My baby is 3 months old tomorrow. I exclusively pumped for the first 9 weeks, and dealt with SO many issues. Low supply, recurring and extremely painful clogged ducts, vasospasms. Once I got the vasospasms figured out, I was finally able to start breastfeeding, and we are 3 weeks in now! We had to work on his latch for a few days (poor latch caused blisters 😢), but we are FINALLY breastfeeding exclusively and pain free! Once I started breastfeeding, my supply instantly increased and I haven’t had any clogged ducts. I almost gave up many times in these first few months, but I am hopeful that we’ll make it to at least a year now!
@@freetobe15 My vasospasms were caused by Raynaud’s Syndrome. My doctor prescribed me a calcium channel blocker medication, which helped tremendously to stop the vasospasms.
@@ajoyfullsound He had a really poor latch at first, and I got blisters which were super painful. But I just kept trying and after a week, his latch improved. Also, the MyBrestFriend nursing pillow helped a lot with positioning. Honestly, I feel like I didn’t do much to fix his latch besides keep trying. I think I just got lucky that he transitioned from bottle to breast fairly easily.
My daughter is now 3 months old and I breast fed her for the first week and a half then my milk supply dried up. We struggled a lot as she would not always latch properly so I was using a pump and also putting her on the breast. I was so sad that my milk stopped but grateful I did get to experience it and say I was able to even if it was for a short amount of time ❤
I’m currently 21 weeks pregnant with my first. I’m a newborn nurse in L&D and help with breastfeeding all the time at work and I still learned so much. Thank you!!!
I nursed my first kiddo for 4 years and it was both easy and hard! Breastfeeding is a unique experience. Now pregnant with #2 and I'm going down the research rabbit hole again. Thank you for this great video!
@@leilaniz5909 There are so many benefits! It helps their emotional maturity, mom's antibodies pass to kiddo, gives nutritional bonuses as they're learning to be good eaters, passes on natural probiotics, and many other benefits. Definitely give it a Google! 💕
This video is SO valuable as a Mom who breastfeeds and had to learn this all the hard way. For Mommas concerned about bringing down your breast milk supply with cabbage leaves: I'm a larger breasted woman and found warm showers helped my engorgement when my supply came in. It helped me regulate the pain and kept my supply up. AVOID COLD COMPRESSES. While it feels good, it'll drop your supply.
@@Theherbalempress exactly! Going to an IBCLC after leaving the hospital was so valuable for me. I would have stopped feeding because even after taking a course to learn about breastfeeding, I was so out of my element. Now, I can't imagine not breastfeeding! I take an omega-3 supplement now to keep up with preventing fatty clogs, too!
hi there, my baby is 2 months today! i’m wondering when they start teething and getting teeth how do they not bite you? not bragging but breast feeding comes easy to me but was worried about this!! 💗
@@jaidenlindsey6856 teething ysually starts after 6 months but can happen earlier for some babies, I've read. My pediatrician taught me something that worked wonders on setting biting boundaries with my baby girl now that teething is starting at 6 months. She started clamping down on my nipple at 2-3 months and my pediatrician told me to pop the latch while saying "ouch! No ma'am" and she said she would look at me and cry (which she did) and I could represent feeding again each time after. I was hesitant to scare her, but trust my pediatrician who breastfed all 4 of her children, and it worked wonders. Hope this helps!
@@jaidenlindsey6856 when they get teeth depends on the baby. My girl got her first teeth around the 6 month mark. Drinking milk is more of a sucking motion with their tongue rather than with their gums so in order to bite they have to move their tongue out of the way. Luckily my baby doesn’t bite too much. She’s 11 months and has 6 teeth (going on 7). But in my experience she is more prone to bite when she is teething because her teeth hurt and she is trying to find relief by biting
This video really took me back to my breastfeeding days…over 40 years ago. So much of this great information had to be learned by trial and error back then as women mostly bottle fed then. I laughed out loud at your description of 6-12 month old babies popping on and off the breast…so funny. Precious memories.
Tip I learned involving full milk ducts. Rotate your baby’s nose in different positions to clear different ducts. So if you have a harder or full duct, nurse your baby in a position where their nose aligns with the full duct. This is why it’s helpful to do side lying, football, & cradle holds to clear your milk supply out bc baby’s nose is pointed in different orientations to clear different ducts. Hope this makes sense!!
Hi Nicole, very good tips. I know that feeling still breastfeeding after 2 years. First you just want to learn how to do it and before you know it is 6 months, 1 year...and 2 years. Best tips are: side breastfeeding while sleeping, feeding while babywearing (we did a lot of walks like this) and double T-shirt method for feeding autside the house. Greeting from Switzerland!!!
