*this is not my post, this is the Facebook post of a close friend who is a lactation consultant with…

*this is not my post, this is the Facebook post of a close friend who is a lactation consultant with LLL*

Crash Course for the New Mom (all the things you may not know, but could benefit from knowing)

- It is normal to feed 8-12 times a day. (for many weeks/months) Nursing less than 7x a day is not suggested until after a year.

- It is normal to have more milk in the morning and less in the evening. You also have more water content when in a hot environment, so your baby says hydrated.

- This (less milk in the evening) can lead to Cluster Feeding in the evenings. It is totally normal for baby to eat small frequent meals in the evenings just before taking a long rest. Long being defined as 4-5 hours, not 8-10. Baby may eat every 30 mins-1.5 hours during cluster feeding.

- Cluster feeding is NOT an indication that you have a milk supply problem.

- Newborns eat ALL the time. And when that first growth spurt hits they will eat even more. (this is also not an indication that you have a milk supply problem)

- It is ok to let the housework and other things go in the beginning and just nurse the baby. The best way visitors can help is buy folding laundry and cooking. It is not advised for them to feed baby while you nap. This starts a bad cycle of skipping a feeding and not telling your body you need more milk. That family member or friend may think they are helping, but it may be hurting your breastfeeding relationship.

- It is best, when possible, to avoid pacifiers and bottle in the beginning so as not to confuse baby. Not all babies will have issues going back and forth, but it is better not to risk it. There are cases when there is a need to introduced these early.

- It is normal to get more from one breast than the other when pumping. There is no need to try to correct this.

- It is normal to have a baby who wants to nurse for comfort. Nursing is about much more than just feeding.

- You can use lanolin, coconut oil, Mother Love nipple butter, and Earth Momma Angle Baby (nipple butter) as much as you need. There is no need to wipe off before nursing.

- It is normal to have supply issues if you nurse less than 8 times a day in the early weeks and months.

- The best way to increase supply:1. Relax 2. Take a nap 3. Nurse some more 4. Drink more water

All the pills, lactation cookies, and supplements in the world can not help as much as steps 1-4.

- Your milk can be tinted all different colors. This is NORMAL and is fine for baby to drink. Even if your nipples become cracked an bleed baby can still nurse or drink pumped milk.

- Unless you contract HIV, 99% of the time you should still nurse when sick. You are making antibodies for whatever illness you have. These are perfectly designed to prevent baby from getting what you have. Think of it as your own little vaccine factory.

- Putting baby on a schedule (especially in the early weeks/months) can lead to decreased supply and weight gain issues. Proceed with caution!- Babies just aren't designed to sleep over 4-5 hours before needing to nurse. They usually go right back to sleep. Some babies don't sleep over 5 hours straight until after a year and that is perfectly normal. The easiest thing for mom is to learn to nurse while laying down. (Studies have also shown that putting rice cereal in that night time bottle will not help with this and is not recommended)

- Nursing benefits mom too! The longer mom breastfeeds the more she reduces her chances of many cancers as well as cardiac events. Nurse on for good health.

- Pumping is NOT a good indication of what baby is eating. Most babies are more effective at the breast than a pump.

-You can continue to nurse with most procedures (ct scan, X-rays) and surgery. You can continue to nurse with most (not all) medicine. MANY doctors have NO CLUE and recommend pumping and dumping because they are not educated. This can ruin a thriving breastfeeding relationship.

- Trust your body, you were made to do this!- This one is going to hurt: Your well meaning ped is probably not a breastfeeding expert. If his 1st suggestion when a problem arises is to go to pumping so you can "see" the milk then he isn't 100% on board.

Your OB may not be as educated on breastfeeding as you had hoped.

The best resource for breastfeeding is an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant)

- Some babies take several days to get the hang of breastfeeding. This is OK and does NOT indicate that your baby can't learn. (Finding help from the beginning can be the key to success!)

- You can leave pump parts in the fridge or a cooler all day at work and wash them when you get home. (EP every 24 hours would be ok as well) The exception to this would be babies who were premature or have compromised immune systems. In those cases you have to sterilize things every time.

- Babies at the breast eat different amounts each feeding. Learning to stop eating when you are full is a wonderful skill to develop young. This is what contributes to breastfed babies having a decreased risk of being obese later in life. When bottle feeding it is not advised to force baby to finish a bottle.

- Just b/c your ped likes every baby to have fat rolls does not mean something is wrong if your baby doesn't. Not every baby can be in the 75% for weight. Double check with someone before you completely freak out. The growth charts most of those peds use are for formula babies.

Minimum acceptable for 0-4 months is 3 oz a week, 4-6 months 2 oz a week, 6+ months 1 oz a week

- Crockpots are a new mom's friend! Since 5-8 pm can be a bad time, making dinner during an early morning nap time can be a good option.

- It is ok to offer the breast anytime.

- In the early weeks most babies go through a gassy phase. This is not an indication that you must start eliminating your favorite foods. This too shall pass.

- Go to a meeting if you need help. You can take your 3 day old baby if you need to. If you live outside of B'ham it is best to contact your local LLL!

- Never quit on a bad day! Nothing worth having or doing is easy.

- If you suspect your baby has a lip or tongue tie it is best to address it right away. This can thwart your breastfeeding relationship.

- Every baby is different. Just because Susie's baby did ______ doesn't mean yours will. Every breastfeeding relationship is different as well.

- To increase milk supply, you MUST increase breast stimulation. There is no magic solution. There are things that can help but you have to pump/nurse more frequently.

- Just because your best friend's sister can pump 12 ounces in one sitting, it doesn't mean you should be able to do that too.

- Breast size does NOT equal the amount of milk your body can produce.

- At some point your body will regulate and your breasts won't feel full anymore, but you will still be making plenty of milk.

- After a few months your baby may overnight begin to nurse more quickly. This is a welcomed day and not a sign of problems.

- No one questions their ability to grow a placenta to nourish a baby. Don't automatically question your ability to continue to nourish a baby after they are born. We are created for this, and our bodies are awesome. We are pretty much superheroes.

- Bras can affect breastfeeding. Under-wire bras can lead to problems, for some moms. Bras that are too tight can lead to problems for some moms. It is FINE to let the girls go free from time to time.

https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/losing-your-milk-what-seems-dwindling-milk-can-actually