1. It hurts initially – anyone that says it doesn’t has never breastfed but it shouldn’t keep hurting.
2. Use your nipple cream after feeds, especially in the early days to help with the tenderness, also a little expressed milk around the nipple can help.
3. Keep a check on the number of wet and dry nappies – that’s how you know they are getting enough. On Day 1 & Day 2 they should be having 1-2 wet nappies and at least 1-2 black or dark green poos over 24 hours. This will then increase over the first week and by Day 7 and beyond they should be having at least 6 heavy, wet nappies (pale, yellow or clear urine) and at least 3 large, soft seedy yellow stools per 24 hours.
4. Remember their tummies are tiny – don’t compare to someone who says there bottle fed baby takes a 6oz bottle before bed. A baby’s tummy is only the size of a cherry when it is born and increases to roughly the size of an egg at Week 2 & 3!
5. Soothers aren’t a no no – you will probably see loads about how using a soother can confuse the baby and make it harder for them to latch on. While I would be of the opinion not to jump straight in with one in the very early days, once feeding is established and going well it is ok to try a soother. The reason I tried them with mine (with very varying success) was so husband had something to use to help soothe them while I was in the shower. My first took it at times, my second refused it completely and my third loved it for the first few months and then just stopped taking it for no obvious reason when she was about 6 months old.
6. Expressing is not for everyone – some find it great, others, like me, find it so stressful, exhausting and it actually made my breasts sore – it just didn’t work for me unless there was a day where baby went a long while without feeding and I just needed some relief.
7. Every baby is different, my first could stay on the boob for an hour (& in fairness I had the time to let her do that and she probably wasn’t even feeding most of that time just chilling), my second was a 10 minute job, literally 10 mins he was done and back to sleep, my third was a mix of the 2 could feed very efficiently and be done in 10-20 mins and then could have days just wanted to hang on it there.
8. All journeys are different – I found my first really hard at the start, I remember sitting & crying in the hospital trying to get her to latch, my 2nd latched from the beginning and never had an issue, my 3rd (thought I was going to be a pro with this one) I spent over 45 mins trying to get her to latch at some feeds in first 1-2 days & sometimes had to call the midwife for help – and that’s the key – ask/seek professional help if/ when you need it.
9. Breastfed babies can have cow’s milk protein allergy and can react to dairy in the mothers diet but this is not very well recognised, probably because it isn’t a very common issue. My first, in hindsight, had this but was told ‘sure your breastfeeding’ when I questioned would it be a possibility. My second started to projectile vomit once per day, but because he was gaining weight and otherwise perfect I was told not to worry about it – that’s fine until you just have them settled and hear the vomit hit the end of the cot or your just going out the door & they vomit all over you and themselves. What made me wonder was it cow’s milk protein allergy was when 2 weeks in a row I ran out of yogurts so I went 2-3 days without my usual ‘daily yogurt’ (having regular milk in tea & cereal however) but on both weeks this happened the projectile vomiting stopped and then started again once I went back eating the yogurts. On Number 3 she just started to constantly puke and was constantly covered in sick and needing to be changed. Again she was growing so was told not to worry about it but she was unsettled and being honest I was wrecked from all the washing and having to constantly watch her when she was put into her crib as sometimes she would vomit when asleep – so based on my past experience I swapped out most of the dairy in my diet for calcium fortified soya – while it made a significant difference she never fully stopped vomiting and it was only when I went weaning her onto solids and needed to use a little formula for her food that it turned out she had very severe cows milk protein allergy. I was lucky being a dietitian that I had a fair idea what to do and even though no health professional was listening I was able to adjust things safely to help with symptoms. I didn’t completely avoid dairy either time but adjusted the amount that was in my diet and ensured I had adequate calcium in my diet by ‘topping up’ using fortified soya products. At one of my youngest development checks I said she had cows milk protein allergy and explained how I had diagnosed it – the health professional actually responded with ‘well that’s not official so I won’t bother recording that’ I found that very frustrating. There also seemed to be an assumption that because I’m a dietitian ‘sure you know about all that yourself’ but I have always worked with adults so really didn’t know much about it at all and just learned what worked for us along the way and used my knowledge of food to help guide us. If you suspect your breastfed baby has a cow’s milk protein allergy speak to your GP, ask for a referral for to a paediatric dietitian or book in to a private paediatric dietitian who has experience in cow’s milk protein allergy.
