Just ask, mama!
Hey there, fellow mamas! Before we dive in, I just wanted to give you a quick heads up. Everything you're about to read is straight from my own experience and the knowledge I've picked up along the way. I'm not a doctor, lactation consultant, or any kind of professional – just a mom who's been there, done that, and got the milk-stained t-shirt to prove it! Think of this as a chat with a friend who's been through the breastfeeding rollercoaster and lived to tell the tale. I'm here to share what worked for me, but remember, every mama and baby duo is unique. So take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and always trust your gut!
I’m two days postpartum and my milk still hasn’t come in. Is that bad?
Do I need to pump and breastfeed?
My son just won’t latch. What should I do?
What a great first question from Ella on Reddit. My first piece of advice is to consult a lactation consultant, which I am not. I will share something that helped me. I made sure the rooms I were nursing in were cool, to make my nipples more firm and an easier target. I also used the football hold and made sure my son’s head was elevated enough. You wait for him to root around for the nipple and bring his head to your nipple. Try to fit as much of your breast inside as you can! Make sure you are bringing him to your nipple and not your nipple to him!
This is totally normal! If you are concerned you could send your doctor a quick message or call your on call nurse line. Milk doesn’t typically come in until around 2-5 days after birth. In the meantime, your body is making colostrum, or liquid gold as we like to call it. Imagine super concentrated magic milk nutrients and that’s basically what it is! My milk didn’t come in until day 3 for both of my sons. When baby is first born, their stomach is about the size of a grape. Not much can fit, hence the frequent feeding. If your milk still hasn’t come in, or baby seems frantic, reach out to your doctor.
It is totally up to you. For my first son, I was worried I would’ve have a good milk supply, so I pumped after each feed and it honestly just stressed me out and made me not get enough rest. For my second son, since I am exclusively breastfeeding him (I’m working part-time), I am able to just pump when I am at work. I do recommend, if baby sleeps in long increments to set an alarm to pump. Sometimes your milk supply can drop when you start going longer stretches without feeding.
What should I take to the hospital with me?
Love this question, especially since I love packing and organizing! For my first son, I took WAY too much. For my second son, I still took too much but don't regret it! These are the essentials I packed,
-PJs, comfy outfit, laboring outfit (the hospital gowns are trash), going home outfit
-Depends (I wasn't a fan of the hospital underwear)
-An extra-long phone charger
-Small toiletries
-DumDum suckers (I sucked on these while I was in labor)
-Boppy pillow (they say you don't need it but it's hard to nurse in the hospital beds without it!)
-Wallet, insurance card, birth plan
-Baby clothes (two or three outfits), baby pacifier (if you are using them)
-Towel (the hospital ones are small)
-Slippers and shower shoes
Should I do white noise or brown noise?
For this question, I'm not sure if I'm the right person to ask. For both my sons I tried a variety of different sounds and colors on my Hatch sound machine. I could never exactly find which one "worked" or not. I still change the settings a lot. I recommend getting a sound machine with a variety of options and then try white noise first. You wanna make sure the sound machine isn't right next to the crib. You can get a decibel app on your phone and place it in the crib to make sure it isn't too loud (higher than 50-55 decibels).
My husband wants to give our newborn a bath already. Should we?
Most doctors will tell you to not give baby a bath until the umbilical cord has fallen off. I was in the same boat! My partner, and his parents, all thought we should give our son a bath right away. asked our doctor at his first well-child visit (around three days old). He said not to, in front of my partner. That solved that dispute! Newborns are not typically messy. Most breastfed newborns don't projectile the way formula-fed babies do which means less cleanup. In the meantime, you could do a warm wash cloth and gently clean the baby that way. Just remember baby skin is really sensitive so be gentle and use a gentle soap!
What pump do you reccomend?
I recommend the Spectra pump. For me, it felt closest to a hospital-grade pump (which is not covered by insurance). A lot of pump companies revamped their insurance-offered pumps when insurance changed the amount covered. This means some insurance-approved pumps don't have the best suction. I tried four different pumps and think the Spectra is #1! I have the electric and the rechargeable one. If you can swing it, I recommend paying extra for the rechargeable one. It's nice to be able to pump anywhere and not be tied down to an outlet.
I'm breastfeeding. Can I still get pregnant?
YES. YES. YES. You can still get pregnant if you are breastfeeding! At your 6-week check-up, ask your doctor about birth control methods to come up with a plan, or talk about when you can safely get pregnant again if that's what you want!
My boyfriend gets uncomfortable when I nurse in public. What should I do?
Great question! I think some guys do get uncomfortable and squeamish by it. I would encourage him to read about breastfeeding. I'd also probably say something along the lines of "get over it". But that's just me. If you feel comfortable doing it and your baby is comfortable doing it, that's all that matters! Tell your boyfriend that.
When to pump breastmilk?
You can pump anytime and anywhere. My suggestion is that if you are breastfeeding, feed baby and pump directly after to empty the breasts (unless baby drained them well). Or if baby is sleeping through the night, set an alarm to pump every four hours or so to keep up your supply.