….breastfeeding myths that is! I am so stoked to be finally writing this. I have SO much to say but i will try keep this short and sweet. After breastfeeding James for 2 years (fun fact if you didn’t know) and breastfeeding going head strong with Jax, i have learnt so much and i want to share all my tips, tricks and breastfeeding knowledge with you. If i missed a few things, feel free to add! This week will be all about breastfeeding so keep an eye out for our daily posts.
Oh let me just quickly put this disclaimer out there : I AM NOT AGAINST FEEDING YOUR CHILD. I AM NOT AGAINST FORMULA. So formula moms, if you here to read and bash me for being pro-breast, save your breath, i have heard it a million times through my breastfeeding journey(s). (Harsh, i am sorry but i used to always feel like I’m stepping on egg shells when i want to talk about breastfeeding and bust the common myths most moms believe)
Ok my routine with Jaxson :
We wake up, he feeds from one breast and i pump on the other. I usually get around 200ml because he only feeds once or twice during the night, so my breasts are quite full by 7am. So then he will finish one breast and i empty the other one and that way i build up quite a nice stash.
We feed on demand but he has some sort of routine when he isn’t going through a growth spurt. He will feed when he wakes at 7am, then at 10am, then 1pm and from 3pm there is cluster feeding until 7pm. 8pm is his last feed after bath and a massage and then he is off to dream land (and i carry on working #gottakeeponkeepinon)
I usually work in another pump session around 8:30am if he didn’t completely empty the one breast in the morning. Then i get another 100ml. Sometimes I pump in the evening if he does not cluster feed – cluster feeding drains your breast! I’m fortunate that one breast fills him up so i am always able to pump the other if necessary.
Soooo let’s get to some lessons i learnt :
#1 : Frequent feeding does NOT mean you do not have milk –
I cannot stress this enough. Babies (especially little teeny tiny ones younger than 6 months), feed frequently because their stomachs are still tiny. Not to mention the comfort they might need from over- stimulation or just not feeling too happy. Oh and the growth spurts, let’s not forget the growth spurts! When they nurse frequently, they actually also increasing your supply for an upcoming growth spurt or a need to feed more – how cool is that? Because the more your breasts are stimulated, the more milk you produce. But we will get to that in a bit.
#2 : “I can only pump 50ml, he drinks more than that so obviously i am not making enough milk for him”. PUMPING IS NO INDICATION OF YOUR SUPPLY! Little babies are FAR more efficient at getting milk from your breast so don’t go by what you can pump out.
#3 : As long as your baby is gaining weight, there is NO need to top up with formula. Don’t go giving unnecessary top ups. If they at least pick up 15 grams a day, they doing great! The size of your baby also depends on your genes. Each baby is so different, i mean, James was 6kg by 6 months and Jaxson was 6kg by 3 months. Both my kids, same parents, same genes.
#4 : Jungle juice is just sugar in a cup. Don’t do it.
#5 : ANY food in moderation is fine. No need to cut out anything except if your baby is struggling with severe reflux. Could be a dairy allergy, consult your doctor.
#6 : Breastfed babies don’t sleep through the night? Well yes and no. Some do, some don’t. Breastmilk absorbs very quickly so some babies get hungry more often than others but hey – TOTALLY normal!
#7 : Going back to work means you have to wean – NOT! Your body adjusts. You can pump out at work (it’s law in South Africa) and even if you can’t, you can still feed baby on your breast at home. Your supply will adjust and your breasts will stop feeling full, but will be full around the time baby needs to drink. Your body knows best.
#8 : Your breasts aren’t milk containers, they produce milk. The size of your breasts or the “fullness” of them does not indicate the amount of milk you able to get out.
#9 : Breastfeeding is NOT a form of birth control peeps! You still ovulate and you might, just might get a little surprise.
#10 : Last one….. Breastfeeding is NOT easy. It’s painful, it is tiring and it can make you want to book yourself into a mental institute some days but it’s absolutely worth it. It’s kind of like motherhood now that I look at it? Persevere, you CAN do it. Your body was made to do this!
