This is it! Your baby is almost here. The nursery is painted, you’ve booked your maternity leave, and your drawers are stacked with baby clothes. All that’s missing is bub. Everything changes once your baby is born, and breastfeeding is one of the biggest adventures. Nursing your baby is likely to have its own ups and down. But the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to prepare in advance. To help out, we’re going to go over how to prepare your body for breastfeeding with 7 simple tips!
- Find a Lactation Specialist
It’s totally normal to struggle with breastfeeding. Especially if you’re having your first baby, the nerves and stress that come with breastfeeding can complicate your journey. If you want to know how to prepare your body for breastfeeding, a lactation specialist will have the advice you need.
Lactation specialists are filled with information, tips and advice about breastfeeding. Take the time to meet with some specialists before you give birth so that you know who to go to if you’re having any problems. Plus, if you talk to a lactation specialist early on, they’ll help you prepare with tips on things like diet, breast pumps and feeding success.
- Talk to Your Doctor About Breastfeeding Challenges
Breastfeeding isn’t always a straightforward process. Especially for people living with medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or diabetes, breastfeeding may be a challenge. Before bub arrives, it’s worth making an appointment with your GP to talk about any health issues or concerns you have. If you’re someone who may struggle to produce enough milk, your doctor can help with techniques like hand expression. Done right, hand expressing milk can signal to your body that bub is almost here and jump start breast milk production.
- Plan to Stay With Your Baby After Delivery
Having your baby in your arms is one of the best ways to signal to your body that it’s time to start producing milk. This is especially important in the first few days after birth. Skin-to-skin contact with your baby tells your brain what it needs to do, and most hospitals encourage mums and babies to spend as much time together as possible.
Before giving birth, make sure you have plenty of recovery time that you can spend with your baby. Guests can come and visit your baby in a week or two – until then, block out plenty of time to spend with bub.
- Buy a Breast Pump
Regular breastfeeding tells your body that your baby is still feeding and that it needs to continue producing milk. A newborn is likely to need feeding 8 times per day (or even more). Having a consistent feeding schedule is one of the best ways to prepare your body for breastfeeding over the next few months.
Your baby won’t always be hungry though. A breast pump comes in handy for expressing milk when your baby isn’t interested. Pumping out the milk you’re producing tells your body that it needs to make more and helps keep the feeding cycle on track!
- Cook Some Freezer Meals
No one really wants to stand in the kitchen and make food in bulk, but cooking ahead of time is a simple way to free up your schedule after giving birth. You’ll need plenty of time to rest and recover, and the more time you spend with your baby the better. Making freezer meals means you’ll have healthy, balanced food on hand. If you want to go the extra mile then you can also stock your pantry with breastfeeding snacks! Nibbles like breastfeeding cookies, nuts, dried fruit and trail mix are all great for milk production, and they’ll give you something to eat in between meals.
- Eat a Balanced Breastfeeding Diet
The foods you eat can have an impact on milk production. There’s no need to go overboard, just make sure you’re eating plenty of protein, green vegetables and whole grains like oats. It’s also worth avoiding food and drink that contains caffeine, which is thought to reduce milk production. Talk to your doctor if you’re unsure about how to prepare your body for breastfeeding with the foods you’re eating.
- Prepare Your Nursing Spot!
You’ll be spending a lot of time breastfeeding your baby. That means you need a comfortable spot where you can curl up with bub. The spot you choose is up to you, but it’s worth preparing the area and making sure blankets, cushions, books and anything else you need is nearby.
Get Ready for Your Breastfeeding Journey with Mad House Mums!
Many new mums find breastfeeding a challenge. While your body knows what to do, it’s a new and stressful experience, and that can easily get in the way of a positive breastfeeding journey. If you’re looking for how to prepare your body for breastfeeding, check out the Mad House Mums collection! Mad House Mums offers a range of breastfeeding clothing designed by real mums. We’re focused on designing a breastfeeding jumper and a range of tops, dresses and pyjamas that make your experience more comforting. With a specially designed Invisible Side Zip and a selection of soft, comfy fabrics, our clothes can help you prepare for your breastfeeding journey! You can browse our range online, or talk to us if you have any questions about our selection.