Are you a new momma starting out on your breastfeeding journey? Pregnant and considering breastfeeding? Are you simply curious about breastfeeding and how to be successful? This blog post is for you!

When I was beginning my breastfeeding journey I was clueless. Part of the reason I began blogging is to share a lot of the experiences and tips I learned along the way to help prepare new mommas for the journey of motherhood.

Below are the breastfeeding tips every new mom needs!

1. Keep the baby near your breasts

Place your baby on your breasts as soon as you are able and allow your baby to try to breastfeed. Having your baby on or near your breasts signals your brain to make more milk.

In more technical terms, the brain sends a signal to produce the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones work together to make milk and squeeze it out for your baby. Even if the baby is not latched, just allowing them to touch or suckle at your breasts is important.

If possible, as soon as you deliver, place your baby on your chest. Not only is it one of the most memorable moments of your life, but it is also an immediate reward for everything you’ve been through the past 9 (plus) months.

The American Academy of Pediatrics mentions several benefits of skin-to-skin contact. Among these many benefits is increased breastfeeding. According to research, during each opportunity to breastfeed, momma and baby’s beta-endorphin levels rise, rewarding and reinforcing momma and baby interactions.

Tip: Your partner should get some skin-to-skin too!

2. Feed on demand

It’s not only important to have your baby on your breasts, but also to have your baby on your breasts OFTEN.

I had NO IDEA how often my son would need to feed the first few weeks.

In the hospital, I felt like he was constantly on my breasts. I thought this meant I was doing something wrong! I was so frustrated and was feeling so guilty.

Later, I learned he was cluster-feeding! Cluster feeding occurs when your baby feeds several times in a very short period. They will ask to eat, feed, doze off, ask to eat, feed, doze off, fuss, ask to eat, etc. over and over again. While exhausting, cluster feeding is totally normal and to be expected.

Until your milk comes in, only a few drops of nutrient-packed colostrum are coming from your breasts. Feeding your baby as often as they like is important to get that milk flowing and keep your baby nourished.

Tip: Your baby will most likely lose weight up to the first week they are born. The American Pregnancy Association found that breastfed babies can lose 7% – 10% of their birth weight within the first week of life. This is normal.

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3. Be mindful of your position

When I was in the hospital after Baby Boy was born my positioning was all wrong. The nurse gave me extremely useful advice that transformed my breastfeeding experience.

I will share that same wisdom from my nurse with you:

Support your back.

• Use pillows if you’re sitting in bed, sit all the way back on the couch, or sit straight up in a chair. Never, ever slouch down or lean over to breastfeed.

Bring your baby to you and not the other way around.

• This goes back to supporting your back. Leaning over to bring your boobs to your baby is uncomfortable and creates a strain on your neck and back. Once I leaned back and supported by back and brought the baby to me, my body immediately relaxed. This is where the boppy really helped! Click here for my list of must-have baby items.

Try different positions until you find something that works for the two of you.

• There are various positions for breastfeeding. Keep trying different ones until you get a rhythm.

It’s okay to detach and try again.

• If you’re feeling pain when your baby latches it’s okay to detach and try the latch again. Use one or two fingers around the baby’s mouth to gently break the seal around your breast and allow your baby to get a better latch. If he’s latched correctly you shouldn’t feel any pain. Your nipples may still be sore, but the actual latch should not be causing pain.

4. Everyone’s nipples are different

I remember watching one of the mandatory safety videos at the hospital and thinking “my nipples DO NOT look like that!” “Is that how my nipples are supposed to look?” “Does that mean I can’t breastfeed?”

Am I the only person on Earth who didn’t realize that people have different types of nipples?!

I immediately asked to speak to a lactation consultant to express my concern. Fortunately, she assured me that the size of a woman’s boobs and the type of nipple a woman has does not determine whether or not she can breastfeed.

While it may be more difficult for mommas with certain kinds of nipples to get a proper latch immediately, it isn’t impossible! Your baby will adjust over time and hopefully grow to prefer your breasts.

