light lunch and other times you fancy a really big dinner, but you like to have a little pause in between your starter and your main course. You’ll find your baby will have different requirements with each feed; just tune in to them and they’ll soon show you the way.
Trust Yourself
Test to See If the Breast Is Empty
Gently use your thumb and forefinger in a pressing-down motion on the nipple to see if there is any milk left.
Feeding from both sides
You’ll want your baby to empty the breast and get the lovely rich hind milk that comes down towards the end of the feed. Babies often know they have had the lot before you do, and start crying for more and getting very cross with the empty breast. You’ll soon learn when the breast is empty, although you may not feel any sensation as strong as you do when the breast feels full. It can be frustrating for your baby if they are sucking on an empty breast. Giving them the other side as well will keep your Little One topped up and give you a little more time in-between feeds, as the baby will be fuller for longer.
Some babies may have both sides at most of their feeds, others only when they are extra hungry like after a long sleep. Sometimes it seems like they can hardly wait five seconds while you switch them over from one breast to the other. If you’ve got a baby that usually just wants to feed, feed, feed with virtually no stopping, change their nappy at the start of the feed; if they are on the sleepy side, changing their nappy at ‘half time’ will wake them up a bit and stimulate their appetite for the other side, ensuring they get plenty of milk and a nice full tummy. Always start the next feed on the side they didn’t have or that you finished on.
2nd sign: understanding how your baby gains weight
A baby’s weight is individual to that baby, and comparing it to another child is not an indicator of how well they are doing – you wouldn’t expect all adults to be the same height and weight. Understanding the weight gain that is right for and unique to your baby can be really
