Breastfeeding is HARD. It’s a huge commitment and sacrifice. I really think that so many more women would breastfeed if they had RESOURCES and SUPPORT! After my first baby was born, I had tearing/stitches in my lady parts, I was in so much pain I could barely get in and out of bed. I felt like I got hit by a truck for the full 6 weeks postpartum. Thankfully, breastfeeding came easy for me and my son, he was a champ. I remember thinking that if I had trouble breastfeeding on top of the painful recovery, there was no way I could have done both. Then, with my second baby I felt like nothing had even happened the day after she was born, but breastfeeding was a struggle. My daughter would barely drink a half ounce and pass out, I became engorged and had to deal with clogged ducts and fever/chills. Again, I remember thinking, how could I possibly have mastered a painful recovery on top of breastfeeding, never mind any other challenge thrown in the mix like having a preemie or inverted nipples or a baby with tongue and lip tie. Some women really have the odds stacked against them! In this post I’m sharing the most important factors that kept my milk supply strong and I hope they might help someone else too! This is not to pass judgment on anyone who could not or did not breastfeed, this is solely a resource to help other mommas who are struggling!
I also want to briefly touch on why breastmilk is superior to formula because I feel like I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t! Again, this is not to put anyone down, but rather to educate and encourage! The biggest difference between breastmilk and formula is a group of molecules called human milk oligosaccharides or HMOs. For a long time scientists could not figure out what HMOs were for because they are indigestible to humans. Only recently did they find out HMOs are actually microbe food! A lactating momma is not only providing food for her baby but also for the trillions of bacterial guests her baby is hosting in the intestines. HMOs also help to seed another type of bacteria called Bacteroides, which thrive off of plant material. In other words, HMOs are preparing the baby’s gut for eating solid food one day. Breastmilk also provides living bacteria for baby, although scientists don’t quite know where it originates. Formula companies try to mimic the contents of human milk as much as possible but unfortunately HMOs, which are human specific, are very complex and prohibitively expensive and time consuming to manufacture industrially. Maybe one day we’ll get there but we’re not there yet.
I also reached out to Pink Stork and Traditional Medicinals to see if they would do a giveaway and they were so kind to participate in this giveaway and sent lactation tea FOR ONE OF YOU! I am not making any money off of this! I am in no way tied to these brands other than I have used and enjoyed their products and want to share the love! To enter you must be pregnant or nursing and living in the continental US. All you have to do is follow me and tag a pregnant or breastfeeding friend in the comments section on the Facebook or Instagram post! Multiple entries for the more friends you tag! I will be announcing the winner on social media 1 week from now!
I’ve listed these in order of what has made the biggest difference in my breastfeeding journey (most important first), it may not be the same for you (hydration is probably most important for most) but all these factors can affect milk supply to some extent.
SLEEP – Look, I know sleep is not something you get a whole lot of with a newborn, but you MUST make this a priority. I know there are a million things that need to get done but breastfeeding demands a lot from your body and if you don’t take care of it, your milk supply will suffer. Don’t underestimate a 15 minute nap! Believe me, I know this becomes more and more challenging the more children you have but it is still just as important!
HYDRATE – If you didn’t guess it, breast milk is mostly water. I know in the winter you won’t feel like drinking plain water, so drink tea, warm lemon water or vegetable broth throughout the day. I love the lactation tea from Traditional Medicinals and Pink Stork. Both are good warm or iced! Keep a glass of water on your nightstand and drink some each time you get up to breastfeed. Eat lots of hydrating food, namely fruit and vegetables. At the same time, be very cognizant of anything you may be doing to dehydrate yourself. Alcohol, coffee, black tea, even green tea for people who are super sensitive to caffeine may be effecting your supply as well as high intensity exercise too early on.
NOURISH – It seems sort of unbelievable as I write it but especially with my first baby, I actually had a really hard time finding time to feed myself!! I had a really tough baby and I *DID NOT* like to listen to him cry, ever. He ate every 45 minutes which was pretty much constantly since he nursed for a half hour at a time and I really struggled with nourishing my body. If you can find the time (I didn’t) freeze some meals before baby arrives. Have friends sign up to bring you meals for at least the first 6 weeks postpartum. If you stock your pantry and fridge ahead of time with healthy options, you won’t have to grab a bag of chips. Have food that you can eat with one hand – veggies and hummus, fruit, trail mix, nuts and seeds, smoothies, or whole food snack bars (I like Jones bars and Thunderbird). I learned to ALWAYS have a batch of lactation cookies in the fridge (you can freeze them too). These are a life saver! Make sure your calorie intake is adequate as well, if you are hungry, EAT. Don’t focus on losing weight after baby is born, instead focus on eating nutrient rich foods that will nourish yourself and baby.
FIND SUPPORT – This can be make or break your breastfeeding success, really! My midwives here in New Jersey have a lactation circle every week for anyone to come for free who needs help with breastfeeding! Reach out to friends who have breastfed and your local La Leche League. There are “exclusive pumping” and other breastfeeding support groups on Facebook too. Ask to see a lactation consultant in the hospital. If your baby is having trouble latching or if it’s painful, there are women who want to help you! If you are separated from your baby because they are in the NICU or because you are at work, this is a great video about increasing your supply.
IF YOU HAVE AN UNDERSUPPLY – If you have done all of the above and still have trouble keeping your supply up, here are some other things to try. Skin to skin with baby, take your top off, even your bra and rest your baby in a diaper on your chest or in a wrap against your skin. Let your baby nurse as much as possible, even if you feel like you should wait until your breast is “fuller”, don’t. The more suckling at the breast, the more it tells your body to produce milk. Pumping in between nursing sessions can also help stimulate milk production in the same way. Watch this video about increasing your supply too. Eat oats, a galactagogue, which means they naturally promote the flow of a mother’s milk. I have yummy recipes for lactation cookies, a chocolate oat smoothie, a peach oat smoothie and steel cut oats on my site. Try some lactation tea or a good supplement but keep in mind some people may have an adverse reaction to supplements (momma or baby).
IF YOU HAVE AN OVERSUPPLY – Especially in the first week or two after delivering your baby, hormones are surging and your supply has not been regulated by baby’s consumption yet. Sometimes this can result in engorgement, clogged ducts and even mastitis. This has happened to me twice and my best advice is to empty the breast *just enough* to give yourself relief and to keep your milk ducts from clogging. If you pump too much it will tell your body to produce even MORE milk! I am one of those women that doesn’t not respond well to electric pumps. I’ve had the most success with nursing my baby on one breast while using a hand pump on the other. The baby is really causing a good let down, not the pump. Some of my friends have sworn by cabbage leaves on your breasts to soothe engorgement but I have never tried it, so let me know if you have or do!
