Congratulations, Mama! I know from experience that starting a new breastfeeding journey can be a little tricky to navigate at times, so I’ve included some tips that have helped me along the way. From one breastfeeding mother to another, you’ve got this!
My top 5 Breastfeeding tips for first-time moms:
Skip Ahead:
1. Keep The Essentials Within Reach
Create either a nursing station or a breastfeeding basket that moves around the house with you. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just enough to make your life easier.
Create a Nursing Station
Personally, I set up everything I need in a little corner of E’s nursery. This way, I can feed him comfortably in the middle of the night, without keeping my husband awake with us.
I have a comfortable rocking chair with a small night light plugged in next to it.
I also keep fresh burp cloths, my nursing pillow, a bottle of water for me, my phone charger, and my Nursing Tracker within reach on a little side table. It doesn’t take up much room, but it’s comfy and it’s where I spent most of my time those first few months!
Throw together a Breastfeeding Basket
This does NOT have to be fancy. It can literally be a bag or a basket filled with your breastfeeding essentials that moves around the house with you.
Either way, the idea is just that you have everything you’ll need within arm’s reach during your breastfeeding sessions. You’ll spend a LOT of time feeding Baby, so you’ll want to make yourself comfortable!
What might you need while breastfeeding?
Here are some suggestions:
- Water Bottle
- Night Light
- Hair Tie
- Baby Blanket
- Nursing pillow
- Burp Cloths
- Breastfeeding Log or Journal
- Nipple Cream
- Snack Bar for Mom
- Phone Charger
- Book, remote control, headphones, or other entertainment!
2. Save Your Back
Posture matters when you’re breastfeeding. As a rule of thumb, bring Baby to the breast, NOT the breast to Baby.
Use a boppy pillow or prop baby up with your own pillow. I loved our boppy pillow for night feeds in the rocking chair. It’s so tempting to hunch over at 3:00 AM when you’re exhausted, but you will definitely feel it in your back the next day.
The boppy did all the work for me, propping Baby E up to the right height.
(We also used ours for tummy time and supported sitting as E grew!)
What kind of boppy pillow should I buy?
There are SO many options for boppy pillows. Mine had pockets on it (like this one on Etsy) which kept the remote, a burp cloth, a bottle of water, and my phone all within reach! I’d definitely recommend getting one similar.
I’ve also seen pillows with a strap that goes around mom’s back, which I’d like to try next time because my pillow somehow tended to keep sliding away from me, the bigger E got. (I still want the pockets though!)
3. Switch Sides (FREE Tracker)
Okay this is my MOST IMPORTANT tip, so please listen because **This is a public service announcement.**
Keep track of which breast you offered your little one FIRST during each breastfeeding session. Then, SWITCH and offer the opposite breast first at your next breastfeeding session.
So here’s the deal, even if your baby nurses from both breasts at every feeding, he/she will tend to drink more from the first breast, when they’re really hungry. The second breast offered usually gets drained less because their hunger or thirst is getting satisfied.
Breastmilk production works like supply and demand. So if you always offer the left breast first, it will get drained more often and more effectively. That means your left breast will start producing more milk than your right.
From a mom who ignored this piece of advice and now has lopsided boobs: You’re welcome!
How can you keep track of which side to start on next?
Well, there’s a few clever options. You can wear a physical reminder, like a bracelet that you move back and forth from your left wrist to your right, to remind you which side to start on next. I’ve also purchased a few nursing bras that came with a little velcro ribbon that you can move from the left to the right bra strap.
But personally, I like to write things down. I created feeding, sleep, and diaper logs when my baby was a newborn to keep track of ALL the things that my sleepy mind kept forgetting.
And I made a pretty new design just for YOU!
Introducing the new black agate and rose gold glitter masterpiece:
It’s come quite a long way since my notebook and pen days. I love how it turned out and It’s yours absolutely free! Print as many as you need and gift them to your mom friends. 🙂
How to fill out your tracker:
- You have 9 rows to record 9 daily feeding sessions! (You can do this Mama!) Circle the day of the week at the top of your tracker.
- Use the “Start” and “Stop” spaces to record the time you begin and end each feed. This will help you notice times of day when your baby tends to be very hungry (longer feeds) or just thirsty or needing comfort (shorter feeds).
- Check either the L or R depending on which breast you offered to your baby FIRST during that feed.
- Lastly, make sure to write yourself a positive thought or a few words of affirmation to keep you uplifted throughout the day. (If you need suggestions here, I’ve got some below!)
Save on paper (and time) by making this dry erase:
OPTION #1: Laminate your pages. There’s plenty of room to write with a fine-tip dry-erase marker on a glossy laminate finish. This makes it easy to hang on the fridge!
OPTION #2: Slide your pages into clear binder sleeves.
OPTION #3: Frame your 8×10 inch baby logs in a glass frame (not acrylic). Hang in Baby’s nursery or near your breastfeeding station!
I hope your Nursing Tracker printable helps you in keeping your days (and nights) organized, and your baby full and happy!
4. Practice Positive Affirmations
Momming to me feels about 80% mental. I’ve had to learn how to give myself a little extra grace and credit through those long nights (and then long days) of breastfeeding.
When the nights are long or the latch is tricky (we’ve all been there), it helps to have a positive mindset to pull you through.
At the bottom of your free breastfeeding tracker, you’ll notice I’ve included a space to write a positive daily affirmation. It could just be a positive phrase, an expression of gratitude, whatever you like.
Daily Breastfeeding Affirmations:
- My time and energy spent nursing/preparing nutritious food is appreciated.
- I choose to cherish these moments with my baby.
- Doing my best for my baby makes me a Supermom!
- I am grateful to provide comfort, love, and nutrition to my baby.
- My body is capable of amazing things.
- We can do this, Little One.
↓Feel free to pin this to your breastfeeding board on Pinterest so you can see it often!↓
5. For Pumping Moms: Proper Milk Storage (FREE Chart)
Even as a stay at home mom, I needed to pump every once in a while so that my husband would have milk stores to dip into whenever I needed to run errands or have a night out with my bestie.
What I didn’t realize before becoming a mom was that there are a ton of rules around the proper storage of breastmilk. For example, you shouldn’t store breastmilk in the refrigerator or freezer door, to protect it from too many temperature changes before it’s used.
I trust CDC.gov as a source to answer my important health questions like this.
You can find a breastmilk storage cheat sheet on their website, or you can download the rose gold one I made to match your breastfeeding tracker. 🙂
Feel free to print and hang it on your fridge if you find it helpful!
For more detailed safety information and free resources on breastfeeding and pumping milk, bookmark the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here: CDC.GOV
Best of luck on your breastfeeding journey!
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