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5 Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

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Breastfeeding is hard. For some reason, people don’t tell you that while you’re pregnant. You see ads in magazines of glowing new moms blissfully nursing their babies and think “oh, this will be easy.”

5 Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

Breast pumps are now 100% covered under Tricare. All you need is a prescription from your doctor.

For most moms, it isn’t that simple. Some women luck out and have babies that are great at latching. They have a steady milk supply and don’t run in to any nursing-related medical problems.

For the rest of us, nursing takes practice and a whole lot of patience. Here are 5 tips for moms that plan to breastfeed their babies.

5 Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

Learn about Breastfeeding

This sounds funny to say, but breastfeeding isn’t as simple as it sounds. A lot of women give up breastfeeding because they thought it would be easy to do but then discovered that it wasn’t.

I recently had our second child, a baby girl. I watched videos online about how to breastfeed over and over again when she wasn’t latching properly. I nursed our first child so you would think doing it again would be easy, but no 2 babies are alike.

You can learn about breastfeeding through books such as “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” by watching videos online, by taking a baby education class or by attending a breastfeeding support group. Talking to friends that have breastfed their babies can be really helpful as well.

Prep for Breastfeeding

Once you’ve decided that you’re going to breastfeed your baby, you’ll want to prep for it while you are pregnant. There are a few things to consider.

  • Will you exclusively breastfeed or will you also pump?
  • Will you be breastfeeding in public?

These questions are to determine what items you will need to acquire. If you plan to pump, then you’ll need to get a pump, milk storage bags, bottles and cleaning supplies.

If you are going to nurse in public, then you might want to consider how comfortable you will feel. Some people are perfectly confident nursing in public and some are not. Either way, your wardrobe will probably change. You will want nursing bras and nursing tank tops as well as nursing friendly tops. Some women like to have a type of cover to place over the baby for more privacy as well.

Get a Free Pump

Even if you aren’t sure you want to pump, get a pump anyway. A wonderful benefit of Tricare is that breast pumps are 100% covered and you can get a new one with each child you have. It’s simple to do as well.

All you need is a prescription from your doctor.

You do not have to buy your pump at a specific place. There are numerous stores, home health supply companies and online retailers that will give you a no-cost pump with your prescription. Many now offer free accessories.

Look around for the best deal and see what you can get. Once you have your pump, take it out of the box and read the directions before the baby comes.

5 Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

This is a picture of the pump I ordered along with all the free accessories that came with it.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

When the baby arrives, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with breastfeeding. It’s natural to worry if your baby is getting enough milk and if you’re doing it right. A lactation nurse should visit you in the hospital to help you get started.

Once you’re home things might go well for a period of time and then all of a sudden change. Don’t panic.

Tricare covers lactation consultations. You can get help. You can also join a lactation support group. I joined the one at our hospital. It’s a great way to meet other moms as well.

Enjoy the Experience

Breastfeeding should be comfortable, not painful. You should feel happy in the bond that you’ve created with your baby. Breastfeeding is a unique experience and once you’ve mastered it, you will be able to enjoy it.

There will be times that you want to cry or curse but there will be plenty more times that you look down at your baby and smile just like the women in magazines.

What tips do you have for new moms who are breastfeeding their babies? Share them in the comments section.

 

Resources for New Mothers Struggling with Postpartum Depression

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You’re having a baby. Congratulations! What a wonderful, exciting and terrifying time. Let’s add a PCS in there to help those already fluctuating hormones. If this is you, take a deep breath and find comfort that you are not the first milspouse to be expecting, moving and seeing your spouse off all at the same time. You are not alone.

Resources for New Mothers Struggling with Postpartum Depression

Knowing the signs of postpartum depression and recognizing it in yourself is the first step.

There is a great network of support out there for you; you just need to know how to find it and we’re here to help.

I am a planner. Things don’t always work out the way you want it to though, especially when you’re married to the military.

We planned and conceived our child while on shore duty and when I was 6 months into the pregnancy we PCSed from Florida to Virginia. I went from a small town I knew well where I had a job, friends and family to a big city where I had to find new doctors on my own while my husband went through chief’s initiation (read never home). He came home one day and told me he would be deploying shortly after our son would be born. That is a lot for a pregnant woman to handle.

Pregnancy hormones are often talked about and every woman’s experience is different. This was my first pregnancy. I was pretty optimistic, a happy person that took things in stride. I was very excited about our new life adventure. Basically, I was on a happy stride during my pregnancy. Then the baby came. What goes up must come down, or so the saying goes. I was so happy to be a new mother, to hold our precious 5.7 pound peanut and to have my husband here for the delivery. When I went home though, my hormones changed as my body adjusted to motherhood.

People don’t really talk about postpartum depression as a personal experience. It wasn’t until I had my baby that so many friends told me how depressed they were after giving birth.

How could anyone be depressed at having a wonderful child of their own? It isn’t something you can control, that’s how.

I consider myself a very strong person and didn’t want to admit to myself, let alone anyone else, that this could be something that I would face personally. But how do you deal with it?

Resources for New Mothers Struggling with Postpartum Depression

People don’t really talk about postpartum depression as a personal experience. Source: Photosavvy via flickr

Knowing the signs of postpartum depression and recognizing it in yourself is the first step; being brave enough to get help is the next. Postpartum Progress puts it in simple terms with a list of questions you should ask yourself. Does this sound like you?

  • You feel completely overwhelmed and helpless.
  • You feel guilty for feeling this way and that you are a terrible person for not being happy as you think you should be.
  • You want to hurt your baby or yourself or to run away from your family.
  • You feel angry, annoyed, irritated, sad or nothing at all.
  • You just know you are not yourself.

If this sounds like you, then reach out and get help. It might be terrifying, you might feel ashamed to admit it to friends or family, but you will feel so much better when you do. There are many resources for milspouses:

  • Utilize Tricare and talk to your doctor. She can give you a referral to a specialist.
  • Military OneSource is a free resource specifically for military families. They offer online support, live calls and links to find in-person help. I also like their guide to having a baby while your spouse is deployed.
  • Postpartum Support International offers live phone sessions where you can speak with a certified specialist. There are local support groups you can join and online resources as well.

    Resources for New Mothers Struggling with Postpartum Depression

    What resources would you recommend for new moms?

  • MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, is a wonderful group. It’s actually for moms of children from birth through kindergarten. It isn’t a postpartum depression group; it’s a group of mothers that laugh, cry, eat and talk about motherhood. If you are struggling in any way, go meet some other moms. You’ll learn you aren’t alone. I did.
  • Milspouses are great resources too. Talk to your best friend, your neighbor, your FRG leader or ombudsman. Just talking to another grownup can make a difference. Getting out of your pajamas and out of the house often can as well. Go to a spouse brunch or say yes to an invitation to coffee.
  • Talk to your spouse. This should be the first step, but for some it’s the hardest.

No matter which route you take, there is help out there for you. Reading this article was your first step, which one will you take next? Remember you are not alone.

What resources would you recommend for new moms?