Breastfeeding after a C-Section can be far from easy. 

I always knew that I wanted to breastfeed. There was no doubt in my mind. 

I had seen my sisters-in-law breastfeed multiple children over the years, and it just looked so natural. It was one of the things I looked forward to most in motherhood. 

During my pregnancy, I went to breastfeeding classes, read books on breastfeeding, and researched breastfeeding to the max. I felt like an expert on the subject, and I thought it would go so smoothly.

Well, my labor and delivery went far from smooth.

I had a c-section and a complicated recovery. Being connected to a million cords and having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia made breastfeeding nearly impossible for me. 

On top of that, my milk supply did not come in until day FIVE, which made my new little human extremely unhappy during his first days of life.

I learned a crucial lesson from my labor and delivery story. You can research breastfeeding as much as you like before labor and delivery, but you never know how it will go until you are in the moment. 

That’s why today, I want to share 4 tips that I hope will help with your journey of breastfeeding after a c-section. 

These tips are also useful for any birth story because even if you have the perfect labor and delivery, breastfeeding might not go exactly as planned.

I hope these tips help. If you are reading this and have experienced similar breastfeeding problems in the past, share tips that could benefit other women in the comments below!

Keep reading to find four tips to help during breastfeeding after a c-section. 

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Tips for Breastfeeding after A C-Section

1.Have a nipple shield on hand!

First things first,  let’s talk about the latch. 

All of the classes and the books always talk about a baby’s latch and how important it is for your baby to have a great latch for a successful and pain-free breastfeeding experience.

In my breastfeeding class, I learned to tickle your baby’s nose with your nipple, which will cause her to open her mouth. Then, you should shove (I’m emphasizing shove because all of the lactation consultants literally shoved my boob into Lennox’s mouth to the point of what looked like suffocation) the bottom of your areola and nipple into your baby’s mouth. Interestingly enough, that was when he got his best latch.

After my breastfeeding classes, and research, I thought to myself, ‘great, it can’t be that hard!’ Well, what happens when you have a “non-existent” nipple or a flat nipple like myself, and your baby’s incy-wincy, newborn-mouth, cannot grasp the nipple? 

Oh, and don’t forget, you just had a C-section so, you will have machines attached to all four of your limbs (no joke), so have fun trying to hold a baby and shoving your nipple into her mouth.

Lennox was having a tough time latching. I had about three or four lactation consultants visit my hospital room trying to show me proper positions, different techniques, etc.

It wasn’t until the third day when a new lactation consultant had me try a nipple shield.

FINALLY!!!! Not only was Lennox sucking and soothing, but I also finally saw some of my colostrum on the nipple shield. What a relief!!!!

Related: Breastfeeding Basket: The Best Baby Shower Gift You Can Give to a New Mama

I used the Medela Nipple shield at the hospital.

Once I got home, I tried other brands, but Medela was by far my favorite. I would recommend packing a couple of these in your hospital bag.

Note: when purchasing your nipple shield, don’t forget that there are different sizes. This is very important because if it is too big, there will not be enough suction on your nipple to extract the milk. For my small nipple/big areola combination, I used the 16mm.

2. The Medela Hand Pump will be a life saver!

Another must have item in your hospital bag is the Medela Hand Pump. 

The day after Lennox’s birth I started to worry because he was extremely fussy. This made me believe that apart from his poor latch, my milk supply wasn’t in.

The nurses and lactation consultants recommended that I hand express. I was able to squeeze out some colostrum, but again, this is not very easy to do while attached to machines and also having to tend to the needs of a hungry and impatient newborn.

After expressing my concern that Lennox wasn’t getting enough breastmilk to a nurse, a lactation consultant finally brought me an Ameda hand pump.

I hated this pump. The suction was awful, and the way you have to squeeze it would make my hand cramp. I preferred simply hand expressing. After this pump, I wrote off all hand pumps thinking they were all just as useless.

I was QUITE wrong! A couple of weeks into my breastfeeding journey I purchased the Medela Hand Pump, and I was pleasantly surprised. I was so surprised I almost ditched my electronic pump for it.

The medela hand pump has an ergonomic swivel handle which allows you to pump with ease, and even better you don’t even have to pump the handle much!

