breastfeeding tips Archives

How Dads Can Help With Breastfeeding

Ophira1 CommentOctober 3, 2021June 20, 2019

Read time: 8 minutes

Your baby is here, congratulations! Hey, new dad, how are you feeling right now? With all the time baby is spending breastfeeding are you feeling left out in the bonding experience? Are you wondering how dads can help with breastfeeding?

I know there is very little talk about helping new dads welcome and bond with baby. It is just as challenging for new fathers as it is for mothers. Yet most of the talk and discussion revolves around the new mother and helping her adjust to her new body, baby and routine.

While it is important to educate mothers about breastfeeding and benefits of breastfeeding, sometimes breastfeeding makes dads feel left out, wondering where they fit in this new equation.

Related reading: Tips on breastfeeding a newborn

I remember my husband felt the same emotions as I did on the arrival of our son, yet he got very little advice and support as a new father. Our modern societies make parenting look like an “all mom” game. We lose our men when we make it all about the mother. The fathers are craving quality time with their little ones and want to bond just as much as the mother with the new baby. But with breastfeeding taking up chunks of time away from the father, followed by other factors like the fathers very early return back to the workforce (thanks to nonexistent paternity leave policies globally) most fathers feel disconnected with their new babies or left wanting more time around their new babies.

If you feel a fathers presence doesn’t really matter that much in the early months, you are wrong.

A study found that babies whose fathers were more engaged and active when playing with them in their initial months performed better in cognitive tests at two years of age.

The clear message for new fathers here is to get in and play with your baby. Playing and interacting with a baby has a positive effect on him.

It is possible to carve out time with your new baby and also help the breastfeeding mom, here is how you can do this.

How dads can help with breastfeeding

Even if the mother is playing a primary role in the newborn stage, dads can still support mothers, bond with the new baby and help set the ground rules for the new family.

Skin-skin

It all starts the moment the baby is handed to you. Skin to skin not only helps breastfeeding mothers connect with the baby it can also help new dads bond with their babies.

Regular skin to skin time with dad is good for mommy (she gets much-needed rest in between feeds) and good for the baby. Skin to skin calms the baby, maintains body temperature, regulates heartbeat and breathing. The fathers feel happier too. Oxytoxin a feel-good hormone in our bodies is released on skin to skin helping the father’s body relax and feel happier.

Give baby a massage

Another great way to bond with the baby is to give the baby a massage. You can talk with the baby as you massage or put on calming music in the background.

Comforting baby, holding and rocking

Dads can always lend a hand in holding baby, rocking the baby to sleep or comforting baby.

In the early days my husband bonded so well with our son, he had his own little routine to help soothe the baby and put him back to sleep. The more time you spend with your baby, the more easily you both find calm in the presence of each other.

So don’t feel shy or let any feelings of inadequacies take away from your time with your child. Hold your baby, look into his eyes and soon you will find your own space. These are special moments between father and child.

Give baby a bath

Most mothers experience some problems with bending or standing for long periods of time post delivery. New dads can support the new mom by learning how to give the baby a bath. Most hospitals will guide new parents on how to give the baby a bath. Start at the hospital itself so that you get tips from the nurses and proper guidance on how to give the baby a bath.

Swaddling

Most hospitals also show you how to properly swaddle a baby. Both parents can also take a class on baby care that covers bath, massage, and swaddling.

Play with baby

Sing songs to your baby, have a conversation with baby and he will respond with coos. Read books to baby and show him around the house.

Change diapers

Diaper change time is also a great opportunity to talk with your baby. You can sing to him during a diaper change, do eye tracking exercises and see how he responds to the sound of a rattle.

Use a baby carrier and take the baby on walks

Take the baby out for walks in the fresh air. A baby wrap can help you carry baby safely in an ergonomic position. Here is a video on how to wrap a newborn correctly in a baby wrap and my favorite baby carriers.

Anmol baby wrap

How to help a breastfeeding mama and make her life a little less stressful

Help with home chores

Cooking, meal prepping, grocery shopping, cleaning, make mama some snacks and warm drinks. There are so many ways in which you can make things comfortable for the new mom. Breastfeeding is really exhausting and time-consuming. Help your wife stay stress-free by taking over home chores for a while until she finds her rhythm with the new baby.

Make sure mama stays hydrated

Breastfeeding moms need to drink a lot of fluid in order to be making more milk. Make nourishing smoothies and warm soups for the breastfeeding mother. Keep her bedside water bottle refilled at all times. These simple gestures of love make her day that much brighter.

Bottle feed pumped milk

Even if you are not formula feeding, dads can still be part of feeding the baby. Pump milk for night feeds and take over the night feeding sessions so that mom can sleep. Or give the mom a chance to go out with friends while you feed the baby pumped milk.

