Breastfeeding 101: Whether you’re first time mom or a veteran, here are 12 breastfeeding secrets to help with breastfeeding success.
Breastfeeding wasn’t easy for me in the beginning, especially with my eldest. I wanted to give up every day and would need to motivate myself to keep going. After a few weeks though, I finally got the hang of it.
With my twins, I breastfed easily from the start, as if my body picked up right where it left off with my eldest. But after four months, I got hit with thrush and needed to find ways to cope and overcome that obstacle.
And during both times I breastfed my kids, I dealt with clogged ducts and engorged breasts. Both uncomfortable hassles, no matter how common they may be.
Breastfeeding 101
I’ve learned a lot of breastfeeding secrets and tips. Not everything is as picture-perfect as you may assume (as I did) and you may face challenges. Still, you’ll realize some pretty amazing benefits that come from breastfeeding as well.
1. Increase milk supply by pumping the other breast
Trick your body into producing more milk by pumping one side while the baby is nursing on the other. Then at the next feeding, have baby nurse on the side you pumped earlier, and pump on the side he nursed. You can use the extra milk for bottles or freeze for later.
Get more tips about how to increase your milk supply.
2. Unlatch the baby by inserting your finger
One mistake to avoid is pulling baby right off while he’s latched. This can hurt you especially when baby is sucking hard. Instead, break the suction by inserting your finger into his mouth. Then, gently create an air pocket by moving your finger, breaking the suction. Only then should you pull baby off.
3. Ease engorgement manually if needed
Sometimes your body will produce way more milk than you need at the most inconvenient times. If you’re in the shower, relieve engorgement by pressing down and toward the nipple. Imagine a tube of toothpaste you’re trying to push out of the tube from the bottom.
Doing this in the shower is helpful because you won’t have to deal with any mess. Plus the steam of the room will make the milk come out easier.
4. Offer your less-sore nipple first
There might come a time when you’ll suffer from soreness. If one breast isn’t as painful, offer that one first. Your baby will likely suck more in the earlier part of nursing than the latter.
Since babies tend to suck stronger in the beginning of feeding, offering your less-sore nipple first helps ease pain in the other one.
5. Breast milk comes in cycles
The first few minutes are more water-based, the “fore” milk. Then, a few minutes later, the fattier part of the milk comes down, the “hind” milk.
The first few ounces are lighter-colored. Only later will the milk turn whiter with the fatty milk. To give your child a balanced feed, empty the breast so he gets both cycles of milk.
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6. Wear breast shells to protect nipples from contact
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Your nipples might feel uncomfortable from anything that chafes it, including your clothes. I found comfort in breast shells. They allow your nipples to breathe without coming into contact with clothing. And if you apply cream, the shells will help even more by making sure it doesn’t rub off.
7. Feed often (and eat more) to increase supply
Increase supply by feeding or pumping often. I know, easier said than done. But your body will produce less the less you nurse.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re eating and resting enough. Your body is hard at work converting your calories into milk.
8. If you’re pumping at work, leave several parts there as well
I can’t tell you how many times I broke these darn white membranes. Thankfully I kept a stash at work and at home so I wouldn’t have to skip a pump or run to the store.
9. If you’re pumping, introduce the bottle before going to work
If you plan to pump, introduce the bottle early enough before going to work. Your baby should have had enough time to nurse and latch. But you’ll also want to introduce it early enough that he’ll be comfortable with the bottle.
And when you do, have someone else give him the bottle and leave the room when you do. For instance, have dad or your regular caregiver offer the bottle while you step into the next room. Your baby won’t feel confused why he’s drinking from an unfamiliar item with you right there.
10. Make sure baby’s mouth covers a wide area of the breast
When your baby is latched, his mouth should take in part, if not all, of the dark part of your breast, the areola. As he sucks, he’ll be squeezing the milk ducts beneath that area to draw the breast milk out.
If your baby is only sucking on the protruding part of the nipple, it’ll pinch and hurt you. Plus, the baby won’t be able to suck as much as he can. Instead, encourage him to open wide before latching and sucking.
11. Use breast milk to soothe and prep your nipples
Spread a few drops of breast milk over the nipple to soothe it after a nursing session. You can do this along with the lanolin cream, or if you happen to run out. Not only that, you can also use breast milk to prep the nipple for your baby before he latches. Not only will it moisten the area, your baby will also smell it and find it easier to latch.
