Want to make breastfeeding successful? Whether you're first time mom or not, here are breastfeeding secrets that just might surprise you. I never would've thought breastfeeding would be hard—not once. But there I was, pulled between wanting to breastfeed and ready to call it quits. I felt immobilized from being a human pacifier, with my nipples cracked and blistered. And I beat myself up when I couldn't seem to read my baby's hunger cues, much less satisfy them. I learned only later that many of us face these challenges. They're enough to make us question our ability to provide for … [Read more...]

Are you barely producing enough breast milk for your baby? Learn how to increase your milk supply with these tips—they actually work! I couldn't believe what I saw. I was browsing through a parenting board when I clicked on a fellow mom's post about breastfeeding. Whereas I was struggling with producing enough milk, she was asking for advice on what to do with her stash of extra breast milk. Except "extra" didn't exactly cut it. She posted a photo of bags and bags of frozen breast milk, overflowing her already packed freezer. Meanwhile, I was barely pumping enough at work to last … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding can take you by surprise or even discourage you from continuing. Here are 9 tips to keep in mind for breastfeeding motivation. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission—at no extra cost to you—if you make a purchase. For the first months of breastfeeding, I felt like a cow, and it had nothing to do with my post-pregnancy body. If I wasn't breastfeeding, I was pumping. I didn't realize how often babies need to eat, or how long each feeding session would take. At family parties, I was either draped with a shawl cover or … [Read more...]