It’s World Breastfeeding Week and when I marked this event last year, never did I ever think that I would be celebrating it again as a mom to a 14 month old. But here I am, still breastfeeding a toddler. What felt SO insanely hard with a newborn baby feels so easy and natural with a 14 month old.
I have received many questions about breastfeeding and pumping so I thought World Breastfeeding Week was a perfect opportunity to share tips and insight. You might want to skip this post if it’s not relevant for your stage in life, or if you’re just not into baby-focused content. Also, it’s important to remember that these are tips based on my personal breastfeeding journey. Every single woman has her own unique experience.
This post does include affiliate links to my favorite products.
(Photos Amanda James Photography)
MY BEST TIPS FOR BREASTFEEDING
I am grateful that breastfeeding went well for Finn and me. We definitely had some stressful moments but all things considered, I cannot complain. Nothing that I read could have prepared me for the experience of breastfeeding. It is a truly mind-blowing, insanely beautiful and miraculous thing.
Here are just a few insights that I have to offer.
- Comfortable positioning, especially in the early days where you spend so much time nursing. Have a couple of nursing spots in the house where you have seating and props to be in a good anatomical alignment and to feel supported. Downstairs I had a spot on the couch with a Brest-Friend Pillow and a nursing stool and upstairs I nursed Finn in his glider with a pillow for under my elbow and a foot stool under my feet. Also, once baby gets a little bigger, I cannot recommend side-lying breastfeeding enough. It saved my life for night feedings. Thank you, a million times thank you, to Anne for bringing side-lying feeding to my attention.
- Drink a TON of water. Breast milk is around 88% water so it makes sense that your body needs to be extra hydrated in order to maintain supply. You need enough water to hydrate you but also to make milk for the baby. I carried a 32-ounce water bottle around with me everywhere for the first six months.
- Eat more! I know that it can seem counter-intuitive to continue eating more calories after having a baby, especially if you feel pressure or stress over losing baby weight, but your body needs these extra calories to produce breast milk. In the second and third trimesters, it’s recommended to increase calorie intake by about 300 calories a day to support pregnancy. This should continue throughout breastfeeding and might be closer to the 500 calorie range. Basically, if you’re feeling hungry…eat! Also, be prepared for your breastfeeding cravings and food choices to be as strong or abnormal or weird as they were during pregnancy. I have had so many women reach out to me and share that this was also the case for them!
- Feed on demand. Remember, I am sharing what worked best for me and my baby so I know this won’t resonate with everyone. Feeding on demand worked so much better for us than trying to follow a strict schedule. I think every baby is different and it resonated more with me to follow Finn’s cues for when he wanted to eat versus sticking to a set timetable. Remember, little babies use nursing not just for food but also for comfort and bonding with mom. This was a huge lifesaver for us for making it through everything from gassy nights to painful teething to just being out of sorts. I also think feeding on demand really helped my supply. Oh…and sometimes I fed Finn on MY demand! If I felt uncomfortable or needed relief I would nurse him. I also think this helped me with not getting clogged ducts or mastitis. (Knock on wood…we’re not done yet!)
- Don’t stress. I know this one is loaded and complicated but the less you can stress, the better. That being said, breastfeeding can be EXTREMELY stressful! Once you’ve made it over the initial hurdle of figuring out latching, regulating your supply and just getting the hang of nursing…try the best you can to relax into it and not overthink it. I would start getting myself worked up over supply when it didn’t even need to be an issue. Also, know that there will be bumps along the road that will cause stress. I went through a period with Finn when he was about four months old where he was pulling off my breast and just wailing and getting super frustrated. I felt like I was doing something wrong and got so stressed! It’s also common for babies to go on nursing strikes. Try to take it one day at a time.
- Seek help! When I did feel so overly stressed about breastfeeding that it was interfering with my comfort level (engorgement) or Finn’s happiness (wailing example above), I made an appointment with a lactation consultant at the hospital. I went in twice after having Finn, once at 5 days postpartum when my milk came in and once at that four month mark when Finn was crying on the breast so much. Both times I cried in relief at the guidance that these amazing women were able to offer. Also, seek help if you are feeling unwell or unlike yourself. Postpartum depression and anxiety is for real.
- Feed on both breasts each feeding and alternate which breast you start on each feeding. It’s normal to have one breast that produces more than the other. For most women, me included, it’s the right breast. It’s important to feed equally on the less productive breast to keep up the supply on that side.
- Don’t compare your breastfeeding experience to another mom’s. This is an important one! Every single mom is going to have a totally different experience with breastfeeding. It can be really helpful to swap stories but don’t let it take you down a rabbit hole of feeling like what you are doing isn’t right. Go with your intuition and your baby!
