What I Wish More Women Knew About Breastfeeding Before Giving Birth
As a Postpartum Registered Nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), there are a few things I wish women knew about breastfeeding.
First and foremost, I wish women, especially first-time moms, would give themselves some grace. Not only did you just grow an entire human over the past many months, but then you delivered this tiny human, which is an incredible feat, regardless of how you delivered them. Your body has been through a lot! Now that your baby is here, you are immediately being asked to care for this new baby, who requires an awful lot!
Breastfeeding is not always "easy"; in fact, more patients have challenges than those who don't. The fact that I have an entire career dedicated to helping mothers reach their breastfeeding goals shows that there is a need for lactation support! You and your baby are both learning a new skill, and like all other skills we learn in life, practice makes perfect! This is where the grace comes in. Your body has been through a lot, usually for many days leading up to delivering your baby. You are tired, you may be in pain, you may be emotional. These are all variations of normal postpartum experiences.
One thing I would suggest is that expecting parents educate themselves on breastfeeding before giving birth. Although having a child is likely to be one of the best experiences of your life, it can also be very overwhelming. You don't need to know everything going into it, but I find that parents who have taken a course or have done some reading about breastfeeding tend to have better breastfeeding outcomes and more realistic expectations. This is also something you can do with your partner, so if you are feeling overwhelmed after giving birth, they can help remind you of what you learned and be a set of helping hands! Fathers often feel like there is not much for them to do initially when their partner is breastfeeding. I remind fathers that their job is everything else: keeping Mom fed and hydrated, keeping pumping parts cleaned and set up, and most importantly, being her cheerleader! This way, Mom can just focus on perfecting her new skill of breastfeeding in the first few days postpartum.
How can I make more breastmilk?
One question I often get from my patients is: What is the best way to make more milk? To answer this question, you have to understand how our bodies make breastmilk. To put it simply, breastmilk production is based on supply and demand. The more we demand milk from our bodies by stimulating our breasts, the more breastmilk we will make.
Breastmilk is made within the mammary alveoli, which are clusters of cells within the breast that produce breastmilk. When your breasts are stimulated either by your baby suckling, pumping, or hand expression, a message is sent to your brain. Your brain then signals the hormones prolactin and oxytocin to be released. Prolactin stimulates the alveoli to begin making milk, and oxytocin causes the muscles around the alveoli to contract, squeezing the milk out through the milk ducts. This is called the "let-down" reflex.
Creating this loop of hormones from your breasts to your brain frequently and consistently (at least every 2-3 hours, and whenever the infant is showing any feeding cues) is one of the most important factors in promoting and protecting a robust milk supply. I also recommend eating a balanced whole food diet and drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes because taking care of your body is especially important when your body is now the sole source of nutrition for another human. Although there are other factors that can affect breastfeeding, the most proven factor in increasing and protecting your milk supply is frequently and consistently emptying your breasts via directly breastfeeding, pumping, or hand expressing.
Are you a new mama or expecting soon but looking for support on your breastfeeding journey? Schedule a consultation with Caitlin today!
