Montreal Doula

The following post was written by my sister-in-law Angie. She is a baby expert if there ever was one! She served as my doula, my lactation consultant, and one of my main support people after I became a new mom. I recently asked if she would share some of her tips on breastfeeding and so, here they are:

Breastfeeding Secrets…from the Lactation Consultant
By: Angela Grant Buechner, BA, BScN, RN, IBCLC

I am often asked what I wish every new mom could know BEFORE having their baby, to make sure breastfeeding goes well. 

Well, we know that breastfeeding is the best for moms and babies, yeah yeah….we’ve heard it all before... but why do some women stop so early, if it’s so great?  

The first few weeks of a baby’s life (while mom and baby are learning how to breastfeed) can be stressful if she doesn’t have some tricks up her sleeve for when it’s not exactly going perfectly!
So, here are 5 tips that have been proven to help moms ‘hang in there’ when things are rough, or to ensure breastfeeding is not ‘wrecked’ when baby is having a bit of trouble:

1.        Skin-to-skin…Never under-estimate the power of your skin!  Babies transition to ‘life’ better when they are allowed to be held naked-skin-to-naked-skin, as long as possible, right after they are born.  Also, if your baby is too sleepy to feed, or is having any trouble, strip that baby down (keep the diaper on!) & breastfeed while skin to skin (you’re probably half-naked while learning to breastfeed anyway…)

2.       ‘Squish & Shove’
When you’re trying to get that ‘perfect latch’ we’ve all heard about, think about eating a sandwich.  If you were putting a super-duper, triple decker club sandwich in your mouth, you wouldn’t try to put it in sideways!  You would turn it in the right direction, squish it down as much as you could, and shove it in.With breastfeeding, it’s the same.  Look which way the baby’s mouth is going (depends how you’re holding baby) and hold on to your breast (that’s your BREAST, not your nipple!!) so you can squish it down and make it a bit ‘flatter’.  When the baby opens her mouth, shove her on to the breast as FAR as you can!  This is the ‘magic’ trick that keeps the nipple safe & sound (and prevents all that scary nipple pain, cracking etc.)!

3.       Hand Expression…
If your baby is sleepy, grumpy, mucousy, stuffed up, separated from you for any reason, you are engorged, or it hurts you too much to feed - YOU have to take over!  If you are ready with a ‘PLAN’ to hand express during these potentially stressful moments, then you will be able to keep breastfeeding going (and keep feeding your baby)!

Watch this video to learn about Hand Expression, from Jane Morton at Stanford University.  This is different than using a breast pump! 

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html

Often, NOTHING comes out when you use a pump, and that DOESN’T mean you ‘have no milk’…   Seriously, only  VERY FEW DROPS of colostrum are needed in the first few days, so if the baby can’t get it out for some reason, YOU can express these drops, & feed it to the baby with a medicine cup or spoon, and try all over again at the next feed!

4. Compressions & Cues

If baby is able to breastfeed ‘ok’…keep going!  Try not to limit how often or much the baby sucks in the first few weeks (watch your baby’s ‘cues’, not the clock, since the baby’s feeding frequency is what tells your body how much milk to make!)… after all, the baby doesn’t know that you were trying to have a shower or eat dinner!

To keep the baby ‘drinking’ and not just sucking, try squeezing your breast while baby is sucking (for the count of 3), so more milk comes out.  This is called ‘Breast Compression’ and is very good when baby is sleepy while feeding, or slowing down at the end of a feed.

5.  ‘Stuff’ & stories…

Avoid soothers, nipples, bottles (try a cup or spoon if necessary) for the first MONTH!  These things won’t help your baby learn to breastfeed, and may instead ‘mess with’ your milk supply.  Also, be careful of other things that can interfere with normal breastfeeding (‘feeding’ apps, books trying to ‘make’ your baby do anything!, or having formula at home ‘just in case’…)

If ‘Supplements’ are recommended, use BREASTMILK!  You can breastfeed (or try) every 2-3 hours, but if you express your own milk (or colostrum) after each feed, then you can use THAT to feed to baby!  If you ‘miss’ a feeding for any reason, express so your breasts still get the stimulation they need to keep producing milk!