- It will get better. I remember feeding Finn for what felt like hours and hours and hours on end when he was very small. I would try to prop him up on the Brest Friend pillow while I typed on my laptop because it took him SO LONG to eat. I am here to tell you that it gets better, easier and faster. We got to the point where Finn was super efficient at self-latching and could eat in under 10 minutes. He became such an efficient nurser!
Things that I didn’t do…
- Take special supplements to encourage supply.
- Eat special foods that were supposed to be good for lactation and supply.
- Use nursing pads. Luckily, I didn’t have an issue with leakage. I have tons of them in my closet but never used them!
- Wear special nursing bras, sports bras or tops. I know I am way in the minority here with this one but I never wore nursing-specific bras or clothes. I’ve always been on the smaller side when it comes to breast size. Of course they’ve been bigger while I’ve been nursing (I will miss that!) but not enough so that I felt like I needed a ton of support. I have lived in Coobie bras and my favorite Lululemon sports bra sized up one size. Again, this is not the norm but it worked for me and I never had any issues with it.
- Use an app to track feedings. Revisiting the STRESS bullet above…I think for some people tracking feedings using an app can be helpful and ease stress. For others, it can be crazy making. I fell into the latter camp. I never tracked one single feeding in an app and it really allowed me trust my body and to deepen my intuition around what my baby needed. I think this goes hand-in-hand with feeding on demand.
MY BEST TIPS FOR PUMPING
Pumping has been weird for me because I exclusively breastfeed Finn and I have never personally fed him a bottle. I tried once when he had a bottle leftover from spending time with his dad but it was so strange for both of us that he wouldn’t even take it. That being said, he exclusively gets bottles when he spends time with his dad. (I think they are starting to phase away from bottles to cups but I don’t know…)
I don’t enjoy pumping. I find it to be inconvenient and uncomfortable, especially in contrast to how much I enjoy breastfeeding. In the end, my desire to breastfeed Finn outweighed my dislike of pumping so I’ve done it. Pumping will hands-down be the thing I miss the least when Finn is weaned.
I have pumped A LOT so here are my tips for pumping.
- Order your pump online through Aeroflow. I worked with Aeroflow to choose my pump and it made an overwhelming process stress-free. You can read about my experience here. Aeroflow not only helps you compare pumps and choose the one that is right for you but they also work with your insurance to have the cost of your pump covered. I ultimately chose the Spectra S1.
- Replace pump parts frequently. I found myself getting so frustrated with the productivity of my pumping sessions. I quickly came to realize that if you’re using your pump a lot…the parts get worn out and the suction is impacted. While my Spectra pump itself is amazing, it needs parts replaced regularly. I have found that my duckbill valves need to be replaced most frequently.
- Get longer tubing. I knew it was time to replace my tubing when it was falling off of the back flow protectors. When I ordered replacement tubing, I ordered longer tubing than was standard with my pump. It was awesome! It gave me a longer range to work with while pumping…and made multitasking easier.
- Use a hands-free pumping bra. I bought this pumping bra when I first started pumping and boy have I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it!
- Battery operated pumps are life! Get a pump that can be charged and then used on battery operation so that you don’t always have to have access to a plug to pump.
- Pump directly into breastmilk storage bags. Since I immediately froze the milk I pumped, I found it so easy to directly pump into my favorite breast milk storage bags. Here is the adapter to let you pump into the bags. Highly recommend the Kiinde system. I have purchased well over a thousand of these bags. I find the Kiinde bags to be so much easier to handle than traditional bags. Much less accidental spillage…which is KEY when dealing with liquid gold! 🙂
- Pump in the car if you have long commutes, car travel or just a busy schedule. I was the queen of car pumping. Thanks to hands-free pumping bras, it was a breeze to do. I would get all hooked up before leaving my driveway and then pump the 20 minutes it took me to get to where I was going to teach classes. I also pumped in the car on road trips when I was teaching yoga out of state.
- Multi-task! Pumping is time consuming. I usually pump for 20-25 minutes each session and then there’s also the assembly, storage, clean up, sanitization, etc. If you’re pumping 4-5 times a day…this really adds up and starts eating into your day. This is why I did things like car pump, work on the computer while pumping, make and eat meals while pumping, unload the dishwasher while pumping…I even vacuumed while pumping! I tried to multi-task as much as I possibly could because I just didn’t have 2-3 hours in my day to sit and pump.
Let me know if you have any other questions or topics about breastfeeding or pumping that you’d like for me to answer in the comments.
What are your best breastfeeding tips?
What are your best pumping tips?
Awesome post! I love your perspective and your tips and thank you for helping to normalize breastfeeding!
I have nursed three babes on demand (consecutively) and enjoy how you described that not focusing on a schedule really helps connect more with your child.
This post is SO helpful! I was actually breastfeeding as I read it! I have yet to buy a bra so I can pump handsfree but I’m heading back to work soon so I would like to get one in order to increase my efficiency–my question is, do I wear a normal bra & put the hands-free bra on over it when I’m pumping or would I have to wear the hands-free bra all day? Like you, I haven’t had to wear too many nursing bras, I’ve primarily been wearing my regular bras/sports bras so I’m just wondering if I want to use this if I’ll have to switch to wearing it all the time.
