Just when you thought the whole pregnancy thing—and the following child birth—were the most difficult first stages of being a mother, there’s breastfeeding. And unlike what many may think, it’s actually not as easy at it seems. So in order to eliminate any surprises, here are a couple of things that you’ll need to know about nursing. After reading the first 5 things HERE, check out the rest below:
6. Feeding yourself the right way is important in order to breastfeed.
Just like when you were pregnant, you’re still feeding your baby with the help of the nutrients that you put into your body. This means it’s important that you eat the right kind of food and with the right amount. Make sure you talk to your doctor or pediatrician so you can make sure that you’re fit and healthy enough to become a sufficient food supply for your baby.
7. You can mix/alternate breast milk with formula.
When you realize that your supply may not be enough for your hungry baby (at least not yet), there’s nothing wrong with feeding your baby with some milk formula. As long as you are able to feed your own to your baby, getting extra nutrients from formula can’t be bad.
8. The milk can be stored.
Like milk formula, you can store extra breast milk, thanks to breast pumping. This way, you can leave the house without letting your baby go hungry and you can relieve yourself from the pain of having super engorged breasts that are full of milk. Even dad can help with the feeding with bottles without resorting to milk formulas.
9. You will stop, often at unexpected times.
You can say that you’ll nurse for as long as you possibly can. I’ve heard a couple of moms say that they’ll try their hardest to keep it up until their babies are at least a year old or even longer, but end up weaning from breastfeeding sometime before that. The truth is, there are a lot of reasons why moms choose to stop nursing their babies. Aside from unexpected conveniences and health risks (like when your baby is hypoglycemic and you get gestational diabetes), some aren’t able to make milk at all so you’ll never really know when you’ll stop until you’re there. What is important that you still try your best to feed your baby with the best milk possible and for as long as you can.
10. Not all moms are the same.
Some moms are a natural at it, some need to get used to it. Some are fortunate to have a baby who latches on early, some need practice. Some moms start lactating during pregnancy, some start making it long after delivering their babies. So just because a relative or a friend started nursing early or had a hard time breastfeeding at first, it doesn’t mean you’ll be the same. Like with pregnancies, moms also have different experiences when it comes to nursing.