What a gift of a video! I was nodding along the whole way through. I’ll be watching this with my next baby and sending this to friends in the future. Thank you for your mama-content, I love it so much!
thank you for the sweetest comment. That honestly makes me so happy to hear because I really just want to help other mamas struggling because theres a lot to know and I've learned tips along the way.
High strength Vit C and Lecithin supplements help with preventing mastitis (something to do with making the milk thinner so it flows easier) - you can look it up. My midwife recommended popping 1 of each whenever I feel like I might be getting clogged ducts. Worked so far
I breasted my son for 2 and half year but at the starting it was the most challenging part. I didn’t expect it to be painful but somehow slowly i got better and loved the journey.
This video is awesome! Thank you 🙏 I breastfed my 3rd son for 3.5 months (he is 11mths ) & now I’m going on baby #4 on the 18th of this month via c-section and I want to breastfeed as long as I can. Very informative video! Thank you again 💕
Here are my 2 favorite tips: 1. start using lanolin the day baby is born to prevent cracked nipples from ever happening, 2. For blebs/milk blister on nipple, soak nipple with epsom salts, works so well. Breastfed 2 babies, now almost 2 years into second baby
I was only able to breastfeed my daughter for 2 months. She had a super strong latch, I had to use a nipple shield or else it was too painful. I had gotten sick and wasn't able to produce anymore. Luckily, we were already giving her both breastmilk and formula. The transition went smoothly, she's 5 years old now. Thank you for the tips, I wrote them down to remember when we are ready to have a second baby.
Some other tips that have helped me... -silverettes nipple cups ( they were given to me by my lactation consultant and saved my sore nipples) -using the hakaa manual breastpump with warm water and epsom salt to release clogs, also helps heal sore nips
@@HealthNutNutrition I actually didn't like using it to catch leaking milk (just kept getting in the way), but for releasing clogged ducts it works great!
Lovely video but I do disagree with some things as a breastfeeding peer supporter. But mostly I support your content! Swap to the other breast (the more full side) for the next feed. If you feed from the same side, that’s called block feeding and is a technique for reducing your supply and should only be done when you work with a lactation consultant) And power pumping. Do you need a stash? Feed your baby, not the freezer - unless of course you need a stash. Love your suggestions for hand expression, baby wearing, hydration, side lying feeding and lots of other things you’re saying.
Great video. The only thing I cannot agree with is that moisture is not good - you don't want damp, of course. However, moist wound healing is what is needed to stops/fixes cracked nipples. If I 'air out' my nipples, naked, then they will crack and create more issues. Breast milk does provide healing properties, rubbed on, then afterwards the likes of lanolin hugely helps
Thank you for this video And promoting breastfeeding which is the best nourishment for baby. I Have been breastfeeding Only for a short period of time but for me (And what my dula tought mě) the most important thing is sufficient skin to skin contact between me And my baby. That was a tip i was missing in the video;)))
OMG this freezed pump parts tip is a life changer for me. I wasn't able to breastfeed because of the latch, that never worked for us, so we decided to pump every 4 hours and use a bottle but god, it's so annoying to wash every single part after the pump and dry everything and sterilize at least once a day or maybe you forgot to wash everything before your baby wakes up and there's no milk so now you have a grumpy hungry baby and a lot of parts to clean and add the 10mins of pumping 😂 Thanks for that tip Nicole💖 (actually i have learned a lot of things since my pregnancy with your content)
Would love to know how you dealt with continuing breastfeeding as Sage's teeth came in! The biting is so painful and I don't know how I'm going to continue nursing as long as I'd like 😕
My baby is 11 months with 6 teeth she only bit a few times when her teeth were coming in. I would just take her off if she bit and she stopped doing it after a while. Sometimes they also bite if they don’t want any milk either.