10. You don’t need to move baby out at 6 months and to be honest if you continue to breastfeed it’s so much easier to keep them in the same room.
11. Don’t feel pressured to leave your baby – I felt so much pressure with Number 1 that I should be ready to leave her within weeks. I didn’t leave her until she was 7 months old, having tortured myself & her pumping and trying to get her to take a bottle so I could go to something for 1 night away. On Number 2 (my rainbow baby) I was more confident to say no it didn’t suit me to leave the baby (then Covid hit so there was nowhere to go anyway!). On Number 3, whom I thought might be my last, I said from Day 1 I wasn’t changing my feeding practices to suit other people. I wanted to breastfeed her for the year like I’d done with the other 2 and when 2 wedding invites came for when she was 5 & 6 months old I said to my husband while I would have loved to have attended both events I wasn’t putting her a bottle so I could go to 2 weddings as that was what I would have had to have done. I would have had to either start expressed milk or formula via a bottle from early on and I didn’t want to do that & it actually didn’t suit me to do that. I found exclusive breastfeeding so handy, feed on the go any where we were, no washing, sterilising and making up bottles – I had a 2 and a 4 year at home with me too so it would have being making more work for myself all for just 2 days out. And the main part for me was that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed I loved it, I knew I would regret not exclusively breastfeeding more than I would not going to the weddings. Again, this is not for everyone but there are so many out there that feel they can’t say no to going to something because ‘what will people think’, when all they want to do is stay at home and feed their baby- it is the most natural thing in the world to want to stay at home and feed your baby and don’t let anyone make you feel different. And like wise if you don’t want to stay home and feed your baby and are happy to give it a bottle that is ok too – it is about what is best for you and baby. Being honest I did feel bad for my husband as I know he would have loved me to go with him to the events but he also understood and supported my decision and I am grateful to him for that as I know not ever one has that support. I did actually make it to the church of one wedding as it was close to home and then popped into the evening part for the reception for a while too so I didn’t actually totally miss out. One option, probably easier if you just have the one child, is to bring a babysitter and have them in the hotel room so you can pop up and down to feed as needed (it depends on your support network, when you’ve older kids too this isn’t as easy as you them minded too!)
12. The end will differ for them all, my first whom I thought would never stop, just completely stop looking for a feed a week before her first birthday, I was actually just after finding out I was pregnant and was told this can change the taste of the milk and that might be why it happened so easily. She did look for a feed about a week later and I just said no it’s all gone and that was it. My second I weaned him down to just 1 feed before bed at about 12 months and then 1 night I offered him a cut of milk the same as his sister was having and that was it (I felt very peeved that he replaced me so easily if I’m honest). My 3rd was a different story – she was over 13 months and no sign of stopping at night, waking multiple times to feed at night and I was exhausted. So I moved out of the room for a week – she woke the first 2 or 3 nights crying looking for me, would look into the bed and when she’d see I wasn’t there would lie back down and go back to sleep. I had to get my husband to do bedtime for that week also as she would go crazy pulling at my top to have a feed but after a week we had broke the cycle and she settled really well.
Again these are just things I have found worked for me during my ‘breastfeeding years’, not as a dietitian but as a new Mammy. They will not suit everyone or be something everyone will want to do but I just wanted to share my experience in the hope that it might help someone on their breastfeeding journey. If you want to breastfeed but are finding it difficult seek out support from your local breastfeeding support group or ask to be referred to a breastfeeding consultant. Alternatively there are private lactation consultants – you will find a list on www.alcireland.ie (Association of Lactation Consultants in Ireland)
Follow Fiona, The Ordinary Dietitian on Social Media
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog/newsletter is intended for healthy adults seeking general guidance on nutrition and healthy eating habits. It is important to note that the advice and recommendations provided are not a substitute for personalized, one-to-one advice from a qualified healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian or physician. It is essential to consider your individual circumstances, preferences, and any specific dietary restrictions or allergies you may have when applying the information provided. We do not assume any liability for the use of the information provided in this newsletter. By accessing and utilizing this information, you acknowledge and agree that you are doing so at your own risk.
