Whether you want to breastfeed or bottle feed, the first step is increasing or maintaining your milk supply.
I’ve been breast-feeding for over a year now. Before I gave birth, I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t know how my body was going to react and adjust, and I didn’t want to pressure myself with unrealistic expectations.
I told myself that I was going to try to breast-feed but also pump so my husband could also do the feedings. I nursed and pumped for about 5 months.
Bottle feeding worked out for a while but then my son started refusing bottles around four months. He became more aware around that time, and bottle feeding become harder. I eventually decided to stop bottle feeding and exclusively breastfeed. He is 15 months now and still breastfeed 3 to 4 times a day.
For about 4 to 5 months, I did both breast-feeding and bottle-feeding. If your a new mom or just looking to increase your supply, follow these pumping/ breastfeeding tips.
Related: How I Lost my Post-Partum Weight in 2 Months Without Going to The Gym
How to Increase or maintain milk supply:
Breastfeeding and pumping takes a lot of your energy. It can be especially hard to do in the early day right after labor and recovery. A combination of exhaustion along with the stress of adjusting and recovering can cause your milk supply to dip or make it hard to maintain.
Take care of your mental health
Self-care is important to maintain your milk supply.
Balanced diet
Eating a balanced diet on a daily basis, will not only increase your milk supply, but also help you and baby get the nutrient you need. In the beginning cooking healthy meals everyday can be hard, so meal prepping can help. Have simple things like salads, beans, and oatmeal ready in the fridge can help resist the urge to skip a meal or eat junk.
Stay Hydrated
Breastfeeding and pumping causes your body to lose water. Breastmilk is 90% water so you are losing a lot of fluid. Aim to drink around to 3-4 liter of water to keep yourself hydrated and keep your supply going.
Nursing/ Breastfeeding Tips:
Feed on demand
Feeding on demand means that whenever your baby gives you cues that they are hungry or want to nurse, you place them on your breast. This will increase your supply because lets your body know that it needs to produce milk to meet baby’s demand. Breastfeeding is supply and demand system, so the more your baby nurses, the more milk you will produce.
Tips for Pumping:
Power pump
If you are not nursing, you can still increase your supply by power pumping. Power pumping involves pumping every 30 min. for 10 min. straight. I power pumped when my supply would drop and saw an increase within a day.
Pump in between sessions
I would pump every chance I got. For example, while sitting behind my computer doing some work, or while nursing baby on one boob and pumping on the other.
Pump while nursing
I personally had a better letdown if I pumped while I was nursing. So, I would put him on one boob and have my pump attached to the other boob during the day.
Start introducing bottles early
I started with the bottle as soon as he got home from the hospital, even though the hospital recommended waiting for two weeks. I started right away because I didn’t have any latching issues.
Maintain a pumping schedule
Don’t go longer than four hours without pumping or nursing to avoid messing up your milk supply. Consistency is key. Remember: supply and demand.
Tips for Bottle Feeding:
Listen to your body and your baby
My son started refusing bottles after four months, so I stopped and introduced sippy cups. It’s important to adapt to your baby’s changing needs and preferences.
Pick the right bottle and nipple
Some babies are picky when it comes to bottles and nipples. The type of bottle and nipple you use can have a big impact on how your baby reacts, especially if you have a colicky baby.
What to do with left over breastmilk?
Freshly expressed breastmilk can be stored in the fridge up to 5 days or freezer for 6 months. If you have a deep freezer, you can store it for up to 12 months.
