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Breastfeeding

Hi! I am soapbox and I would like to welcome you to the Breastfeeding Page! I am an experienced breastfeeding mother who has been involved in La Leche League for over 3 years and I just love to share breastfeeding information and help mothers nurse their babies!

On this page you will find some useful information whether you are currently nursing a baby, expecting a baby, or just want to learn more aboutbreastfeeding, whether you plan to nurse for 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years! There is nothing like mother-to-mother support while nursing, so if you ever have any questions please feel free to write and ask! I have lots of breastfeeding resources available and can answer just about any question! If I can't, I probably know someone who can!

Below is some information you may find helpful. I would love to use this space to address any concerns nursing moms have out there. Please let me know of any topics you would like me to cover in the future.

Are you interested in how to get breastfeeding off to a good start? How to combine working with breastfeeding? How to overcome breastfeeding challenges? Whatever it is, let me know!



Did you know?

Everyone knows that breastfeeding is the most natural choice for infant feeding. I mean, that's why women have breasts, right? Below are some facts about why breastmilk is the superior infant food:
References for these facts can be found here.


Helpful Hints

Get an early start! Breastfeed your baby as soon after delivery as possible. Many hospitals will allow mother to nurse the baby immediately, which helps expel the placenta. Nursing within an hour of being born ensures that your baby's sucking instinct will be strong.

Watch your positioning! Make sure you support yourself and baby with pillows in the early weeks. If using the cradle hold, your baby's body from head to toe should make a straight line across your belly, "tummy to tummy" with you. Make sure baby opens wide so he can get your nipple as far back in his mouth as possible. If it starts to hurt, insert your finger to break the suction and start over till it feels right.

Watch your baby, not the clock! Breastmilk is very easily digested and breasted babies need to nurse frequently in the early weeks. The more you nurse you baby, the more milk you will produce, so scheduling a newborn can lead to decreased milk supply. If you wait a while, your baby will fall into a more predictable routine as he gets older . Just go with the flow!

Only breastmilk! Your milk is all your baby needs until at least the middle of his first year. He doesn't need water or formula or cereal, and giving supplements of any kind may interfere with his appetite for nursing and lead to supply problems. If you feel like your baby isn't getting enough to eat, contact a Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) or La Leche League Leader.

Take your time with bottles and pacifiers! It's best to wait until breastfeeding is well established before introducing artificial nipples of any kind. Waiting 4-6 weeks before giving your baby a bottle or pacifier will 1) make sure your milk supply gets established because any sucking your baby does that is not at the breast means that much less stimulation your milk supply will get, and 2) ensure that baby doesn't get confused and either start sucking your nipple like a bottle (ouch!) or refuse to nurse all together.

Eat well, drink your water, and get some rest! breastfeeding uses up to 500 extra calories a day. No matter how much you eat, your baby will get high quality milk, but if you don't eat enough to account for the extra calories, you may start to feel tired and run down. Breastmilk is also about 90% water! Drink up! Getting dehydrated can not only make you feel lousy, but can affect your milk supply. Get as much rest as possible, sleep when your baby sleeps, lay down to nurse as often as you can, and have someone else tend to the house for a while. Fatigue can aggravate breast infections.

Get Help!! If you have any problems or concerns at all, enlist the help of a fellow breastfeeding mother or get help from a LLL Leader or Lactation Consultant. Just about every problem can be overcome and the sooner you seek out help, the easier it will be to help you!


It worked for me!

These are some tips I have either used myself, or have had people tell me work great. If you have any tips such as these to share I'd love to hear about them!




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