Pregnancy
Breastfeeding might come naturally to you and your baby – or it might be a struggle. But before you start to panic, take a deep breath. It’s a learning process for most mothers, from finding the right position to understanding feeding cues and making it all work for you.
These moms share how they overcame challenges with milk supply, latching, and feeding.
Suanne, mother of two
“I was so confident about feeding my first baby – until things started going wrong. She seemed to latch well and everything was working, until I decided that she’d probably had enough, and I took her off the breast. After that, she didn’t try again for a few hours and grew more and more upset. I panicked, which is the worst thing to do. The whole episode taught me an important lesson: stay calm and take your time. You’re both new to this. Don’t rush anything; let your baby guide you. Also, don’t try to work it all out yourself. Ask for help.
“Your time in the hospital gives you a great opportunity to figure things out since there are plenty of people ready to offer help and advice. When I got home from hospital, I found that breastfeeding was an incredibly special time. I set up a corner in the nursery with a comfortable chair and an ottoman for my feet and made a point of just relaxing and enjoying the moment.
“I also listened to my body – I was incredibly hungry, so instead of thinking about getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I nourished myself. And I drank plenty of water.”
Michelle, mother of two
“The most important thing is to feel comfortable, because when you’re comfortable, you relax – and that makes feeding easier for both of you. So, think of what you need to do to get rid of any stress around feeding. For me, that meant wearing clothes that made breastfeeding easy: I invested in bras and tops that I could pull aside so that I could feed whenever I needed to. A good nipple cream is also a must.”
Tebz, mother of one
“One of the things I was worried about was having enough milk, so I made a point of eating regularly. I noticed that in the hospital I was brought tea and a sandwich between meals, so I kept up the routine when I got home.
“I’m a big believer in using warm compresses to release milk and help relieve the hardness that comes when your breasts are filled with milk – when you wake up in the morning, for instance. Cold compresses, however, are great when your breasts feel painful. I found my milk production was stimulated more by having my baby on the breast than with a breast pump, but the gold standard was having him on one breast and pumping the other. It’s a good way to make sure you’re producing a lot of milk.”
Atka, mother of one
“I loved breastfeeding my boy, but I found it rather painful for the first couple of weeks. I remember being fearful every time I had to feed him, which at the time was every two hours. I tried everything to get relief: I had a physiotherapist give me laser therapy in hospital, wore silver nipple caps, saw a lactation consultant and tried different breastfeeding positions to get a better latch. I found he wasn’t latching properly, but we both persevered and as he got older and stronger, it stopped being painful.
“Now, at 16 months, I’m still breastfeeding him. My advice is simple: hang in there and get support from a breastfeeding community. Breastfeeding is amazing once you and your baby get the hang of it.”