The lactation consultant gave me a nipple shield to help Baby Boy get a proper latch. Breastfeeding felt SO much better when I used my nipple shield. It was life-changing and gave me so much relief. I only had to use it on one of my nipples and I only used it as needed, when I couldn’t get a proper latch. The nipple shield made a world of a difference in the first two weeks.

5. Don’t give up!

You’re exhausted, your baby is always hungry, your nipples hurt, and you’re wondering “am I doing this right? Is he getting enough?” 

All of these thoughts are totally normal!

Push through the doubts and ignore those with negative commentary who don’t understand, release the negative energy, and know that breastfeeding has so many benefits for your baby.

The benefits far outweigh the negatives you’re feeling right now. It took me about four weeks to really get comfortable breastfeeding and for my son and me to get the groove of things.

Below are the breastfeeding tips every new mom needs!

Remember, your baby is a person. You have to learn them just like they have to learn you. Be kind to yourself and enjoy the process. When you get the hang of it, you’ll be whipping your boob out without a second thought. Once you and your baby get it down, breastfeeding is amazing and SO good for your little one.

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Being a first-time mom can be overwhelming! Not only are you constantly fighting fatigue, but you’re also regularly making decisions based on your best guess and pure instinct. As my third trimester was coming to an end, one of the things I was the most anxious about was how to actually raise my son.

I kept thinking to myself “I have no idea how to raise a child!” What’s more, I also had no idea if I had the baby items I needed when I brought him home. Ultimately what I discovered (and I’m betting you will too!) is that babies don’t actually need as much as we think they do! Newborns want a full stomach, a consistent environment, love, and lots of snoozes.

If you’re panicked and stressed out about making sure you have everything you may possibly need, here’s a short list to help you feel more prepared with the baby items you need!

Here are 11 Baby Items You Need Before You Bring Baby Home

1.)  Boppy Pillow

I had no idea how important Bobby Pillows were until one of my closest friends purchased one for us. I even had my husband go home and grab it to bring it to the hospital.

After birth, you’re so tired, and having the extra support while cuddling your baby is so helpful, especially if you’re breastfeeding.

Here’s why you need it:

• The Boppy is perfect for visitors. Not everyone is comfortable holding a newborn.
• The Bobby Pillow helps to support the baby.
• This pillow takes away the awkwardness of holding up your little one’s head for those who may be out of practice with baby care.
• Provides a comfortable place for breastfeeding

2.) Hand Sanitizer

At this point, I’m sure all of us have a few bottles of hand sanitizer lying around our home.

Be sure to stock up before the baby comes! Regardless of how many visitors you have, you’ll want to make sure there is at least one bottle of hand sanitizer in each room for optimal convenience. Of course, hand washing is always preferred, but in a quick pinch, hand sanitizer is perfect.

Here’s why you need it:

• It provides a quick clean! In those first few days when you’re still figuring out how to care for your baby, you respond to every coo and cry and may need a quick refresher before rushing to their rescue.
• Having hand sanitizer available and visible is a good reminder if visitors came to see the baby. It provides a subtle reminder to make sure their hands were clean before holding the baby.
• Babies will not receive their vaccinations for several months and have extremely low immune systems. Keeping germ transfer to a minimum is best for you and your baby.-

3.)  Size 1 Diapers (even if you’re cloth diapering!)

Make sure to have at least one pack of size 1 diapers on hand, even if you’re cloth diapering!

I guarantee you’ll use more size 1 diapers than newborn diapers. There’s no harm in stocking up on these. You can always buy newborn diapers if you need them later on.

Here’s why you need it:

• You may not want to cloth diaper right away. As a new parent, you have so much going on and you may want to take a few weeks to get acclimated to motherhood before beginning your cloth diapering journey – and that’s okay!
• The diapers can fit even if your baby is a little smaller. Although you have an idea of how much the baby weighs from your ultrasounds, you won’t really know until they are born. Instead of spending a lot of money on newborn diapers, buy a size up, and adjust the diapers if need be.
• You’ll use the size 1 diapers eventually

4.)  Gripe Water

This is a controversial one, but WHO KNEW THIS WOULD BE SO USEFUL!