My husband really enjoyed feeding our son pumped milk. At a time when you are still getting to know your baby, it feels like the nourisher gets the most bonding time. So when he got a chance to feed the baby he would always take it. It was beautiful watching both of them together enjoying a connected moment during the feed. I highly recommend fathers feed the baby with a bottle.

Support your partners breastfeeding efforts

Breastfeeding also brings with it many challenges for the new mom. We face everything from feelings of inadequacies to constant judgment for our choices.

Take up a breastfeeding class with your partner to help troubleshoot any early teething problems. These days there are online breastfeeding classes that help new parents through the early days of breastfeeding and provide evidence-based answers to your breastfeeding problems.

As a partner, try and understand your partner’s choices, empathize and support her through the process whatever her choices may be.

That is all she needs from you as she navigates through the initial months of motherhood.

Stand up against difficult family members

There will be times when you need to stand up against unsolicited advice too. New parents are bombarded with a lot of advice and many of them conflicting.

It is best to discuss parenting choices with your partner and have united front around family members with differing ideas and suggestions.

As simple as most of these points sound, many new parents still struggle with these basics and this adds to stress on the new mother which is also one of the reasons why milk supply is affected.

Related reading: How to increase milk supply naturally

Once both parents are on the same page and you can work towards finding solutions to your parenting challenges. The more the father is around as a support system to the mother the easier the transition for both into new parenthood. You are in this together as one team.

This is truly a blessed time in your life, embrace and seize it as your own.

Welcome to Fatherhood! Happy Parenting!

Pumping Essentials: The Breastmilk Pumping Supplies Every Mom Needs

Ophira2 CommentsNovember 17, 2018October 16, 2018

Read time: 4 minutes

At some point in the breastfeeding journey, every mother needs to pump milk. It could be due to return to work or in order to take a break and handover baby feeding duties to another caretaker. For many new mothers expressing milk seems like a big and complicated task. But it really isn’t, once you know the basics and invest in good quality breastmilk pumping supplies, it boils down to having a system in place.

Return to work should not be looked at as a time to stop breastfeeding. Especially if it is going well for you, the last thing you want is to stop this beautiful relationship over fears of building a milk stash, and wondering how to make it work.

These days there are many exclusive breastfeeding working mama success stories to learn from on the internet.

All you need is preparation, a few systems in place and support from family.

To help you prepare for your transition to work while continuing to breastfeed your baby, there are many online resources like pumping classes for breastfeeders. One such online course, The Ultimate Back to Work Pumping Class is a simple, step by step program with 13 short easy to watch lessons. The course covers;

Strategies to maximize milk expression

Building a freezer stash

How to get baby to take a bottle with ease

Tips to ease your transition back to work and much more

If you are serious about continuing to breastfeed while working this course is for you.

Now, let us look at some of the pumping essentials you need to get started

Breastmilk Pumping Supplies Every Mom Needs

Breast Pump

There are two types of breast pumps you can choose from – manual and electric.

The manual breast pump is ideal for expressing milk occasionally and requires more time. If you are looking for a more regular pumping tool, the electric breast pump is more efficient at expressing milk and doing so quickly.

I like the Medela Mini Electric Breast Pump, it can be quickly assembled, doesn’t make too loud a sound when expressing and is easy to clean with a compact design.

Many working mothers also prefer the Medela’s Swing Maxi Double Breast Pump, simply because it saves time and expresses more milk than a single breast pump.

2. Bottles

I personally liked the Phillips Avent Natural Feeding bottles. The nipple is soft enough for the baby to drink from and promotes a more natural latch. It is designed with a twin valve in order to reduce colic and discomfort by venting air into the bottle and not baby’s tummy. The wide bottle neck makes filling and cleaning easy. Its quick to assemble and is made of BPA free material.

3. Breastmilk Storage Bags

You need to build a stash of milk when returning to work. These Medela Pump and Save Breastmilk storage bags are great because they are pre-sterilized, compact and you can pump milk directly into the bag and store. They have an easy to close zipper top and a no-spill stand-up bottom.

4. Breast Pads

An essential when you need to step out of the house. The material should be breathable and lock away any moisture preventing any accidental leaks. I prefer reusable breast pads compared to disposable ones since its more breathable and also the more eco-friendly option.

5. Pumping Bra

A pumping bra is a must if you are planning on pumping on a daily basis. The bra needs to be comfortable enough to wear all day.

6. Sterilizer

I love the Philips Avent Electric Steam Sterilizer. It can hold bottles and other pumping accessories. Its adjustable size is an amazing feature, that allows to use it for sterilizing both bottles, pumping accessories and parts. It’s quick and has a 6-minute automatic shut off cycle. Very easy to use and clean.

7. Nursing Cover

Some mommas like using a nursing cover when expressing milk. A nursing cover that also doubles up as a stole is personally my favorite.

