Breastfeeding guidance: Breastfeeding really is the most natural thing in the world for mums and babies. But it isn’t always as easy as we expect it to be. Babies can have difficulties latching on. Your milk supply takes a while to stabilize. Your baby’s digestion may mean he or she wants to feed almost constantly. It takes time to perfect that beautiful and easy system that breastfeeding provides. Here are five essential breastfeeding tips you need to know.

Drink lots of fluids

Breastfeeding dehydrates you. The less fluid you have available to make milk, the less milk you’ll make. Dehydration during breastfeeding can also lead to you getting constipated. This isn’t a good situation if you have several stitches post-partum. As pregnancy and birth can aggravate piles anyway, it’s also doubly important that you stay hydrated during breastfeeding. Drink eight glasses of water a day and keep up your calcium levels too with plenty of milk and yogurt.

Foods that boost your milk supply

Breastfeeding uses up 500 additional calories per day. But don’t think that gives you carte blanche to indulge in ice cream and cakes. Though, it is tempting to reach for sugary snacks when you are so sleep deprived. Try to have foods available to hand that nourish you well and boost your milk supply at the same time. Oatmeal cookies are full of iron and healthy fibre. They are known as a go-to for boosting your milk supply.

Sweet potatoes are another excellent choice. Packed with magnesium, beta carotene and vitamin B, they satisfy you and help fight fatigue. Almonds are packed with essential fatty acids and vitamin e, while cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are another good option. Although, if you baby is windy, perhaps keep them to a small serving.

The foods you crave to fight off the tiredness, like chocolate, can actually irritate your little one’s stomach and cause colic. Try reaching for magnesiusm- rich foods instead, like chicken breast, a handful of nuts, salmon, mackerel or tuna.

Follow breastfeeding guidance and look after yourself

Take supplements. Even if your diet is really good, you don’t know how many nutrients you will be losing through the breastfeeding process. You’ve just given birth too, which will deplete your iron levels significantly, and your calcium levels too. Supplements that contain vitamin D are a great idea too because it will help keep your teeth and bones strong. We don;t always get everything we need from our diet – and having a newborn is an exhausting and stressful time.

You many not be able to prepare all the right foods if you have a demanding baby. So, make sure that somehow, enough vitamins are consumed. 

Breastfeed your baby on demand

Most breastfeeding guidance experts will tell you that the more you breastfeed, the more milk your breasts will produce. Young babies go through periods when they will cluster feed. It’s a sign that they are growing fast and need to pack in the nutrients. But it can also feel as though you are simply not making enough milk to satisfy their needs. Hang in there and your milk supply will rise fast to meet their demands. Babies who breastfeed can’t be expected to follow a schedule.

Breastmilk is very easily digested, and the faster a baby grows, the more milk they will need. Trying to force a baby into feeds every three hours will most likely result in frustrating you both. Once they pass the magic three month mark, you should have a bit more of a sleep routine in place. This will enable you to space feeds between longer naps. However, if you are worried that your milk supply is flagging, just keep up the feeding on demand. If you are keen to build up a supply of frozen milk, perhaps for when you return to work, pump your breasts as soom as your baby has finished a feed and is satisfied. Do this after every feed to build up the amounts you can express and store.

Aim to empty both breasts every feed

Seek breastfeeding guidance from an expert if you are having problems. Should discomfort occur, we recommend Lansinoh Therapearl Hot and Cold Breast Therapy packs to soothe over-supply and engorged breasts.

If only one of your breasts is emptied every feed, the other breast will stop making so much milk. This can and does result in one breast being much more productive than the other. It also results in one breast being larger too (although this is only temporary for the duration of you breastfeeding. That’s why it’s important to empty both breasts at every feed. If you have a slight oversupply and don’t want to express left over milk, try to feel your baby equally on both sides.

The hind milk – the one that is rich and fills their tummies, will be the last of the milk to be extracted from the breast. Over supply is a tricky problem unless you are keen to have a good store of milk for your little one. If you don’t empty both breasts at each feed, your milk supply will reduce over time.