I am almost 12 months into my second breastfeeding journey. I have been extremely lucky this time, Fionn has fed like a dream since day 1. I know this is not always the case. Breastfeeding isn’t always easy or straight-forward, specially at the start. It certainly wasn’t for me with Cormac. He had a tongue tie that reattached twice so he wasn’t able to feed properly until his mouth was bigger at 8 weeks old. During that time I got cracked nipples, thrush, engorgement, clogged ducts, mastitis, you name it. I was exhausted, it hurt, and it was frustrating, so I completely sympathise with anyone who chooses formula when breastfeeding isn’t working.
No one would’ve blamed me if I’d given up and switched to formula. It was actually encouraged to in the hospital, less than 24 hours after the birth, since I was struggling to get my baby to latch. However, I was determined to make breastfeeding work. Not only does it have a heap of health benefits for both mother and baby, but did you realise how great breastfeeding is for the environment? The production of formula requires water, electricity, usually cow’s milk, and transportation further increases its environmental impact. And then there’s the plastic tubs they come in that create waste. Powdered formula also needs water that has been heated to at least 70°C for it to be safe, using even more electricity. In contrast, breastfeeding uses few resources and produces minimal or zero waste. Breastfeeding for 6 months saves 95-153 KG of CO2 per baby!
In the early days I hand expressed to top up my baby’s feeds to get his weight up. I then used a hospital-grade pump to give him bottles of expressed breast milk while continuously trying to breastfeed. I was lucky that I had a great support network around me. I knew lots of other women who had also breastfed: my mum, mother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law and friends. They gave me invaluable advice and support. I had also made friends with other first-time-mums who were going through the same thing as me at (I have fond memories of our middle of the night WhatsApp chats!). I also got the help of a registered lactation consultant. My husband was also very supportive and didn’t once suggest that I give up. This is what’s often needed in those early weeks.
I was told that as soon as the baby’s mouth got bigger things would get easier. And a friend told me that once breastfeeding is working well it’s the easiest thing – much more practical than formula – and I would be so glad I had persevered. So I kept going. And they were right! At 8 weeks, just after the second tongue tongue correction, it magically started to work. Breastfeeding my baby was no longer sore or damaging my nipples. My son was finally happily feeding. I was delighted! I was then able to continue breastfeeding him for over 18 months until my milk dried up when I was pregnant.
Here are a few things that I found helpful for succeeding with breastfeeding:
- Attend a breastfeeding workshop ahead of giving birth
- Get a copy of La Leche League’s “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”. It’s great for troubleshooting!
- Find a registered lactation consultant in your area and save their phone number in your phone
- Have your baby checked for tongue tie or lip tie and get it corrected as soon as possible if they have it
- Find a local ((or online) breastfeeding support group to go to. Having other mums to talk to really helps!
- Ask for help if you’re struggling
- Use cold Multi-Mam Compresses and silver nipple shields on sore nipples
- Give bottles of expressed breast milk to your baby to give yourself (and your nipples!) a break. I use the Spectra S1 double hospital grade pump which I find great. It doesn’t take me long to pump and I love that it has a rechargeable battery so it’s portable.
- If you get clogged ducts or mastitis, take a day to treat it before going to the doctor for antibiotics. Take ibuprofen and apply a cold pack or cold cabbage leaves to take down the inflammation, then apply heat (hot shower or compress) before draining the breast (either breastfeeding or expressing) while massaging the lump(s). It’s painful but it works! Spend the day in bed with your baby, repeatedly applying heat, then feeding and massaging. It should feel much better by day 2, otherwise get seen by a doctor. More information here.
- If you are getting recurring clogged ducts, lecithin supplements can help. I used them myself and found that they worked.
Best of luck, and feel free to contact me with any questions! I’d love to help!