What To Expect The First Year has tons of tips and benefits on breastfeeding. In addition, Baby Center is an excellent source as well. These guides will help you get started on breastfeeding and answer all the questions you should have. Below are tips that have worked for me through trial and error.
Picture source: http://breastfeedingcycle.wordpress.com
1. Using receiving blanket during nursing. After realizing how messy breastfeeding was becoming with dribble, spit up, and my nipples spraying, I found an easy way to feed and stay mostly clean at the same time.
- Fold a receiving blanket long ways a couple times or use a burp cloth. (I like the blanket better because it has a longer reach to clean up messes and are thicker to absorb.)
- Tuck one end into your nursing bra so that it is positioned between the bottom of your bra and the bottom of your breast.
- Flip the loose end of blanket over your shoulder.
- Place baby in cradle hold.
- Place loose end of blanket over baby's chest and under chin (kind of like a bib). You can either place under or over baby's arm. Sometimes I'll place over her arm to keep her from scratching her face or my face, pulling her hair or my necklace.
Now, if baby spits up during feeding, or dribbles milk from mouth, most, if not all of it will be absorbed into the blanket. You can also use the loose end to wipe her mouth or face (if your breast sprays her if she unlatches). It also works great for burping either with baby sitting on your lap or over your shoulder.
2. In the first few months before my breasts got used to a feeding schedule, I would wear a nursing pad in each bra for leaks. And I would use an app to help me keep track of which breast I fed with last. But now, I don't seem to leak at all unless they're really full (like in the morning) or if I went out for several hours without pumping or feeding. Not sure if this will work with everyone, but if your breasts seem to be fine throughout the day, this might work for you. I now use one nursing pad and it's on the side that I'll need for her next feeding. When I do sit down to feed her, I simply switch the pad to the other side. Now I'll know which breast to use at the next feeding without having to use an app or bracelet or memory. And the pad is in place for the only leaky breast once my milk drops during her feeding. The only time I ever use two anymore is when I go out in public. Using only one also saves money. If you are one who needs to wear two all of the time, then what I did with the one I took out for feeding was folded it in half, like it was when it was wrapped, to keep it clean and tucked it into my opposite bra strap. (Unless you stick it to your bra...I never tried this...don't know why). Prior to figuring this out, I was always losing it and dropping it. Just keep an eye on roaming baby hands. McKayla has snatched it right out a couple of times! My favorite nursing pads are the Lansinoh brand. They're disposable. They held up with nipple cream. They were the smoothest under my bra and shirt. Although, recently, I was informed about reusable nursing pads called LilyPadz. My friend Lisa Walck said that she loved the product and that they prevent leaks and form to the breast well. I will have to try these myself.
3. Use your nipple cream. My favorite was Lansinoh Lanolin. My suggestion is to buy a tube for each nursing station you have so you don't have to tote it around and risk forgetting about it. When she was about a month old, I was starting to slack on using it and I honestly believe that was the reason why I ended up with mastitis. That really sucked. So slather it on there!
4. Enjoy this time. Nursing is a great opportunity to bond with your little baby and the perfect time to relax. But if you feel that you should be multi-tasking, there's always your phone to check e-mails, Facebook, Pinterest, news or read a book through the Kindle app. Once you get your positioning down, you can also read a magazine or book. You can also have a chance to catch up on any shows. That's the only time I get to is during nursing.
5. Update: Use a bracelet or hair tie to help you remember which breast to start with. It SEEMS like this wouldn't be a difficult task to remember, but trust me, it can be, especially at 2:00 AM. I would wear something I wouldn't really notice during sleep, like a loose hair tie, then I would switch it at the end of the feeding (stay consistent with this or you'll confuse yourself; been there, done that.) At the next feeding, I would use the breast in relation to which wrist my hair tie was on. Read number 6 for another tip.
6. Update: In the beginning of nursing, I was wearing nursing pads all the time, but later on, I didn't feel the need to. This will not apply to everyone, but if you're like me, this tip will be useful. I would either go with only one nursing pad in my bra (instead of one for each breast) or not wear any and would keep a supply at my nursing station. The reasons for this is 1: I didn't like my options of putting the other pad somewhere while my breast was in use and 2: I saved money on nursing pads. I always needed at least one for the non-nursing side because it would leak while McKayla was nursing and would usually never leak any other time. So I would just use the one I had in my bra (which also helped me to remember which side to start nursing on) or I would use a new one from my supply. When I was using two, you can either place the one not in use into the other side of your bra with the other pad or in a pocket that some covers provide.
7. Update: If you have a frozen milk supply, and need your milk to defrost in a hurry, place the sealed milk bag/container in a bowl of cold, not warm or hot, water. My husband told me about this and it defrosts much faster. I don't know how to explain why, but I'm a believer.
