10 Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms
Whether this is your first time breastfeeding or your fifth time breastfeeding, every nursing experience is completely different. Breastfeeding is something special between the mom and baby, but you can never have too many tips when it comes to making that bond last for many months to come.
1. Take the pressure off of yourself- After you’ve had the baby and everyone wants to give you advice about how and what you should do. Take a deep breath and take the pressure off yourself. Stress will prevent you from feeling successful in your breastfeeding relationship.
2. Work on getting a good latch- If there’s one thing that’s important to a successful breastfeeding relationship, it’s the latch. Focus on getting a good latch because that’s the key to not having sore breasts and healthy suckles from baby.
3. Make sure you’re relaxed- Did you know when you’re relaxed, it’s easier for baby to get relaxed? Plus, your milk flows better when you are not tensed up and stressed.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help- When it comes to breastfeeding, it can be tough. However, there are tons of different breastfeeding resources for women to use.
- Kelly Mom
- Your Local Hospital
- La Leche League
5. Keep the right tools on hand- Along with the beauty of breastfeeding comes the not-so-fun-parts. You’ll want to make sure you have the right tools on hand. Having some sort of breastfeeding pillow is one way to make nursing a lot easier. You may also consider a nipple cream and breastfeeding pads.
6. Give it time- It takes time to establish a good breastfeeding relationship with your little one. You might leave the hospital feeling frustrated, but make awesome progress while at home.
7. Drink lots of liquids- It can be tough to remember to take care of yourself whenever you have so much responsibility in a little one. Drinking lots of liquids is your key to staying hydrated and keeping your supply up.
8. Concentrate on good things- While breastfeeding, it’s important to concentrate on “good things.” Think about your baby and how wonderful being a mom makes you feel. Staying positive can help make the breastfeeding experience even better.
9. Pump and store breastmilk correctly– Storing breastmilk can be confusing. It’s important to know how to refrigerate breastmilk, how to freeze it, and how to unthaw it.
10. Enjoy every moment- You will have moments in breastfeeding that make you wonder what you got yourself into, but it’s truly worth every moment. Ways you can enjoy breastfeeding a little more is by putting down your smartphone and making eye contact with baby. You can also stroke baby’s hair or hold his or her hand to help make even more of a connection.
What is one breastfeeding tip you have for new moms?
These are wonderful tips. I had a friend who’s baby had a hard time breast feeding, and she felt so ashamed. However, when she finally asked for advice, she was able to get it all running smoothly in no time!
I loved breastfeeding! You are right, once you get the hang of everything, it is smooth sailing.
I’ll keep this in mind for the future! Breastfeeding is part of my baby plans!
These are such wonderful and helpful tips for new moms, I know I will need to look back on this. I’m not a mom yet, but when I become one I definitely intend to breastfeed.
I’m not a mom and I don’t have kids yet, but this was such a good & interesting read for me ( something that will most definitely be useful in the far future ). When the time comes that I’m a Mom, I’ll opt to breastfeed, after all – they say that breastfeeding is still best for babies.
Thank you so much for sharing. My daughter is trying to conceive and she wants to try to breastfeed. I’ll send her over for the advice.
These are really great tips! I chose not to breastfeed my children but I know that these would be helpful to anyone!
Amazing advice. My youngest and I are just about to hit 19 months of breastfeeding on the 9th. Before him I nursed my other son for 14.5 Months. I quit after 2 weeks with all my other babies because I felt defeated, like I had zero strength or support. Posts like these will be so helpful and encouraging!
I remember this time as being so peaceful and loving – and of course, at first a bit nerve racking – great tips – wish I’d had them back when 🙂
Those are great breastfeeding tips. It is important to be relaxed and ask for help
You’ve got great tips here. I am happy to see the hydration one. It’s easy to forget to drink water when you’re busy, but it’s oh so important!
Great tips. I had a couple of friends who tried to breast feed and it just didn’t work. They ended up in a breast milk donation program where moms would donate to those who needed it.
My sister-in law is due any day now. I don’t know whether or not she was planning on breast feeding her baby, but I will share this article with her 🙂
These are awesome tips and I have to agree drinking lots of water is really, really important. As well as not being hard on yourself and just taking things easy.
I didn’t breastfeed with my daughter–I couldn’t get anything to work the way that I though it should. If I do have another child though, I think I might give it a try for a longer period of time than I did with my daughter. Thanks for the tips!
I have never had to choose whether or not to breastfeed, but I will admit, that the practice seems completely intimidating to me. Soreness of nipples would be one of my largest concerns.
All of these are so very important. Nursing can be (and is) a beautiful thing, but it’s not necessarily as quick and easy as just putting your baby to your breast.
This is very interesting. I will share this with one on my sister. I am sure they will really appreciate it. Thanks for sharing
I would have loved to have these tips when I was nursing my kids several years ago. I was unable to breastfeed two of my three babies but did cherish the time I did with my middle baby.
Time is important – be patient with yourself! Unfortunately I didn’t have a great experience and we ended up back in the hospital with jaundice so it didn’t work out too great!
Great tips for moms. I can’t think of any other tip. I think you’ve covered it all. 🙂
These are great tips. I have enjoyed breastfeeding my two kids. It was a very special bonding that I had with them.
Great advice. I breastfed my son for 14 months and took about 3 more to wean him off. I enjoyed it and my son… now 12 years later is proof that breastfeeding is a bonding experience for life and makes the kid healthier.
Great tips!! I’m not a mom but I will pass this on to all my mommy friends!