Star & Sky Doula services

Before the birth of my first child, I didn’t understand why so many people asked if I planned to breastfeed. I always thought it should be a given, of course I planned to breastfeed. Lactation is natural, and such a beautiful experience that I definitely wanted to share with my baby.

What I didn’t realize, was how many obstacles might stand in the way. Sure, I’d heard people say they hadn’t been able to continue breastfeeding because it was either “too painful” or they had “low supply;” but I didn’t know anything about how to prevent these issues, or how to resolve them if they happened to me.

In an effort to help new mamas beginning their own breastfeeding journeys, I’ve put together a list of important details I wish I’d known from the beginning…

1. The way baby is latched on matters. This is because a shallow latch leaves your nipple rubbing against the hard palate of your baby’s mouth, causing blisters, bleeding and intense pain. A deep latch, on the other hand, means your nipple sits by baby’s throat where there is nothing to injure it. Having a deep latch also allows baby to remove more milk, which in turn increases your supply. To understand what makes a latch effective, I recommend watching the following video, even before giving birth: Attaching Your Baby at the Breast by Global Health Media Project
2. Feed your baby for 10 to 20 minutes on one breast, and then again on the other breast, every two to three hours. This means baby should essentially empty one side and then start on the other before falling back to sleep. When beginning your next feeding, start with the breast you finished on last time. To figure out when baby needs to eat again, calculate from the start of your last feed. For example, if you began at 10pm last time, they’ll need to start again between 12 and 1am. This method ensures your baby is full and increases your supply.
3. While breastfeeding can be “toe curling” in the beginning, it should not be overly painful. If you are experiencing intense pain, your baby’s latch may be too shallow and there could be many reasons for this. Perhaps your baby has a tongue tie, for example, or perhaps your nipple shape is impacting the latch in some way. Inverted nipples can be a problem in some circumstances. Don’t worry though, because this does not mean you have to give up, it just means you need support!
4. Know where to find lactation consultants in your area. Support is so important when it comes to breastfeeding, yet most pediatricians do not offer it. In addition, our doctors during pregnancy often don’t have much to do with our care after the baby is born. Having a lactation consultant lined up before giving birth is the best was to go. The hospital you gave birth in may offer lactation services after you go home, but if they don’t it is best to know what resources are available near you so it isn’t too overwhelming to find help if problems arise.
5. If your breasts hurt and are becoming hard, they are too full. Engorgement is a huge issue for new moms. When it happened to me, I didn’t understand what was going on, I just figured the pain must be something I had to deal with. Oh how wrong I was…to relieve engorgement, you must relieve pressure. Meaning, you need to either hand express, pump, or breastfeed your baby. This should be done as soon as possible. In order to keep up your supply and ensure baby is getting enough to eat, pump or feed until your breasts are squishy to the touch and pain free.
6. Last but not least, you must eat and drink even more as a lactating mama than you did while pregnant. For some reason I didn’t feel very hungry after giving birth, and I had a really hard time making meals. You may need support at home to ensure you are eating and drinking enough to maintain your health and milk supply.

If you have any questions or find you need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can call me at (559) 978-2766, or message via the contact page on my website, Star & Sky Doula.