Once you get a good suction and flow, you can literally hold the handle down for seconds at a time and watch the continuous milk flow.

I wish I could have had this hand pump with me at the hospital. Maybe then I could have stimulated my milk supply to come faster, and I would not have been stressed out trying to hand express, and dealing with cheap hospital hand pumps.

The Medela Hand Pump was seriously one of my best buys as a first-time mom. My only recommendation is to make sure you change the membranes frequently to keep the suction strong.

3. Use your resources

Take advantage of the Hospital Grade Electric Pump while you can and pump, pump, pump to get that flow going!

4. Have a pumping bra with you

So if I didn’t mention enough already, your hands are going to be tied up after your c-section.

This next item is something that would have been very useful to me — a pumping bra.

If you are experiencing a low milk supply or lack thereof, the hospital can provide you with an electronic grade pump. Even if you’re not having a supply issue, a pump can be useful to store milk or relieve over-full breasts.

Don’t forget that just because it’s doing the pumping for you, you still have to hold the pumps to your breasts, making it not that much easier. Well, there’s a solution to that — a pumping bra.

The bra featured below is a pumping and a nursing bra combined which is extremely convenient.

BUT if you’re frugal like me, you can make a DIY pumping bra. All you have to do is take an old sports bra and cut two holes right where your nipples are.

I would suggest putting on the bra first and marking it with a pen or pencil instead of winging it as I did. It is not as convenient as the bra shown below, but it gets the job done. A pumping bra will also make your life a lot easier.

For example,  when your baby finally goes down for her nap, and you need to pump, but you need to satisfy your other needs such as eating, drinking a glass of wine, etc..

I hope these tips and products will aid your hospital and breastfeeding experience. I know they would have made my experience a lot less stressful.

Please feel free to ask me any questions you have regarding these products, breastfeeding or anything motherhood. More posts on breastfeeding are in the works. Thank you for reading =)

Related posts you might find useful:

• The Best Pumping Hack for On-The-Go Mamas
• The Two Reasons My Baby Is Fussing at the Breast
• Understanding Colic. Tips on How to Survive the Fourth Trimester

The post 4 Tips to Help You Breastfeed After A C-Section appeared first on Bilingual Beginnings.

Are you a new mama working in the service industry? Well, this post is for you!

It’s also for all of you mamas who are out and about, on the go, and cannot seem to fit pumping into your daily schedule.

Yet, you are adamant about giving your baby the nutrients they need.

Furthermore, you might be the first time, or second (or third or fifth) time mama who is at home with a newborn trying to juggle taking care of a newborn and pumping at the same time.

This breast milk pumping hack might work for you as well!

Keep reading to see what this breast milk pumping hack is, and don’t forget to drop me a message in the comments below letting me know if this hack worked for you!

Before I share this breast milk pumping hack with you, here is some info about me!

I have worked in the restaurant industry part-time now for over ten years. It is not my dream job, but it pays the bills a lot better than other part-time jobs.

The schedule flexibility has allowed me to sustain my lifestyle the past couple of years as an undergrad student, grad student, and now as a mother. 

I love being able to go into work 15 hours a week, make some money, and get much needed away time from mom life, all while being able to spend most of my time with Lennox.

However, one drawback of working in the restaurant industry as a new mother was maintaining my breastmilk supply, which was already very low.

Each shift was about 6-8 hours long. There was no break given to pump, not because I wasn’t allowed, but because I was always tending to tables. Unless I wanted to clue them in that I was going to disappear for a half-an-hour to pump, there was no slipping away.

Although, I could have also asked management not to assign me tables, but then I would be losing out on my chance to make money.

Lastly, there was no designated area to pump. There is a little coat/host closet that I could have pumped in, but it sure wasn’t private. So, unless I wanted to make the 18-year-old hosts, and guests leaving their coats in the closets uncomfortable, that wasn’t an option.

It was a very unfortunate situation, and I almost let my milk supply slip away over it. That’s when a genius thought came to me.