*This was in no way a bash to any formula feeding moms. You do what you feel is best for your lifestyle. Just know that when you feel you aren’t able to breastfeed, consult a breastfeeding leader at La Leche League on Facebook, they will assist free of charge.
I love this! I have been proudly feeding my Katy for close to 9 months with no end in sight and not a drop of formula. And often get asked – when I’m exhausted because I run a studio from home – why do you do it to yourself, just give a bottle. But little do they know.. I love every second
oh I so loved this! Even though I know all of it already, I cannot stress it enough to new moms who believe the myths especially that they don’t have enough milk or that you should time the feeds and switch and space out feeds. I know these things because I made it my mission to be WELL informed with babies 2 and 3 because I believed I didn’t have enough with my first and went the formula route…and the thing is even the second time i made mistakes, the silliest things that caused serious repercussions like mastitis which kept returning and dropping my supply because i was so sick i didn’t want to eat (so that I just about made it to 6months). With my third I made sure I went to breastfeeding consultants, treatment for cracked nipples and just pushed through so much so that i ended up with my chubbiest, rolliest baba (he thinned out once he got moving though lol) I am still breastfeeding him (now 2years 4months) and i’m 21weeks pregnant with number 4, I’m wanting to wean soon although still playing around with the idea of tandem feeding once baby is born, we’ll see how it goes. With my third it was and is the VERY first time I breastfed for so long and I loved (most of) it, here’s hoping I have a successful breastfeeding journey with baby on the way too!
Thank you Chenel for this post! Even as a now seasoned breastfeeder (lol) I still enjoy reading posts like this!
Really enjoyed this. My little guy is 11 Weeks old and we had a rough start. Glad to say that we found our groove 😊 Thanks for sharing !
Great read. The best advice I ever got from our lactational specialists was to open baby’s mouth with my pinky while she’s sucking if I ever think I don’t have milk. Baby’s mouth was full of milk (even with seemingly empty boobies waving in the wind!) 😉 Ps. Don’t interrupt baby drinking every time! This was just advice for this mommy’s peace of mind that baby is still getting enough milk!)
Great read. The best advice I ever got from our lactational specialists was to open baby’s mouth with my pinky while she’s sucking if I ever think I don’t have milk. Baby’s mouth was full of milk (even with seemingly empty boobies waving in the wind!) 😉 Ps. Don’t interrupt baby drinking every time! This was just advice for this mommy’s peace of mind that baby is still getting enough milk!)
I love this. My baby is due in the next two weeks or so and I am praying I am able to breastfeed 🙂 So looking forward to it.
This is great. My son was born perm and I was unable to breastfeed , my little.girl 3 weeks old , we are currently breastfeeding and it is struggle some days. Is she getting enough milk or my flow is to fast or she falls asleep after 5 mins. I decided to express , and she does 120ml a feed .and does very well and I’m much more happier though it’s with a manual one. It brings me some.peace of mind. On cluster feed , my daughter does this at least once a week and you writing about it really helps me understand it a little better and it’s completely normal 🙂 i honestly enjoyed this read. Thank.you
Dit is so goed geskryf en so waar…. vat dit van ‘n formule mamma af. My melk het letterlik net verdwyn. Ek het als probeer… my seun op my bors gehou, uit gepomp, en en en, maar nope. Gelukkig kom hy 4 weke aan my drink. Ek wens vir elke mamma daar buite dat hul kan en wil borsvoed.
All true…except maybe the bit about it not being birth control.
For the first six months, if you are breast feeding exclusively (no pumping), and feeding at least every 4 hours during the day, and every six hours at night, breast feeding is as reliable as the pill.
There are strict rules to follow, but it can work. But after 6 months it becomes unreliable as babies start solids and start sleeping for longer at night.
Worth doing some research on it and chatting to your doc if you’re interested.
Hi. Thanks for the great read! What do you do with your pumped milk. Are you storing it or do you s’mores it via a bottle during the day/evening. Thanks for the amazing blog and honestly.