Breastfeeding can be one of the best things you do for your little one. A few weeks ago I shared a post on how to prepare for successful breastfeeding before baby is born. So, today’s post is about some of the best tips for successful breastfeeding when your baby arrived.
Eat healthy and stay healthy
This is the most important and must follow tip in order to breastfeed your baby successfully. You are the source of nutrients for your baby. So, what you take and what you do affect him too. A well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and meat will ensure you get a good milk supply. Other than that, drink plenty of milk and other fluids. This is one of the best tips to make breastfeeding easier. This will also avoid you from dehydrating. Usually, it is a good practice to drink at least a glass of water before every feed.
Other than a healthy diet, you also need to follow a healthy lifestyle with healthy habits. Stop smoking and alcohol if you do so. Have a good rest whenever possible and keep yourself calm and peaceful in your mind. All these help you to breastfeed your baby successfully.
Take care of your nipples
You may experience cracked or sore nipples. However, if you breastfeed successfully then you feel a gentle feeling of pulling milk. With a successful latch, your chances are really low for sore nipples. Allow the milk to naturally dry on your nipple because it can soothe your nipples. If you feel uncomfortable, there are always nipple creams that you can apply. Bra pads are helpful if you leak. Usually, you will experience this in the first few weeks of breastfeeding.
When your nipples are smooth and have no cracks, you will not experience any difficulty in breastfeeding. Instead, start admiring it. When your baby’s weight is increasing month by month with exclusive breastfeeding, it is one of the happiest moments to enjoy as a mother. I remember how I was happy and proud when my son doubled his birth weight when he reached his 1 month of age.
Don’t be afraid to breastfeed in public
This is one of the worst situations you may experience when you exclusively breastfeed. But, prepare for breastfeeding in public. You will need a breastfeeding cover when you breastfeed in public. Keep it always in your diaper bag.
Before you go out, search for the nursing rooms in that area. When there is a nursing room, you will always feel comfortable. However, in places where there are no nursing rooms, you can go for a place where there is not much crowd and breastfeed your baby. I sometimes used corners of restaurants and I didn’t feel uncomfortable when I have a nursing cover that can give me some privacy.
Pump and freeze breast milk
This tip can be very helpful for moms who need to go back to work. Going back to work after a few weeks of your baby’s arrival can be the hardest thing ever. However, you can still give the best gift of breastfeeding for your baby when you follow the methods of pumping. You can pump breast milk and keep it in a freezer. However, you need to use well-sterilized pumps and storage bags to keep the process free from germs. Read these breastmilk storage tips that I shared before for more information. Also, you need to use pumped milk between expert-specified hours.
With the above tips, I hope you will enjoy breastfeeding your baby with a lot more happiness and joy!