Category Archives: Breastfeeding

For Part 2 of my rant about breastfeeding advice I’d like to share my top tips. No evidence here, sample size of one, but apparently mums can’t resist offering advice at any opportunity. Probably because we work so hard to gain the knowledge that we want to get the most out of it. Hmm… possibly also why people have more than one child. Anyway, here are my top five tips for breastfeeding mums.
1. Learn to co-sleep safely. If you’re not comfortable with that, at least learn to feed lying down. If you’re worried about dropping off, maybe get your partner to keep watch while you and the baby get some sleep.
2. Get lots of support. Breastfeeding may look like sitting on the sofa with a boob out, but it’s a tough, relentless thing to do full time. My husband was brilliant, thank god. I also found the NCT breastfeeding helpline really useful. The Food of Love by Kate Evans is reassuring and full of good advice. It also holds open on its own so you can read it hands-free.
3. Remember, everything changes. Newborns grow and change so fast that most things fix themselves if you just wait a few days. Even if you never learn to latch your baby on any better, everything will get easier when they’re bigger and stronger, you just have to wait. You’ll feel better and more relaxed if you’re not trying to fix everything.
4. Make it as easy as you can. You’re going to spend lots of time feeding, especially at first. Make sure you have some good entertainment: box sets, a smart phone for games and going online, and lots of magazines (better than books as they stay open themselves). It’s good if you’re comfortable feeding in public. I found this impossible for the first few weeks when it was really difficult getting my baby latched on, but after that it was fine. I recommend a vest top under your normal top: vest top goes down, normal top comes up = very discreet feeding. Paracetamol and Lansinoh are good for soreness.
5. Remember the benefits. When it stops hurting and you stop worrying it becomes a lovely thing to hold your baby close and feed them your milk. At six months my baby strokes my face while he feeds, which is the best feeling ever.  It’s a godsend to be able to comfort him easily with a feed, and to help him go to sleep. It’s great if either of us get ill to know that I’m passing on my immunity. It’s good to never need to worry about bottles and sterilising and taking enough formula when we go out. It’s good to know, when he’s poorly, that I’ve done all I can to keep him healthy.