More breastfeeding related reading

I hope this post helped you with listing out the breast pumping supplies you will need. Here is wishing you a successful transition back to work as you continue on your breastfeeding goals.

This blog post contains affiliate links. These links provide me with a small percentage commission but don’t cost you anything extra.

Why You Need A Breastfeeding Class

Ophira8 CommentsJune 1, 2018April 27, 2018

Read time: 4 minutes

During pregnancy, a woman goes through many changes in her body and life. It is both an exciting and confusing time. Many pregnant women don’t think much about getting themselves educated on breastfeeding. But taking a breastfeeding class can help immensely once the baby arrives.

What is taught in a breastfeeding class?

A good breastfeeding class or program should teach you;

What are the different stages of breastfeeding?
Importance of skin to skin.
Why breastfeeding is important and beneficial for mother and baby,
The composition of milk from newborn stage and beyond
Information on how to breastfeed, how to latch, different positions, pumping advice etc.
Care for your breasts during and post-weaning.
Tips to increase and maintain supply.
Most importantly troubleshoot common breastfeeding problems like latching, clogged ducts, mastitis etc.

Why is it important to attend such a breastfeeding class?

Equipping yourself with the correct information about breastfeeding is crucially important in the early days postpartum. And success in the early stages leads to longterm success with breastfeeding.

There is so much misinformation out there. Sometimes even close experienced relatives don’t know about latest research and recommended guidelines.

Today WHO recommends mothers exclusively breastfeed the first six months of the babies life. This recommendation is based on of a lot of research, yet many traditional weaning practices start weaning as early as 3-4 months of age. This is not only unnecessary but sometimes also a dangerous practice. A mother’s milk can provide all the nutrition for a baby up to 6 months of age.

While it is ok to follow certain traditional practices it is important to know that there is new evidence-based research that supports long-term breastfeeding for the many benefits it provides both mother and baby.

Going for a breastfeeding class gives you the much-needed confidence as a new mother to practice breastfeeding successfully.

The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class by Milkology

I personally recommend a breastfeeding class since I experienced the benefits of taking a class coupled with great lactation supporters in my early days as a mother.

The knowledge I got from my class and lactation advisors were key to my success as a breastfeeding mother. I am still breastfeeding my now 26 months old and cannot stress more on the importance of the right guidance early on.

When I found out about The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class by Milkology I was excited to showcase it on my blog.

Stacey Stewart is a Certified Lactation Educator through CAPPA, a mom of 3 and the founder of Milkology®. She has taught lactation to thousands of women. Her breastfeeding course is online and on demand. You can easily pace it to suit your own timelines.

The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class takes you through :

Benefits and Properties of Breastmilk
The Process
Techniques
What to Expect
Finding Support and Getting Prepared

It also includes Bonuses like;

1.The Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide (PDF)

2. The Little Black Book Of Breastfeeding Secrets (eBook)

3. Tips From Pumping Moms (eBook)

4. Breastfeeding Milestone Photocards

And an easy way to;

Download and print all class notes

I would have loved such an in-depth breastfeeding guide when I was a new mom. So many of the topics covered here are missed in other classes, like, tips on pumping, and troubleshooting common breastfeeding problems for example.

These were things I had to learn as I encountered them on my breastfeeding journey.

New moms like you can get all this information in one place at a click of a button.

To know more about The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class by Milkology, click here (affiliate link).

What were some of the things that helped you on your breastfeeding journey? Did you attend a breastfeeding class during pregnancy? How was the experience for you? Do leave me a comment below.

This blogpost contains affiliate links. These links provide me with a small percentage commission but don’t cost you anything extra.

How To Breastfeed Distracted Baby – Tips And Tricks

Ophira23 CommentsJuly 3, 2018November 30, 2017

Read time: 3 minutes

How to breastfeed distracted baby? I remember searching this query when my son was around 4 month old. He had become very aware of his surroundings and breastfeeding sessions were becoming challenging. While it is a good sign that your baby is becoming more aware of surroundings and interested in absorbing everything they can, it does make the breastfeeding mother’s life a little difficult.

I have already written about the best tips to help you succeed at breastfeeding and help you achieve your breasfeeding goals. But distracted baby at the breast is one such hiccup on the way that can demotivate you from continuing with breastfeeding. These are phases in your child’s development that are challenging to say the least.

You think the session is over so you stop, then baby cries in 5 minutes for more. This cycle keeps repeating. Or if you decide to give them time at the breast, baby keeps unlatching to look around not focussing on the feeding session. Making every session very long drawn.

Distractions happen even at later stages like 8-9 months of baby’s age and you may mistake it for baby self weaning. But this is not the case. In fact in my own case my son was very aware of his envirnoment from very early on and I could never have successful sessions out and about or in noisy envirnoments. He would want to keep looking at everything around him.