The more breast that's in the baby's mouth the less capable baby is to bite or bite strongly, also nipples are more sensitive than the outer side of the boob, so the already weak attempt at biting will be even less painful. Whenever you're worried the baby will go for a bite, "squish" them a bit and make sure their mouth is full. They might think it's funny to see your expression when they bite and are experimenting with it, or they're trying to communicate something else. Either way, if you feel they're playing with you, feel free to unlatch if you got hurt (put a finger or two in their mouth to remove your nip safely if needed) and leave the place. Do describe with words why and what happened. Babies are mute but they understand more than we give them credit for. Outside of the biting situation practice the difference between lips and teeth. Give a kiss then graze with teeth and explain teeth are hard and rough while lips are soft and gentle, make funny biting faces, show toothbrushing etc, explain biting and chewing. I feel like BLW helped with understanding the difference between biting off and suckling as well. Whenever he bit me outside of breastfeeding, I'll tell him it's not okay to bite humans, but he can bite "this" and I'd bring one of his teethers. He also always had accessible teethers where he could go and grab one if he needed. Massaging gums is also neat for them and he learned quickly that if he bites my finger with teeth, I will cease the massage, so he ought to be careful :)
I find my baby is more likely to bite when she’s playing (towards the end of a feed, or is too distracted by her environment), the milk isn’t letting down fast enough, or if she’s really having a tough teething day. I try to help the milk flow faster with my hands if that’s the issue, or I quietly end the feed and offer her a teething toy.
Breast shells/milk catchers are also fantastic for reducing the pressure of engorged breasts. If you don't want to use cabbage leaves because they reduce milk production, try the breast shells. The pressure releases the milk into the catcher and then you can save that milk for later. If you wear them throughout the day, it may prevent engorgement from happening in the first place. The weird bulkiness of the shells is worth it for the relief they bring. ❤
I can’t believe I never thought of putting the pump stuff in the refrigerator!!! I just gave birth to my 4th child a month ago and we have been sanitizing like crazy. Omgoooooosh! 🤯 Well thank you for this…
I am only a month in to mommy-hood but it is going well thankfully. I had an amazing lactation consultant when I gave birth who even gave me her cell number, she was heaven sent and as a brand new scared mom it meant a lot. My son latches now amazingly and I pump as well, sometimes right after him, he is drinking more than he even should which according to our peds its okay as long as he isn't spitting it all up 😁 - I hope it stays as good as it is now 🥰
OMG SIDELYING BREASTFEEDING!!! I absolutely loved that! I used to do it in the middle of the night too. Just move all the blankets and the pillows, and put baby on the side closest to the middle of the bed and then if we both fall asleep, it's ok. My kiddo decided when he was close to 12 months that he didn't really want to nurse anymore. So I gave him little tastes of whole milk (with consultation from our pediatrician), and he kinda weened himself off of breastfeeding.
Several things I hadn't heard of, thank you 💖 Small edit note: you may wanna put your on screen text somewhere else, so ppl can still see them even if using subtitles 😇
I am a professional captioner and we always have the subtitles down the bottom or bottom half of the screen, so for your added on-screen text, stick to the top half. 😉
The Hakka on the non nursing side really helped me to prevent clogged ducts (I only got one in my 2.5 years bf 🙌🏼) and keep my supply up early on. I give it to every new mom I know! Also gives you some milk to store without an electric pump which I hated, but still had to use occasionally. The pump parts tip is so helpful! Definitely going to keep that in mind for my next baby this summer
@@gemmaartner2780 It’s a bit hard to remember but I didn’t bring it to the hospital with me and I wasn’t able to leave for 3 days so it definitely wasn’t from day 1. I think I was using it shortly after coming home because I did have some of the early super rich milk in my freezer and I wasn’t using any other sort of pump. I think I’ll wait a few days again this time to give my body some time to naturally figure out milk supply in the very beginning.
My baby is three weeks old now and it’s been a struggle. He latches great on one boob but the other boob has been so sore and cracked since the very beginning!!! It is so stressful and painful. I want to suffer through it but I know my nip needs to heal. I’ve just been hand expressing every few hours so I can give that boob a break. Really Hoping it heals soon❤ my goal is to breastfeed as long as possible
I have breastfed 7 babies for a year each....and have one more coming up. I am very prone to clogged milk ducts and mastitis. One other supplement i would add to the info you gave is called "happy ducts". I get it from amazon. It tastes disgusting, but i mix it with orange juice and gulp it when i get clogged ducts. Then I do all the other stuff-warm compress, vibrator, massage, dangle feeding, and usually i can get rid of it in a day. But it kind if takes up my time and energy. Man, breastfeeding is so hard! I am looking forward to being done with it after my next baby.
@dropdeadfedra2.0 I have learned that now, but was frustrated at the time, how no one mentions what they do with pumped milk 🙈 I assumed it gets tossed lol. Thanks 🤗
That is an admirable and honorable achievment. In Islam it is written in The Holy Quran that if you want to complete breastfeeding in the best way you do it for 2 years. Then it is perfectly and fully done.
