Top 10 Tips to Prepare for Breastfeeding

These tips will give you the best shot at a positive breastfeeding experience

By Teresa Pitman

If you plan to breastfeed your baby, these tips will help you be as prepared as you can be! If you are having issues with breastfeeding, contact a local La Leche League group, a public health nurse or your doctor. It’s always best to get help earlier rather than later.

1. Find your tribe! Having other supportive, experienced breastfeeding mothers around to talk you through the tough days and answer your questions can make all the difference. Talk to your partner about breastfeeding and what kind of support you think you’ll need.

2. Know your local breastfeeding experts. Is there a La Leche League group or other peer support group in your community? A breastfeeding clinic connected with the local hospital? A lactation consultant in private practice? It’s easier to look up this information in advance than be frantically searching for it with a crying baby in your arms.

3. Know your breasts. (No, you don’t have to assign them names or anything ― your toddler may one day do that, though.) If you’ve had breast surgery, or if your breasts seem unusual in any way (nipples that go in rather than protrude out, very uneven sizes, etc.) you may want to talk to a breastfeeding expert (see #2) in advance.

4. Do what you can to simplify your life. In the beginning, a baby will nurse at least five or more hours out of your day (10 feedings at 30 minutes per feeding). Obviously, this is an average and babies vary a lot, but in the beginning, breastfeeding will take up a considerable amount of time. Do you currently spend five or more hours just sitting around doing nothing? Didn’t think so. The time you spend breastfeeding in the early days and weeks is a very worthwhile investment, but something else will have to give ― so start now to get food in the freezer for easy meals and arrange with family and friends to give you some help. Once you get going, breastfeeding is less time-consuming, but planning will help you get through those challenging early weeks.

5. If possible, plan to have a doula with you during your labour and birth, as well as your partner. Research shows that just having a doula makes breastfeeding success more likely.

6. Unless there are clear medical indications, avoid having labour induced. A baby who is born when he decides he’s ready is more likely to be ready to breastfeed well from the beginning.

7.  Unless medically necessary, avoid having an IV during labour. That extra fluid goes into the baby (and will make it look like the baby has lost excess weight when he pees it out a day or two after birth). And that fluid will then go into your breasts, leading to increased swelling from fluids just when your breasts may be filling up with milk as well. It’s hard to latch a baby onto a bowling ball.

8. Recognize that labour medications, including the drugs in an epidural, may affect your baby’s ability to breastfeed. If you’ve had an epidural or other medication, be extra patient with your baby and don’t get discouraged if things don’t go smoothly at first. Ask for extra help of you need it, and be prepared to hand-express or pump your milk if necessary until your baby gets the hang of latching well.

9. Didn’t get a manual when your baby was born? No worries. The baby is the manual! Learn about early feeding cues and plan to breastfeed your baby when you see him putting his hand to his mouth, attempting to suck on clothes, turning his head as though searching for the nipple or giving other indications of readiness. Waiting until the baby cries leads to less successful feedings. Don’t look at the clock or the book, look at your baby. And prepare to have your whole life changed!

10. If you and your baby can be together (ideally skin to skin) from birth on, breastfeeding will usually happen as it should. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if it doesn’t seem to be working ― sore nipples, a too-sleepy baby or other concerns can be signs of problems that you want to sort out so that you can both enjoy breastfeeding.