Thanks!
This seems so counterintuitive, but I have found that manual pumps are SO MUCH more effective than electric pumps! I used an electric while working full time for a year each with my first two babies, and I wasn’t working but still pumped with my third and finally used a manual pump with my fourth baby since I was going on a week long international away from her and couldn’t trust a plug. I was SHOCKED how easy and quick it was (let down and expressing is so much quicker) and was instantly converted, and have since converted many friends who are 100% manual pump now, even pumping full time through working. Try it out! I so wish someone had suggested it to me for my first babe!
And also- thanks for your great posts on things like this- you always come across so supportive for all women and whatever her decisions in motherhood may be with your great mix of assurance of yourself and ability to be teachable.
I’m in the wailing at the breast stage. Care to share what the lactation consultant advised? Our pediatrician gave some tips but wasn’t really sure.
I went through the wailing at the breast with both of my kids and I think in both cases it was due to strong let-down. Of course everyone is different and that may not be the case for you at all. But I had to pull my babies off for the let-down because it was too much for them. The consultant I saw said that it is not unusual for this to become an issue even if it didn’t seem to be a problem when bub was younger. Good luck, it is tough but rewarding 🙂
It never occurred to me that I should replace pump parts! I don’t really have any advice… I’m almost exclusively pumping instead of BF’ing because my boy hates one side (always has lol) and doesn’t completely empty the side he nurses from, so I found myself pumping after every BF’ing session + it was EXHAUSTING. So I switched to mostly just pumping and now everyone is much happier. 😀
Actually I do have advice – splurge on a really good double pump & don’t use the solo / travel ones as the main pump because they don’t get all the milk out very well. (I thought I had a low supply until I got a better pump!)
I have a tip for you, but I suppose it comes way too late. Buy the silicone inserts for the flanges! They make pumping almost pleasant. I’ve only seen them available for the 24 mm flanges though.
How have I never even heard of this!? Thank you!
I’m going on 14 months and weaning is not in site right now. I had originally said I wanted to go 18 months if that works out, so 4 more months left! Even though she is eating lots more solids right now, after she turned 1, she seemed to NEED to feed more. She had her first set of molars coming in, so that may attribute to the need.
For me nursing bras and tank tops were SO helpful! I too am part of the IBTC, even while pregnant and nursing, I did not get a big jump. They just made it so much easier and all of my old bras were wired and padded, so these were more comfortable and made it easier to feed while out. I’m pretty much done pumping, but do it occasionally to make popsicles. If you have any extra, I highly recommend blending some fruit with your milk and pouring them into mini popsicle molds. My daughter LOVES them and it only takes like 2 oz to fill up 4 molds. It especially helps with teething!
Anyways, you go mama! keep up the great work!
So happy to hear that it’s all going so well for you and your daughter! And thanks for the popsicle suggestion. Very creative and fun…love that idea for teething especially. We’ve also been dealing with molars coming in.
Lovely post. My youngest child is almost 18 months and is self-weaning (she will nurse – very briefly – if I offer but isn’t asking to nurse any more and I’m going with it, even though I’m very sad that I will never nurse another baby again!). I just wanted to point out that it’s possible to continue breastfeeding after you stop pumping. Once your baby is on solid foods, breastmilk is not their only source of food, and once they turn 1, milk is not even their primary source of nutrition. With an older baby or toddler, it is totally possible for them to eat formula, cow’s milk and/or solid food when they’re apart from mom and nurse when they’re with her. (I realize this may not have worked for you because of your overnights away from you son when he was with his dad, but just wanted to share for readers who may be away from their kids for shorter stretches, eg., a 9-5 work day). I stopped workday pumping around 6 months with both my kids but nursed both of them on mornings, evenings and weekends until 22 months and now ~18 months. I’ve been surprised how many people don’t realize you can wean from the pump without weaning the baby completely. Just a tip from another person who hated pumping and loved nursing!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I have read a lot about moms who can stop pumping at work and maintain supply. I can only imagine what a relief that must be for pumping, working moms. I would so do that too if it weren’t for the overnights away. Ugh! We are adding a lot more whole milk dairy into Finn’s diet and cutting pumped milk to 3x a day when he’s not with me so that’s been a help. I think once we drop the day feedings and do morning and night it will be even easier!
Love this post, Jen. Now that I’m 2.5 weeks into motherhood I’m diving into all of these posts! So far we’re doing well with nursing — surprisingly so! I don’t really want to pump but do want a small supply for the future of when we need a little time away or for a babysitter to feed. For now, I really enjoying feeding on demand and not by any schedule and I’m trusting my body is learning exactly what our son needs ?