12. Prevent common complications
I came down with thrush when my twins were four-months-old and it was so painful. Prevent thrush and other complications by:
- air drying nipples
- eating non-sugary foods
- wearing a clean bra or nursing top
Bonus Reader Tip: Nurse over your baby to get rid of plugged ducts
I had to add this useful tip from SSBE reader Kathleen:
I struggled with plugged ducts until I learned this trick. Lay the baby down, maybe prop their head up a little. Arrange yourself over them so your breast is hanging freely and allow them to nurse. Never had a plugged duct thru more than 2 nursing sessions when doing this. Have passed it on to other women with great success for them, too.
It can be a strange position, but one I’ve done it myself with much success.
Conclusion
I’ll be honest: I had a love-hate relationship with breastfeeding. The first few weeks were some of the toughest. I But I also knew I’d miss the special moments only breastfeeding can offer. After all, this isn’t one of those things you can pause and get back into down the line. I learned to enjoy breastfeeding as much as I could, knowing how beneficial it was for both me and baby.
Read more about breastfeeding secrets and tips:
- My Top Breastfeeding Tips
- What Every Mom Needs to Know about Pumping at Work
- 9 Tips on Staying Motivated to Breastfeed
- Why You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty for Pumping at Work
- Scared to Breastfeed? Try These Tips!
Tell me in the comments: What are your top breastfeeding 101 secrets and tips?
Track feedings and diapers
Need an organized way to track your baby's latest feedings and diaper changes? Download my FREE printable tracker to help you record feedings and diapers—no more forgetting! The set comes with templates for both breastfed and bottle-fed babies.
One thing I found very important is that I still had to be cautious of what I was eating, because the baby will eventually consume it through the breast milk. I still stayed away from caffeine and ate a lot of fruits, veggies and healthy meats 🙂
Great post! And all true! I HATED nursing bras and pads! Over-exhaustion doesn’t even begin to describe all those night feeds, dad was sound asleep while I was sometimes delusional in the nursery. As much as I loved providing my daughter with breastmilk, and I encourage it for every mom, I am THRILLED that phase is over, lol.
That’s right Queenie! I forgot to mention all the food limitations. I remember forgoing dairy to see if that would help at all with my babies’ fussiness (not sure it even did!), and of course avoiding alcohol if I was about to feed or pump. I’m so jealous you don’t have to wear those darn bras and pads! I’m wearing those breast shells right now… SO sexy lol.
#13 It’s totally worth it!
Couldn’t agree with you more, Betsy!
Wow breast fed twins you get a gold star!
This is a nice simple informative list for a mom about to have a baby great job!
I got to say Heck yeah on #8! I finanly got the right sized shields which made the whole this much better but it was not my favorite part! I pumped from 4 weeks after birth (to build a supply to go back to work) and then till 20 months of age with my son. I would burn that THING if I didn’t know how much it costs! My son quit taking my milk unless it was from the breast at 18ish months but I continued till 20 for my sister who has PCOS and a baby that refused to latch. She needed extra milk to make up. But the Week she called and said she was only getting 1/4 ounce a day and was quiting I said AWESOME I’m quiting too! lol
Wow that’s amazing you were able to pump for that long. I stopped breastfeeding my oldest son at 12 months and coincidentally (or not!) my pump starting to break down at that point. I was actually happy that something I paid so much for broke haha!
Oh god, thrush!! I had it terribly and it’s so hard to get rid of and it’s excruciating!!!
Great list. I’m thrilled I was able to breast feed both babies, mostly because I’m lazy and all that bottle washing, preparation before leaving the house and getting up to make bottles seems all too hard!
It’s so true Danielle. When I had thrush, I had to exclusively pump, and only then did I realize how time-consuming it must be for moms who exclusively pump. It’s like all I did was wash and pump!
I’m right there with you on the breastfeeding. I nursed all three of mine too and even with all of the “negatives” to exclusively breastfeeding I wouldn’t trade it for the world. In my mind , the benefits to both mom and baby FAR outweigh any drawbacks.! Great post!
Thanks, Keya! There was definitely that sense of accomplishment once I finished breastfeeding my older son. At the same time I also try to balance it with my sanity lol. For instance, I can’t pump enough to feed both babies so I supplement with formula. I could wake up in the middle of the night to pump, but… 🙂
I was surprised at how long it took to get the hang of it…and then how much I liked it once I hung in there!