I would absolutely suggest to have a bottle on hand.

Here’s why you need it:

• It gets rid of hiccups. Baby Boy would get hiccups (and gas!) all the time. If nursing didn’t do the trick, we would give him the smallest amount of gripe water.
• You only need a small amount. The packaging recommends using ½ a teaspoon, but we found a ¼ of a teaspoon usually did the trick. It worked to settle Baby Boy’s tummy and mommy and daddy’s nerves.

5.)  Nursing cover

This is absolutely a baby must-haves for first time moms!

If you’re anything like me,breastfeeding around family/friends or in public gave me anxiety as a first-time mom. It took a while for the baby and me to get into a rhythm and I would have to remind myself not to get frustrated and upset. As you adjust to your new role as a nursing mom, grab a nursing cover!

Here’s why you need it:

• You’ll be more comfortable nursing in public and around friends and family. Once I started using a nursing cover I was much more comfortable being around friends and family while nursing.
• It’s light and breathable so you and your baby don’t feel smothered and hot.
• It’s made from bamboo – an eco-friendly material.

6.)  Baby carrier

When I first had my baby I wanted all the cuddles! At some point though, I started to miss the luxury of being hands-free. Luckily, I had a baby carrier at home to hold Baby Boy while I was doing things around the house during the day. You can start wearing your baby from day one – as long as they meet the weight requirements for the carrier.

Here’s why you need it:

• A baby carrier offers a hands-free to safely have your baby within reach while still doing another task
• Offers an opportunity for skin to skin

7.)  Diaper changing stations

The rooms in our house we frequent most are our bedroom and the living room. Although the baby’s room is fully decorated and stocked, I knew he wouldn’t spend much time in there for the first few months of his life.

Here’s why you need it:

• Instead of going up and down stairs constantly for items we needed, we made diaper caddies that held everything we needed in convenient areas. We made sure our bedroom and the living room each had a stocked diaper caddy. Inside the caddy, we kept diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, Vaseline, and extra burp cloths.

8.)  Hamper in every room

Hampers are essential for a new baby. Just like the diaper caddy, there was one in every room.

Here’s why you need it:

• There are some days I change baby boy’s clothes 4 times. Having a hamper in every room kept the house tidy and helps to keep his clothes separate from ours.  We used baby detergent and washed and dried on delicate.

9.)  Portable Changing Mat

This is one of those items we didn’t know we needed until we needed it.

As great as a changing table in the nursery looks in photos, it just wasn’t functional for us the first few weeks. We live in a two-story house and there was NO WAY I was going upstairs for every diaper change.

Here’s why you need it:

• 99.9% of the time you’ll probably be pulling out your changing mat in order to change your baby right there on the couch or in your bed.

10.) Vaseline (for baby boy’s only!)

If you have a son and you decide to get him circumcised this is a must.

Get the tube kind, not the jar. It’s a must-have!

Here’s why you need it:

• Vaseline helps prevent the baby’s penis from rubbing and sticking to the diaper while it heals..ouch!

11.) Haakaa

Haaka’s are the perfect item to make sure you don’t waste a single ounce of liquid gold. While you nurse on one side, place the Haakaa on the other side. It was amazing!

Of course, as little man discovered how to wiggle nursing with the Haakaa became a little more difficult. Baby boy would kick his legs while I was nursing and knock the Haakaa and all that valuable liquid gold all over the floor. He especially liked to show off his karate skills during those early morning feeds.

This video was extremely helpful in teaching me positioning to keep my Haaka attached, even with little man’s karate kicks. The super suction technique works like a charm!

Here’s why you need it:

• By using the Haakka you can capture a few ounces of milk without even trying! This is how I began to build up my breastmilk stash in preparation for returning to work.

Do you feel prepared for your little one’s arrival? Do you have any newborn essentials you consider a must-have?

I hope you enjoyed this blog post all about baby items you need for your newborn!

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