Before becoming a mother and if you want to breastfeed, it should be necessary to take a complete breastfeeding course and another postpartum course. Additionally, breastfeeding consultants have RU-vid channels and they also have Instagram and Facebook groups to help you. Information is Power.
I was listening to this video in the background and all I heard was you being like “Hi Cashew, that’s a hair elastic. My neediest child. Everybody wants to see more Cashew.” I was hardcore judging cause I thought you named a child Cashew and I was like man I gotta see this kid, cause I mean what the heck right? And then I went to the video and saw it was a dog and started dying laughing that I thought someone would think to name a child Cashew. 😂 Great name for a dog though! ❤ Thanks for the latching tip! Can’t wait to try it with the next feed I do.
Thank you for this video :) I 've been personally struggling with nursing strike for almost 5 months and its very exhausting. Also what took me by surprise and is not talked about is the inconsistency with supply throughout the day - the fact that it declines in the afternoon and early evening. How dod you navigate this?
Do you have any advice for leaving your breastfed toddler for a weekend? I’m afraid that she is going to give her grandma hell while her dad and I go take sometime away.
Thank you for your videos! 25 weeks pregnant here and totally clueless. So thanks again! Off topic a bit, but what kind of dog is Cashew? My bf just rescued a puppy and we’re unsure of the breed but he looks a lot like yours! He has a black mouth too.
How much water do you think you would drink a day to help supply? I have heart failure so I’m on a 1.2L daily fluid restriction, do you think this would affect my supply?
Hi Nikole! I am a BF new mom and I’ e watched your videos on how you’re still BF your toddler (wooo you go girl!) I also hope to have a longlasting BF relationship w/ my now 5 month old, but I’ve been worried that her sleeping in her own room @ night will tank my supply and cause us to prematurely wean. Would you be open to sharing your experience or any tips you may have? The internet has so many conflicting views and I would love to hear from a mom w/ ACTUAL experience. Thanks!
Hi mama, I'm new to this journey but your hacks are so wonderful. Love them. Will definitely apply them. Please share link for hands free pumping bra. It takes so much time to do one at a time. I will appreciate it.
Do you have any plans/ideas/strategies for weaning? My son will be 2 at the end of Feb and I am still nursing him. I only nursed my first 2 kids until they turned 1. I have never had to wean a toddler and I don’t know how to without making him so upset!
I love side-lying because I can go to sleep 😂 but it gets frustrating when my baby continuously kicks my stomach omg 😭😭 I had a C-section and I have two navel piercings and it’s just so uncomfortable and enraging 😭😭😭😫
I wish I could of breastfed my last son. I had him at 30 weeks and had to pump alot while he was in nicu for a month. They put him on formula too cus he weight went down to 3 pounds but they failed to inform me they weren't giving him my breast milk at all. When we went to take him home, they handed me all his breast milk in a huge bag. It was frozen and they just didn't give him it. I had a 3 hour drive home 😭 it started unthawing, and was a mess by when we got home. He never latched either , my milk dried out and I'm still sad about it all 20 months later
I’m sorry you didn’t have the breastfeeding experience you had hoped for. I know it’s hard when you have certain expectations in your head and when they don’t work out as planned it can be hard to accept. But you’re an amazing mama
Lol when my breast milk first came in, I referred to it as hulk boobs. Love this video and tips as I will be breastfeeding again soon and don't want to fail this time. Thank you!
Another one of those moms that thinks doing this till there kid is 5 means when they are 16 they won't pull away or "hate" them etc. The kid doesn't remember and will find it awkward and embarrassing once they are older and will pull away to their friends all the same.... speaking from experience on that one
Some babies will just never latch no matter what and no lactation consultants will be able to help and that’s ok! It’s not you… it’s ur baby… it’s fine, you both don’t have to suffer as there are many options these days. You’d be surprised how “easy” breastfeeding is when a baby knows how to latch it is able to learn how… every baby is different
Does either of you have some milk for me, I am a 13-day-old baby who lost both parents and I need someone who would feed me naturally, that is, who would breastfeed me for at least a year. Could one of you two do that for me, please, and if one of you two would adopt me, I would be very grateful. Please
Good question though her choice There's plenty of information you can find (articles online etc) that talk about a child weening themselves naturally, health benefits to mom and child when breast feeding for at least a year and even how breast milk changes over time if one continues to breast feed beyond a year...it's interesting. Everyone's journey will be different with this
@@jillh5739 yep! was just going to comment this exact thing! More importantly the breastfeeding journey should end when mom or babe feels like it should end🙂✨.