That’s right, Tiffany. With my older son, it was such a struggle that first month to keep going. I couldn’t believe that breastfeeding was actually difficult in the beginning. Thankfully I stuck it through and it became much easier after that.
I agree with you on this, fully! I love breastfeeding my girls. My older weaned at 13 months, and my younger is still at it, at 27 months, but I think it’s time to start the weaning process. And this is where my struggle begins…the letting go.
That’s always the hardest part of parenthood isn’t it, no matter what the stage or the age? Because you know that once you let go of one stage, another begins, which is great, but also bittersweet knowing that you can never have what once was again…
Justine, that mentality was actually what kept me push forward when I had thrush. I was ready to give up but when I thought about how irretrievable breastfeeding would be once I stopped, it motivated me to at least keep pumping and see where it takes me. Thankfully for me I healed and was able to resume.
A huge thing that surprised me (and come to find out many others) was that it is possible to breastfeed through pregnancy. I get so many questions about it since I nursed through my entire pregnancy and went on to tandem nurse my toddler and infant. It *can* be done, who woulda thunk it?
Sure it can be done but it isn’t easy 🙂
Wow Theek! And yes, tandem nursing can absolutely be done, though I’ve only done it with same-sized babies. It took a while to master it what with their floppy heads and all 🙂
I am dealing with thrush right now and want to give up. How did you get through it?
Hi Sara,
I’m so sorry you’re going through thrush! I’d say they were even worse than my contractions! One thing you want to do is contact your OBGYN. She’ll likely give you prescription medicine to get rid of the thrush. In the meantime, do you have access to a pump? I had to go about a week exclusively pumping because the babies’ sucking (I had twins) hurt too much. Also, touch base with your baby’s pediatrician to see if the baby needs medicine. My twins didn’t, and don’t assume a white tongue is automatically a sign they have it too. They check the lips and mouth area for thrush. Good luck! The good news is once I started taking the medicine, it went away after a few days.
Nina
I struggled with plugged ducts until I learned this trick. Lay the baby down, maybe prop their head up a little. Arrange yourself over them so your breast is hanging freely and allow them to nurse. Never had a plugged duct thru more than 2 nursing sessions when doing this. Have passed it on to other women with great success for them, too.
Oh yes Kathleen, I remember this trick, and yup, it totally works! Plugged ducts are the worst, but that method totally makes gravity (and baby’s suction) make it go away after a while. Thanks for adding this; I’ll have to edit the post to include your tip.
I tried this and my baby just laughed at me and would not eat! The pump has been the only reliable thing to work out a blockage (after taking ibuprofen and removing the external blockage from my nipple).
Yikes! Sorry to hear that Sara. I’ve had a few episodes of blocked ducts as well. Have you also tried manually expressing while you’re in the shower? I find that the steam and warmth of a shower is more conducive to removing blockage. p.s. I love the idea of your baby just laughing lol! They probably laugh at a lot of our antics!
It’s been YEARS since I nursed my babies. I have 6 kids. The first one I wanted to nurse, but the doc said he was losing weight cause of not enough milk. My 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th baby all nursed successfully. The one that nursed the longest was for 3 years. She was my 5th child.
The one thing I learned that helped TREMENDOUSLY was to drink water. Every single time you nurse, drink a glass of water. I never had issues with enough milk after learning and implementing that tip.
Enjoy your babies! They grow up sooooo fast!
Love that tip, Luanne! Thanks for adding it. It’s so true and makes so much sense. We need to drink water to stay hydrated (and eat enough calories) to breastfeed. After all, that milk isn’t coming out of nowhere! We need water and calories to produce. Love that you were able to nurse all the others. One of my twins also had weight issues and needed to supplement.
My kid better have a big mouth cause my “dark part” is kinda large… and I’ve seen other ladies and how it should look. No newborn of mine or really any kid until the age of one of mine would be able to put their whole mouth over the dark part… and who knows by the time I’m wanting kids the dark part could get bigger… I don’t think that rule can apply to everyone…
Hi Reilley, the baby doesn’t have to cover the whole areola, just part of it in order to efficiently draw out breast milk all while avoiding pain for the mother. The milk ducts are located beneath that dark part, making it that much more effective to nurse when the baby has his mouth over the areola and not just the nipple.