If you breastfeed, you know exactly what I am talking about. Stress, believe it or not can play a role in how much milk you are producing for your baby. I am no expert but I do have experience since I have breastfed 4 kids.
Here are some tips.
Always stay hydrated. Every time I breastfed, I drank water. You should at least drink 8 glasses a day.
Prenatal vitamins. Even though you are no longer pregnant, these vitamins still play a vital role. Always take your vitamins.
Eating oatmeal. I have always heard that eating oatmeal helps.
Feed on demand rather than by schedule. I have done both breastfeeding and bottle and it seems like the schedule only works with the bottles.
Dont stress yourself out. I know what stress does. I was stressed out with my 3rd child. This was my first child that I had to work full time with and after 7 weeks she was on the bottle. This was hard on me since I have always breastfed all of my kids. If this is something you really want to do, visit other support groups for some tips.
Here are some good breastfeeding forums.
Mothering Breastfeeding Folder
Le Leche League Mother to Mother
If you are a mom that breastfeeds and have more tips, leave a comment.
Visit Crayon Writer for some more tips.
6 comments:
Don't you go buy more milk? LOL! Sorry couldn't help it. Actually when I breastfed, I did not have that much of a milk supply and it was a PITA to try to pump myself with little supply! : P
LOL you are funny. I was waiting for someone to say this. LOL.
Hi! I found you on BlogLog. I can only reiterate staying hydrated and feeding on demand, even through the night. Especially through the night. Milk supply is based on demand. So if you don't let the baby get milk whenever he or she demands it, your body figures the baby doesn't need much.
Also, if you're working, be sure to pump at LEAST every 4 hours. Three is better. Two even better. You want your body to think it's still nursing a baby.
Supply and demand (and stay hydrated so you can meet the demand). No need for oatmeal or anything special. All you need is baby. If you're "drying up," spend some serious baby time with your baby. Take two days to just nurse round the clock, and you'll be back up.
Oh, one more thing. Forget about the "rule" of switching sides. Switch after your baby has decided they're done on one side. And remember that it is completely possible to feed from only one side (you'll just be lopsided). My daughter has a favorite side...the one that we nurse on the most, and has become the main supplier. The other side is mostly for comfort or a quick snack.
Sorry...meant to make this short. Great blog! I'll join your community tomorrow. Join mine too.
Wow theda you are a pro at this! I am going to link your blog to this post! Great information.
Thanks, Ginene! I guess I didn't mention that I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding cover-to-cover, and I've been breastfeeding my daughter for almost 2 years and 5 months (and still going). I just started reading Mothering your Nursing Toddler too.
Many women believe they don't have enough milk because the baby is always nursing. Unless there's something wrong with you, like you're severely malnourished, dehydrated, or you actually have a physical issue (like breast surgery), you're probably fine. Babies nurse A LOT! Like every 45 minutes sometimes. I used to nurse for about half an hour to 45 minutes, fall asleep for 45 minutes, and be right back up again. All night.
I have some more hints/tricks that I figured out along the way. I'll have to write a book or an ebook on it. Hmm...good idea.
One more hint: nursing solves most of a baby's concerns. So if the baby's crying, or about to cry, nurse her.
Good luck new nursing moms! You can do it!
I agree. I don't let babies cry anyway. :)
Post a Comment