My Breastfeeding Journey

When I was pregnant, I would often dream of our baby. Sometimes they were vivid and clear as night, and sometimes I couldn’t remember much at all. The one consistent factor throughout them all though was that I was always breastfeeding the baby. To be honest, I thought this was kind of unusual. I didn’t spend all day thinking about breastfeeding and I also wasn’t putting a lot of pressure on myself to breastfeed – so I didn’t understand why I was always dreaming about it when it came to the baby. But now that he’s here and I’ve actually experienced it and what it’s like, I think I understand. I’ve always, always wanted to be a mom, and when we struggled last year to get pregnant, I wondered if I’d ever get the chance. Breastfeeding is one of those things that only moms know what it’s like, and I think subconsciously I really wanted to know what it would be like too. I also knew that it could be a bonding moment between mom and baby, so I think I wanted that too. Anyway, now that he’s here, I’m so happy to say that I’ve had a wonderful experience breastfeeding {and I know I’m really lucky to be able to say that!}  I wanted to share more about my experience {and many of you sent in questions!} so I compiled them all below to give a little more insight into my journey. Please feel free to ask any more in the comments section if I forgot any. And please cut my new mama brain some slack – sometimes finding the right words these days is doesn’t come as easily as it used too 😉

BREASTFEEDING

Can you talk about breastfeeding? Do you nurse exclusively? Yes! I feel so incredibly lucky that I have been able to breastfeed our baby. I feel like most of my friends really struggled with breastfeeding so I expected for it to be really hard for me too. I have found the opposite to be true. My milk {colostrum} came in strong almost immediately, baby latched minutes after giving birth, and I didn’t have too much pain. I know this is something so many women struggle with so I just feel really blessed.

How is breastfeeding going? It’s going really well and I feel really lucky. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Any breastfeeding recovery tips? In the beginning, your nipples take a little bit of a beating getting used to all the attention they are getting from the baby. I swore by these nipple shields so they were protected from rubbing against my clothing when they were ultra sore and sensitive. I liked these the most because they were super thin, flexible, and had holes at the end so milk could leak out if I leaked. I realized that a bit of air flow was important after trying these out and realized that trapped milk could lead to a painful infection really quickly {I didn’t end up with an infection but for a second I thought I might have had one}. You can use these pads to catch any milk that leaks out of the shields or you can try these shields {didn’t use these, but they seem to catch the milk a little better and I have heard great things}. Lastly, I swore by this cream! It’s all natural and organic and really helped soothe my chapped nipples. I also liked that you didn’t have to worry about wiping it off before baby nursed.

Any feeding tips and tricks? I think everyone’s experience is very different, and so much of it is out of our control, but I will share what worked for me! I started pumping after every feed while still in the hospital to establish and encourage my milk to come in {this was at the recommendation of the lactation consultant}. I only did this for ~24 hours as my milk was coming in strong and I was afraid of becoming engorged {and telling my body I needed more than I really did}. I also refused to give the baby a bottle for the first 4-5 weeks of Henning’s life. I was absolutely terrified of ‘nipple confusion’ and didn’t want to give him a bottle until I was sure breastfeeding was well established. We were dealing with jaundice, and the nurses wanted me to supplement extra milk with a bottle after his feeds. I said absolutely no bottles –  so instead we used a syringe {a lot slower process, but I felt strongly against using a nipple}. I was really glad I said no because once I did, they offered me the other option I felt much more comfortable with {syringe}. Lastly, I also refused formula {another thing they suggested when Henning was fighting off jaundice}. Had I thought Henning’s health or well being was at stake, I would have {of course} done both, but after consulting with his pediatrician, we both agreed it wasn’t necessary. I think that if I hadn’t questioned it and/or stood up for myself, he would have just been given formula because that was the next box to tick for the hospital. But for me it was a last resort and we didn’t end up needing to do it! I’m so glad I spoke up for myself because Henning ended up being ok without!

Which wireless pump did you decide on? I decided on the Elvie! I just bought it so I haven’t tried it yet, but will of course do a review once I have!

Please post any/all breastfeeding/pumping advice! The best piece of advice I got when it came to pumping was to pump right after your morning feed. That is when you should have the strongest supply. I pump once in the morning and once before bed {however I will drop the nighttime pump once we are back from our babymoon}. The other piece of advice is to rent the hospital grade pump! It is amazing. I would buy it, but it’s $2,000 {!!!!!} so just rent it. Your insurance should also cover this rental! If you want to buy a pump and not rely on a rental, I have also heard amazing things about the Spectra.

Have you introduced a pacifier yet? Yes! We introduced a pacifier while in the hospital treating Henning for jaundice. The lactation consultant told me that a baby doesn’t get nipple confusion from a pacifier like he/she would from a bottle because milk isn’t coming out the end. It is truly just a tool to help them soothe themselves if they need that extra bit of comfort.  If you remember, or saw from my instagram, he was so miserable in the hospital and I was unable to offer him much support while under the bili lights so the pacifier was really helpful in calming him down and making him feel better when I was unable too. Since being sent home, we really only use the pacifier when he goes to sleep. He typically spits it out after a few minutes.

Do you ever pump and bottle feed to give your breasts a break and to be more mobile? The only bottle we give him is at his 3am feeding. Honestly, as long as I’m relatively rested, I really look forward to our time together breastfeeding and never feel like I need to give myself a break. I actually miss him when I leave and always love that I have breastfeeding to look forward to when I get back. I know there will be a time when I have to let go a little bit more, and trust others/be ok with him taking more bottles, but I’m just not there yet.

Do you pump right after a feeding? I pump twice a day – once after our morning feed {so usually sometime between 8-9} and then once again after I put him down at night {~11-midnight}. I will drop the nighttime pump as soon as I’m home from our trip. The reason I pump in the morning is because I find my milk supply is strongest and also replenishes faster in the mornings.

How do you prep breastmilk that has been frozen? Any tips for organizing? I put one of the frozen bags in the fridge overnight. Once the frozen milk thaws, I pour the 4 oz into a bottle and then put that bottle into a large coffee mug with hot water in it. The warm water in the mug warms the milk up to room temperature and then we give it to baby. As for organizing my frozen milk, I use this storage contraption that my sister gave me. The biggest tip is to freeze your milk flat so that you can easily stack it. I know this sounds obvious, but until my sister mentioned it to me, I hadn’t thought about it and all my frozen milk was bottom heavy and bulky. Laying it flat made it almost like stacking credit cards. Much easier!

What has been your feeding/pumping schedule been like? It has changed a bit as baby has grown up, but in the beginning we were feeding on demand and/or every 3 hours. At night I was waking up and feeding him every two hours. By week 3/4 we were still doing every 3 hours during the day, but also tried to stretch to 3 hours at night as well. By week 5/6 we started stretching him to 4 hours and to this day he goes about 4 hours at night, taking 4 oz around 2-3am. Our day time schedule always starts with our first feed around 7, then goes 10, 1, 4, 6:30, 10:30, 3am. At around 6 weeks he started being more alert during the days, and around 7 weeks I started attempting our first schedule with him. I try to keep him awake for 1.5 hours and then let him sleep for 3 hours. So it goes eat/play/sleep/eat/play/sleep etc.

Best nursing bras? I only wear these. They are amazing. So comfortable, and so affordable. I bought the size M and the L but have really only needed the M. Tons of my friends have since bought them and swear by them too.

How do you juggle nursing/pumping and leaving the house? I just don’t plan on going to anything that takes me away from the house/baby for more than 3 hours! I am in control of my own appointments, errands and work so I haven’t had to be put in a position yet where I need to compromise. I’m sure that day is coming! But I will put it off for as long as I can.

How are you planning on pumping and storing milk while traveling? Please share your strategy! Oh gosh. To be totally honest, I am really stressing about this! There are soooo many options on what to do and how to best get my milk back and I don’t know what to do. I will definitely be pumping on my trip, and I will definitely be bringing it back – I’m just not sure yet how I’m going to do that exactly. Many of you have recommended a company called Milk Stork that I would 100000% use if I was traveling within the US but since we are leaving the country this is not a viable option for us. I will most likely pack a small cooler with ice packs and either carry the milk back on the plane with me, or check it like luggage. I will for sure make this a dedicated blog post once I figure out my plan!

How are you keeping your milk supply up? Pumping? Supplements? I am really, really liking these supplements from Legendairy Milk. I take the ‘Pump Princess’ and the ‘Liquid Gold’ 2-3x a day and think it makes a huge difference in my milk production. I have noticed it takes about 3 days to see a difference, but when I use them I go from pumping 6-8oz/day to 10-12oz/day which might not sound like a lot but it really is {for me at least!}

What clothes have you found to be nursing friendly? Eugh. I hate being limited to what is and isn’t nursing friendly. Honestly, I feel like I have exhausted the button downs in my closet already {these are my favorite} and it’s only been two months! In the beginning, I only wore these pants when I left the house {you can wear the mesh undies and/or a thick pad or diaper without seeing through and the stretchy waistband is super comfortable on your recovering belly}. I paired button downs with them and/or these tunic tops. Now that I’m no longer in the mesh undies, I wear jeans and any button down I can find. I know a lot of people swear by nursing tanks so you can wear a regular top, and then a tank underneath wearing a tight fitting tank top layer in 100+ degree heat is just not realistic for me.

What are your nursing must haves? These bras, this nursing gown, a super soft robe {I wear the one given to us by the hospital everyday}, these supplements, a LARGE cup of water {this one has been amazing}, these nipple shields, this cream, and these absorbent pads.

Are you hungry all of the time? I was constantly famished while breastfeeding! Honestly, I am little disappointed to say that I’ve struggled with my appetite since having the baby. I don’t know if it’s because I’m so busy or distracted or what, but I really have to make a conscious effort to feed myself. I just don’t feel that hungry ever. When my mom was here with us after Henning was born her main priority was making sure I was well fed {aren’t moms the best?!} But once she left I have just resorted to eating whatever is around and easy – an RX Bar here, a piece of cold pizza there. Nothing super nutritious or healthy. Sometimes I worry that the milk I produce isn’t as fatty as it could be because of my diet, so I am really going to try and make an effort to do better. Especially now that I’m coming out of the newborn fog and am getting a little more organized! My goal is to maybe start meal prepping a bit on Sundays to make my weekday lunches easier.

[Last but not least] Have you enjoyed breastfeeding? Honestly, I love it. It is such a sweet and special time for Henning and I. His little hands often pat my side when he’s nursing and I just know I’ll always remember these days. Sometimes I cry when I think about how lucky I am to have this time with him, and how sad I am that he’s already growing up so quickly. I don’t want to ever stop! I look forward to the time we spend together nursing everyday and I feel so lucky. I can’t believe how blessed we are.

Ok that’s it! 🙂 Like I mentioned above, let me know if you have any more questions in the comments! And keep in mind that every breastfeeding journey is different – don’t compare yourself to others and/or beat yourself up if your experience is different than mine! A fed baby is a happy baby and that is all that matters. <3

Lots of love to you all! x