You’ve got this, Mama!
by Jenna Huff, MD
“I thought this would be easy!?!” “Why isn’t it working?”
“What am I doing wrong?”
“It hurts so bad!”
“I feel like such a bad mom!”
These are just a few of the things I’ve heard in my office from weepy, hormonal, sleep deprived postpartum moms. Anyone who has ever been there knows exactly what I’m talking about.
Breastfeeding.
The thing that most moms don’t even think much about until after they deliver, but the most likely thing to be more frustrating than pregnancy and delivery combined.
Despite the difficulties, there are many benefits to breastfeeding. Many professional organizations (ACOG, AAP, CDC, WHO) recommend exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Breastmilk is made specifically for a newborn infant to give them the right amount of fat, sugar, water, minerals, and protein that they need. Breastmilk also contains important antibodies that help decrease the risk of certain illnesses, including aller-gies, asthma, ear infections, and diarrhea. Breastfeeding also has benefits to mom including decreased postpartum bleeding, improved weight loss postpartum, and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Most moms know most of these things and have every intention of breastfeeding but are surprised when breastfeeding is more of a struggle. Every mom is different and every baby is different. Even experienced moms can struggle with breastfeeding a new baby. Moms and babies have to learn how to breastfeed. Sometimes anatomy can make things more difficult, whether it be mom having inverted nipples or not producing enough milk, or a baby with a poor latch or tongue tied.
And I’ll be honest with you. It hurts!!
I’ve heard many people say that breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt if there is a good latch, but at first, it does, even with a good latch. It just hurts worse with a bad latch. It does get better with time and practice, both for you and for your baby.
A breast pump can be very helpful to reduce the pain that can happen with breastfeeding and the timing of feedings. Pumping breastmilk can be a good way to provide baby breastmilk with a bottle, allowing flexibility with who feeds the baby. Breast pumps are helpful for working moms to continue to breast feed when they go back to work. Most insurances cover a breast pump which can be a huge help financially in your breastfeeding journey.
Breastfeeding an infant is a lot of work. Babies eat every 2-3 hours when they are first born. Some babies eat for 15 minutes on each side, some even longer. When you add up the amount of time that babies are eating, it is a lot of the day! Sometimes it feels like all you are doing is feeding, burping, trying to sleep and feeding again. It sometimes doesn’t feel like you are anything more than a mobile milk machine. Creating a schedule that works for you and for your baby can be helpful. For me, and my three kids, my schedule was to feed baby, keep them awake until they were sleepy and then have them nap during the day time. At night time it was feed, then right back to bed.
Keeping this schedule helped to space out their feedings when they were ready as well as let me have a happy, rested, fed baby. Feeding schedules change as a baby grows and is awake more, providing longer stretches of time between feedings. Every baby is different, trying a schedule and adjusting to fit your needs is okay.
No one knows your baby better than you do!
While breastfeeding, it is important to take good care of yourself. Eating a healthy diet with lots of water intake is super important for producing good quality milk. You actually need more calories in your diet during breastfeeding than during pregnancy.
While breastfeeding, it is important to take good care of yourself. Eating a healthy diet with lots of water intake is super important for producing good quality milk. You actually need more calories in your diet during breastfeeding than during pregnancy. A breastfeeding mom needs about 500 extra calories a day and should continue to take prenatal vitamins while breastfeeding. Most medications and medical issues that a mom may have are acceptable to breastfeed with, but it is a good idea to ask your doctor, midwife, pediatrician, or a lactation consultant if you have any questions.
Sometimes a baby needs formula supple-ment to ensure their blood sugars stay up enough or they don’t lose too much weight while your breastmilk comes in. Supplementing with formula is okay! Having a baby that is fed so they can grow and thrive is crucial, however you end up doing that is satisfactory.
While there is a lot of support, know that your two most important jobs are taking care of you and your baby.
It is okay to ask for help, and you are not a failure if things don’t go the way you planned. There is plenty of support for breastfeeding moms while in the hospital. Nurses, doctors, and lactation specialists are available to answer questions and offer guidance. After leaving the hospital, there are breastfeeding classes, support groups, and certified lactation consultants avail-able in your community. A list of local classes can be found online at https://www.krh.org/krmc/calendar/ or you can call Labor & Delivery at 406-752-1745.
There are many babies that are fed breastmilk, formula, or a mix of both and that is okay too! Breastfeeding is one of the first times you realize as a parent that things don’t always go the way you planned. Give yourself the time, the patience, and the grace you deserve.
You’ve got this, Mama! And we’ve got your back.