Here is my breast milk pumping hack

One day I went to relieve my bladder during a down period of my rotation of tables. I felt my breasts, and they were so engorged, and that’s when I decided that next shift, I was going to bring my Haaka into work, along with my Medela hand pump, and pump in the bathroom.

Now, before you judge, I work in a restaurant with very clean, spacious bathroom. Therefore, I decided that I felt most comfortable pumping in the family restroom. My managers gave me the go-ahead to use the host/coat closet. However, I felt more relaxed and had more room using the family bathroom. There is a private sink and vanity where I could comfortably set up.

With that being said, I would never ever do this hack in an unsanitary place. So, if you work in the restaurant industry and do not have a sanitary place to do this, I would just avoid pumping at all. It’s not worth risking your baby’s health to sustain a milk supply. 

If you do have a designated room or area where you can sanitarily pump, then this quick hack might work for you.

To begin, since I was limited in time to pump— five-ten minutes in between the rushes— I would take my breast pump bag to the family bathroom with me.

What was in my pumping bag:

• My Medela Hand Pump
• My Haaka Manual Breast Pump
• Storage Bags
• Ice Packs
• Hand Sanitizer
• Receiving blanket/towel

Here is my breast milk pumping hack

First, I would take a paper towel and with the hand sanitizer, sanitize the vanity’s surface.

Then, I would put my receiving blanket/towel on the vanity to add extra protection for my storage bags.

Next, I would wash my hands.

Then, I would lift up my shirt and attach my Haaka to one side of my breast. On the other breast, I would get a good suction with my My Medela Hand Pump.

Then, I would pump at it for 5-10 minutes. (I used my hand pump because it was quicker to get ready and also there was no outlet in the bathroom. Also I felt like I always expressed more milk with my hand pump versus my electronic pump.) You will be amazed at how much let down your Haaka will catch.

After about 10 minutes or so, I would conclude pumping and combine my breastmilk from my hand pump, and manual pump into a storage bag, and put them in my pumping bag with the ice packs.

I would then clean up and store my bag in a safe area. We have lockers, so I would keep mine there. Nobody was going to get their hands on my liquid gold!

I would try to do it twice throughout my shift, the second time alternating breasts. I might not have gotten a full pumping session worth of milk, but at least I was getting a solid five ounces. At the same time, I was communicating with my breasts to let them know to keep producing during my night shifts.

Some of you reading this post might think that I am crazy, and yes, I am crazy. I will go to the ends of the earth and back to make sure my family gets the best of the best. Even if that means pumping in between serving my tables, and in a bathroom, then I will.

I know I am not the only mama that works in an industry where it is impossible to pump. If you are one of those mamas, please share any pumping techniques that you have used. I would absolutely love to hear them. And for all of you Judgy Jessicas, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all!!

Thank you, and I really hope this hack helps for you service industry ladies. Life is crazy in the industry, especially as a mama, so I hope to help as much as I can!

The post Breast Milk Pumping Hack for Busy Mamas appeared first on Bilingual Beginnings.

Who doesn’t love shopping for a new baby? Miniature everything; clothes, shoes, socks—oh the itsy-bitsy baby socks. Aren’t they just the cutest? You should see how cute they are when they are always falling off your baby’s feet. 

Then you have all the cute baby gadgets and toys that most likely won’t ever get played with because the baby is too preoccupied with the door stoppers and the spatulas. 

If you are going to attend a baby shower, I recommend skipping the cutesy clothes and gadgets and go straight for a practical gift, especially if the mother plans on breastfeeding.

After having my son, I had a lot of trouble with breastfeeding which contributed to my Postpartum Depression, so I made a promise to myself that I would help future mamas experiencing a similar situation.

One way I help first-time-mamas is by gifting them a basket of practical items for their baby shower. If they plan on breastfeeding, I give them a basket full of breastfeeding essentials that, in my case, a first-time-mom might not realize she needs until she needs it at the moment.

Below is a list of 9 breastfeeding essentials for the breastfeeding mama.

Related posts:

• Why Does My Baby Always Cry At The Breast?
• 4 Tips to Help You Breastfeed After A C-Section
• Breast Milk Pumping Hack for Busy Mamas

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases but this comes at no additional cost to you. 

