Breastfeeding

I am amazed that after nursing two babies til 13 months old each, I still forget so much each time.  This time I am documenting!

• Two months postpartum I'm still just feeding one breast per feeding. It seems to prevent plugged ducts for me, plus I know I'm completely emptying one breast. Those first weeks, it seems to work better if I empty one breast completely.  
• Even with baby #3, I needed the help of a lactation consultant.  The first 6 weeks breastfeeding Zoe were excruciating, with teagan and richmond it was only the first two weeks, so there is improvement.  Get a lactation consultant!
• I came up with a trick that helped me with my 2 week old son.  He latched okay, but then immediately would finagle a clamped down tight lipped latch.  I started just pulling his lower lip down with my thumb and holding it that way until be latched.  Even if he didnt open as wide as the ideal, if that lip was pulled down it was okay.
• For the first two weeks to six weeks but especially the first two weeks make breast-feeding your job. Think of it as your job because it takes up so much time, if you just think of it as meals, I think that's when you risk mastitis or resenting it etc.
• Nonstop thinking about nursing and breast-feeding those first two weeks. I'm doing it every 90 to 120 minutes so I'm constantly thinking about how much longer till the next nursing how long it's been etc. I think mentally it helps to just commit to thinking of it as your job that you do 6 to 8 hours a day, otherwise it's easy to get very angry and upset.
• I stopped wearing nursing pads around 8-10 weeks, stopped leaking at 7 weeks with baby #3

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