So how do you tackle this type of feeding behaviour. As a mother you begin to worry if they are even getting enough milk in to provide proper nutrition. The following steps helped me immensely with my son and getting him to focus on the feeding session at hand and not get distracted. I hope these work for you and your distractible baby.

Tips to breastfeed distracted baby

To breastfeed distracted baby choose a quiet spot of the house. Draw the curtains and make the room dark. This helps baby focus on breastfeeding. Turn away from any light source like bulbs, lamps in such a way that baby can’t see them.
Try breastfeeding at times like early mornings or closer to times when baby is drowsy. This is called dream feeding. Early mornings are great times to have longer feeding sessions.
When travelling outside with baby during this phase try and find a quieter spot (being outside stimulates baby and may affect your feeding session). I looked for feeding rooms in malls or breastfed in our car before taking him outside. Basically find any spot that is quiet.
If baby is unlatching from the breast many times during one session wear a beaded teething necklace or scarf around your neck. This keeps them engaged in the session, while they fiddle with your accessory.
Use a nursing cover. When all else fails, use a cover as a way to cut out all distractions.
Feeding baby in a lying down position side by side is also a great way to get them to focus on feeding.
Wait until baby is hungry. This was a trick that worked for me. During phases of distractible feeding wait it out until baby is really hungry. Chances are when they are really hungry they will focus on feeding first rather than looking around.

Most of all be patient. Like everything else in motherhood, distracted baby at the breast is also a phase and teaches us more patience and creativity in parenting.

Do let me know which tricks worked for you during this phase of breastfeeding distracted baby?

Breastfeeding Essentials Every New Mom Needs

Ophira8 CommentsDecember 21, 2021August 4, 2017

Read time: 4 minutes

Breastfeeding essentials every new mom needs

Breastfeeding can be a rollercoaster ride. Right from the initial euphoria of baby latching on, to doubt and anxiety about milk supply. For first-time moms breastfeeding can be an overwhelming experience. It can be quite intense and an eventful journey to say the least. But with a balanced mindset and preparation, you can settle into your routine with the baby and succeed at breastfeeding.

This is a minimalist list of breastfeeding essentials you will need. These will help make the journey through breastfeeding a little more comfortable.

Breastfeeding Class

Correct knowledge at the start of breastfeeding is crucial to long-term success. Not many moms think of investing in a breastfeeding class and regret later for not having known certain information when they first started.

An online self-paced breastfeeding class is best suited for this very reason. You can take the class at your own pace and all the information is always available to you even after you complete the class.

This especially helps when breastfeeding throws a curve ball when you least expect. There may not always be time to call a doctor or LC, in such a case you can quickly refer the information sheets from class.

Breastfeeding Pillow

As a new breastfeeding mom you will experience arm and back pain. After going through an exhausting labor experience you will now have a mini human attached to you all the time. It’s not easy. But a breastfeeding pillow offers good support for your arms and back. This is a purchase that you don’t want to skip. I used my pillow until my son grew out of it at about 3 months.

Nipple Butter

You may experience sore nipples due to constant latching, unlatching and inexperience in breastfeeding. A natural nipple butter can be used between feeds. This helps moisturize the sore area and heal any cracks and bruising. I find nipple butters with calendula extracts to be quite helpful for quick healing.

Water Bottle

Breastfeeding makes you super thirsty. It is handy to have a water bottle by your bed side. In fact I place bottles all around the house since I get thirsty quickly and with no warning when breastfeeding! This is one breastfeeding essential you can’t skip.

Nursing Pads

The first few weeks of breastfeeding usually bring with them breast engorgement and leaks. Leaks can happen at times even when you are in an established breastfeeding routine. Nursing pads are a savior especially when you go out with baby. You don’t want your nice clothes to get spoilt.

Breast Pump

Once your milk supply is established a breast pump can give you a much-needed break from constant feeds. Pump milk when the baby sleeps and let a family member take over the next feed. You can use this time for yourself. Get some sleep, catch up on a book or go out with friends. I personally found an electric pump easier to use with better output compared to a manual pump.

Snack

Round the clock breastfeeding can make you ravenously hungry. I found the combination of dates and nuts to be the most filling snack. I even kept some by my bedside for midnight cravings. Other snacks that I found filling [when I could literally eat the entire fridge and didn’t want to pile on those calories] were hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter sandwiches, hearty soups and smoothies. Read my post on easy snacking ideas for breastfeeding moms to know more.

Nursing bra

A good nursing bra is an important essential. Try to look for ones with clickable clasps these are easy to unhook when the baby is in a hurry to feed.

Nursing cover

When traveling with a baby or when out and about a nursing cover is a great option to feed in public. You can even use a big wrap or shawl if you have one. Always pack one in your diaper bag.

These were some of the breastfeeding essentials that all new moms need early on. Which ones do you swear by?

This blog post contains affiliate links. These links provide me with a small percentage commission but don’t cost you anything extra.