Also, try not to listen to the people who tell you that ‘your baby shouldn’t need to eat yet’, ‘you don’t have enough milk’, or that their baby ‘sleeps through the night’ at 2 weeks old.  Find someone who will support your efforts instead, and can help you make a plan!   If you need help, find a CERTIFIED Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) as soon as possible.  Issues can often be ‘fixed’ easily in the first few days, but can pose more of a challenge after a few weeks.

Quote of the day: ‘Don’t quit on your worst day!” 

Hang in there, and commit to making it through to the ‘other side’!!!

Angela Grant Buechner is a mom of two exclusively breastfed girls, is a NICU Lactation Consultant & runs Nutmeg Consulting; a private Doula/Lactation Consultant business in Toronto, Canada.

Coming home from the hospital or birthing center with a new baby can be slightly overwhelming. Especially for a first time mom. First, you make sure baby is properly strapped into the car seat, you adjust and readjust everything a few times to make sure it's tight but not too tight and then you take the most nerve-wracking drive home, even it's just 5 minutes, it feels like the most treacherous drive EVER. And yes- it's normal to sit in the backseat.

You finally arrive home, get baby out of the car and walk into your house, for the first time as either a new family or with a new addition.  These are the top 5 things you will probably want or need most:

1) Yummy food and beverages- quick. You have probably spent the last 2 days (or more) eating food you aren't crazy about, or wishing for something yummy and homemade. You should arrange to have made meals in advance or set yourself up with a group of well wishers who bring food to you- fresh, daily! (More about that in an upcoming post) This way, whoever is there with you; husband, mom, sister, etc can pop something into the oven, or make you a fresh meal with something nice to drink, like an herbal tea or a smoothie.

2) A shower! You will probably be so happy to see a bathroom with your products and towels, it can be a great relaxing moment to have a nice hot shower before settling in with your new baby. Someone should be there to hold the baby, (this is when they could also be making you tea!) and to lay out a fresh outfit for you to hang out in. You'll want something comfortable, like yoga clothes or even flannel PJ's. You'll still be looking pregnant and will be bleeding and possibly be in some discomfort, so you won't be hopping back into your skinny jeans - so sorry to burst your bubble.

3) Before you hop into that bed,  fresh sheets! A nurse friend of mine is adamant about having fresh sheets on her own bed at least once a week (be honest now, most of us don't) and she makes a point of changing her patients sheets to make sure they feel clean and comfortable. We all know how nice it feels to climb into a soft clean bed. (This type of thing could be done by your post-partum doula, your mother or whoever is around to help out)

4)Peace and quiet- yes we know everyone is excited to see the baby and hear about the birth and take pictures and bring gifts. That can WAIT! A new family, and especially a woman who has just given birth, need time to decompress, relax and enjoy some quiet bonding time. The first few days fly by, and it's so important that space is given.  (Visitor- If you are bringing food, you're the exception, but please just drop it off and don't expect to hold the baby. He or she will probably be breastfeeding or sleeping in Mom's arms)

5) Someone to talk to. Yes I know what #4 said, but something so important, especially in those first few weeks is for someone to just listen. Giving birth is not some small insignificant thing in a woman's life. There is much to discuss, many feelings to can come up, and the one thing every single mom needs is someone she can unload on. Breastfeeding difficulties, birth trauma, stitches, sleeplessness, baby blues- these are all things that can be overwhelming for you after having a baby and knowing someone is there to say "it's going to be ok. You're doing an amazing job." can really change the way things look. On the other hand, sometimes you will just want to spend hours rehashing every moment of the labor and birth and the amazing feeling you get looking at your new baby.  Working as a doula I get to hear all of these stories, the good, the bad, the sad, the amazed, the proud- it's all part of the process.

These aren't the only things you (or the new mom in your life) might need- but it's quite basic. Some pampering, some rest, some reassurance, and some help around the house.

I recommend to my clients that they line up some support for after the baby is born. I don't mean, "oh, we have tons of friends who can't wait to come over and see the baby, I'm sure they'll know not to stay too long". Most new moms need some help with housework, some meal preparation to make sure they are eating and drinking enough, someone to help with diaper changes and to hold the baby while they shower or have a nap. It can be so beneficial to the new family, so they can rest and bond, and it makes the transition to parenthood so much smoother.

Thanks for reading, Megan