   1. Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump

If you read my post Tips for Breastfeeding After a C-Section, you will know why I highly recommend the Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump.

I never thought I would need a manual breast pump when I was pregnant. Why would I want to pump myself when there are electric machines that will do it for you.

Well, those electronic machines might pump for you, but they don’t hold themselves. So good luck trying to multitask connected to a device. 

Not only is the hand pump portable, but it EXPRESSES MORE MILK than an electric pump. NO JOKE.

All you have to do is get good suction and hold down and watch the milk flow!!! I also brought this pump to work with me (I work in the restaurant industry part-time where breaks are not a thing) and it allowed me the possibility of pumping without needing to be near an outlet.

2. Medela Nipple Shields

These are a MUST HAVE for the future breastfeeding mommy, especially in the hospital where the baby might have trouble establishing a latch. I used these for about two weeks after Lennox was born. They also helped ease nipple-pain, especially when I got thrush.

3. Haakaa Manual Breast Pump

The Haaka Manual Breastpump might be one of my favorite things ever. It is seriously genius, but only if you use it correctly. If used accurately, you can use it in one of two ways:

1.  To catch the letdown while you are breastfeeding your baby.

2.  To catch the letdown while you are pumping. In my case, whenever I would use my Medela hand pump, I would suction this bad boy onto my other breast and watch it fill up.

Related: The Two Reasons My Baby Is Fussing at the Breast

How to use the Haaka

Using the Haaka correctly is essential. What you want to do is take the round opening of the Haaka and flip it back towards the bottom. Then you’re going to put the neck of the Haaka onto your nipple and let the flanged part suction to your breast. I made the mistake of just squeezing the bulb and suctioning it on to my breast, and it was not as effective.

NOTE: “Don’t Cry Over Spilled-Milk”

Yes, Do cry over spilled milk. I did on several occasions, especially with the Haaka.

This awesome gadget is excellent at collecting breastmilk, but it’s also great at tipping over. It is top heavy, therefore, make sure you store your milk right away and don’t make my many mistakes of setting it on a table.

Furthermore, once your baby becomes more mobile, he will be tempted to grab at the Haakaa, so make sure you don’t let him spill your golden liquid.

Related: Tips for breastfeeding after a c-section

4. Dr. Brown Microwave Steam Sterilizer Bags

As a mom of a newborn, washing bottles and pump parts is one of the last things, you want to do after you have been a prisoner to your cluster-feeding baby. Then on top of that, you’re supposed to sterilize your parts?

The Dr. Brown Microwave Steam Sterilizer Bags were a huge time saver for me. I would wash the bottles and load the bags up. Once the bags were full, you add two ounces of water, close the bag and place it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Ta Da! None of that waiting for water to boil nonsense.

5. Dr. Brown Bottles

Dr. Brown bottles were my favorite because they help with colic and reflux. Also, they have the slowest-flowing preemie nipple which mimics the milk flow from the breast. 

6. Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags

7.  Mother’s Milk Herbal Tea

This tea is mild to the taste. I added a little bit of honey, and it tasted pretty good. It also increased my supply when I drank it regularly.

Traditional Medicinals Tea, Organic Mother's Milk, Promotes Healthy Lactation, Breastfeeding Support, 16 Tea Bags

Buy Now

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8. Kiinde Breastmilk Storage Twist Starter Kit

The Kiinde Breastmilk storage system is terrific. It comes with pump adapters that connect to electric pumps. You attach the storage bags on to the adapter themselves, and it pumps right into the bag.

From there, the bags come with lids to store them.

The kit also comes with two different nipples (slow and fast ) and a bottle-frame that you slide the bag into connecting right onto the nipples. It saves you A LOT of washing and sterilizing. It also comes with a storage rack to store your milk in the freezer.

9. Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush

A bottle brush is an absolute necessity to clean the milk out of the bottles. This brush has been my favorite because it has a suction cup that sticks to your sink and the chevron brush is soft and expands into the base of the bottle.

Have fun making putting together this breastfeeding basket. Mama to be will sure be happy she has the must have items!

The post Breastfeeding Basket: The Best Baby Shower Gift You Can Give to a New Mama appeared first on Bilingual Beginnings.