7 Tips for Successful breastfeeding (during a medical training)

You are reading this post either because you have a new baby, pregnant, planning to be pregnant OR reading to teach someone else OR you just stumbled upon this out of curiosity

All your reasons are valid. So congratulations on being here.

When I was pregnant for the first time, everyone spoke about getting ready for labor and the sleepless nights that come with a new baby. Breastfeeding was never really discussed. If you follow me on instagram: dr_norajiaka,  you must have read my experience with it

Truth be told, breastfeeding was one of the roughest parts of early motherhood for me. After delivery of my first son, I had all the problems that came with it: poor latching, crackles nipples, engorged breasts and mastitis;  all within the first 1-2 weeks of delivery

It was a horrible experience. I ran hot showers often to relief my engorged breasts and took pain medications before I breast fed. I got frustrated often because of all of it. I ended up quitting breastfeeding for my sons too early- when they were 4 and 5 months old.

All my 3 children were born during one medical training or the other and it was always rough. My daughter came 7 years after my last son and was during my pediatric residency. I was determined to fully breastfeed. 

Here are 7 tips that helped me sucessfully breastfeed my daughter EXCLUSIVELY till 6 months and then continued till about 14 months of her age (Yoohoo!!)

1. Support :

This is very most important for every breastfeeding mother. You can’t be a mother, breastfeed all alone without support and still be able to maintain all your self-care and sanity. Something gives at the end. I lived in Nigeria during my first 2 pregnancies and even though I had a lot of family. I always wanted to do it alone. I didn’t fully accept the support given

I always felt guilty when someone else bottle-fed with my breastmilk. I didn’t feel expressed breastmilk was good enough so even when I was back from work exhausted, I still wanted to chest feed instead of expressing and handing over to someone else.

Prepare your support system before your baby comes.

Plan for how you will use them and what aspect of your post-partum journey you want them to help out

Be sure to get enough rest

4. Invest in storage containers and bags.

Another mistake on my part. I thought I could store my Medela bottles in the fridge for a long time. Boy! was I wrong.

Well you can but it takes up space and you won’t have enough space for more storage.

Invest in milk bags. You can choose brand na,es such as Medela, but honestly I chose the one on sale at the time – Nuk natural seal and go- and they were just as amazing. You only need on that 100% leak proof and BPA free and you’ll be fine.  You’ll label them by date and store them also by date

I initially bought the medela breast milk bottles but within a short time switched over to the Medela breast milk freezing bottles. I found them easier to carry to and fro work.

Remember you need a permanent marker for labelling.

5. Hands-free pump bra

The hands-free pump bra was the most efficient item I would recommend. Every breastfeeding mother needs this.

• You can achieve a lot while breastfeeding at the same time
• My routine before leaving for work in the morning looked like this:
• Wake up and during my meditation time, I breast feed and express while wearing the handsfree.
• Shower.
• Make breakfast for the other kids and eat.
• Hands free pumping again while making up and dressing up in the mirror
• That means by the time I leave for my morning shifts, I already had about 12 ounces or more expressed including a breastfed baby.

• Efficient right? Was a really proud routine I figured out overtime and it worked

6. Dedicate time to Pump at work

Ok, I should have said this earlier, but communicate to your supervisor or program prior to arrival of baby that you are interested in breastfeeding exclusively and you will need to pump.

Rotations are different and of course, you can’t leave a ‘code’ to go express. But you can use express while running a code- with a Willow’ remember?

Your pumping schedule will differ by your rotation or job but the idea is to allow permission and understanding that you will be gone for a certain period (that is convenient) to go make food for your baby. 

Know that you may get push backs from some supervisors. Stand your ground! As long as there is no emergency, you need to make food

Hygiene is important in expressing. Check out this cdc fact sheet

7. Take care of yourself

6. I always had a bag of snacks stashed in my breastfeeding bag. Came in very handy. Multi-tasking….

Make sure you invest you – Proper diet, appropriate exercise, rest, sleep and Self-care.

6. Yes your baby needs milk but you need self care too

    

7. Breastfeeding should be a bond and enjoyed by both parent and child. So, don’t get too stuck up on the breastfeeding cycle. Have fun

    

    

You may also like these posts

Don’t forget to follow me on social media: