My Breastfeeding Journey

I am 3 weeks postpartum and honestly breastfeeding has taken up most of my time & energy. A lot of you reached out on Instagram to know more about my breastfeeding journey and I quickly wanted to share my experience with y’all.

The first 3 days

Aaira was underweight when she was born (5 pounds 6 ounces) and the Doctor recommended us to supplement her with formula (Similac) even though I had Colostrum (the first form of breast milk which is very thick). I did breastfeed her in the Hospital & we also supplemented using the syringe method that our doctor suggested.

My milk came in 3 days after she was born and thankfully I didn’t face supply issues. I know a lot of people struggle with this and I want all the new Moms to know that you’re doing the best you can and its totally okay to supplement as needed or choose not to breastfeed. As of now, we are only feeding her breastmilk (directly & expressed via bottles). The bottles that we’re using for her are Dr. Brown & Nanobebe (Linked in Products section below)

Diet

I haven’t made any significant changes to my diet except for limiting gassy foods (beans, cauliflower etc.), limiting Dairy and here are the things that I have tried to include in my diet to keep up the milk supply:

• Oats (Overnight oats, Oatmeal, Oats Cheela/pancake)
• Cracked Wheat (Daliya) with Milk
• Lactation Cookies (Here is a good recipe: Lactation Cookies Recipe)
• Panjiri (Indian Postpartum Dessert: Panjiri Recipe)
• Water boiled with Carom seeds, Cumin Seeds & Cardamom (This is considered to help with gas issues postpartum which eventually helps the baby)

Breastfeeding & Pumping

I have been pumping everyday since she was born and it makes it so much easier for everyone in the house to feed her the expressed breast milk when I’m not available. Breastmilk is not only Mom’s journey but Dad also plays an important role. Shaleen ensures that my breast pump parts are cleaned and ready before we hit the bed at night, feeds her expressed milk when I’m resting/sleeping, constantly researches on how to make feeding easier & smoother and helps me in any way I need him.

I use the Spectra S2 pump & just ordered a spare kit with parts from Target which has made my life a lot easier. I was initially pumping into the Spectra bottles and using Twist pouches to store the milk but now I’m able to directly pump into the pouches with this new kit (Linked in Products section below). I am pumping anywhere between 16-20 Oz milk each day.

You can also massage your breasts & armpits (yes, armpits have milk ducts too) after a warm compress to stimulate them for a better supply when pumping/nursing. Feeding skin to skin is recommended for better bonding as well 🙂

Our Pediatrician gave us the 4-4-6 rule – Breast Milk stays good for 4 hours at Room temperature , 4 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. I only swivel the milk and not shake it when warming it up (also warm it up in a bottle warmer- included in Products section or put the pouch in a pan with warm water). Always test the milk temperature on your hand before feeding. Breast milk is Liquid gold and its very important to store it safely and in a timely manner to avoid any wastage 🙂 Consult your Pediatrician on this.

Breastfeeding Schedule

We are currently feeding her around 7-8 times a day (every 3-4 hours) out of which I usually breastfeed her two times (usually at night) and rest of the time we feed her the stored breast milk via bottles. While we can only guess how much milk she is transferring when nursing, we know that she drinks anywhere between 2.5-3 Oz at a time when we give her the expressed milk. I pump based on my convenience every 4 hours (does not necessarily match her feeding schedule) . Please note that for the first two weeks we were feeding her every 2 hours to ensure that she reaches her Birth weight at her 2 week checkup which she did 🙂

Latching, Engorgement issues & Lactation consultant

Aaira was able to latch successfully at the Hospital but had some latching issues a couple of days after we came Home. We saw a Lactation consultant and she explained to me that sometimes when the breasts are too full, it can make the nipples flat which makes it difficult for the baby to latch. She recommended that I pump for a minute to stimulate the breasts before feeding and that will make it easier for her to latch and it actually worked! Its hard for me to follow this at night, so most of the times if I’m not too full, she latches successfully otherwise I keep a bottle at hand as well. If you’re struggling with latching issues, I highly recommend seeing a Lactation consultant as each case is different and they can help you as needed.

I am also experiencing engorgement issues every 4 hours if I don’t pump. My fellow Mom friends and Doctors have told me that this will get better eventually as my supply will adjust but meanwhile I’m using Breast therapy packs and nursing pads (for leaking) linked in the Products sections below.

Tracking

We want to make sure that we have all the answers when the pediatrician asks us about how many times she is feeding in a day & her diaper count and hence we’re using Baby Tracker App (Free version) to track her feedings and diapers. This also helps us to adjust based on her changing needs.

Products

All of the below Products are linked Here

Nursing Pillow: My Brest Friend
Breast Pump: Spectra S2 (got it via my insurance)
Bottles: Dr. Brown & Nanobebe
Pouch pump, warmer & storage rack: Twist Kit from Target for Pumping
Nursing Pads (for leaking): Medela disposable & reusable pads
Nursing Cover: Amazon
Breast Milk Storage Pouches: Twist Pouches
Breast Therapy Packs: Lansinoh Breast Therapy
Nipple Butter: Earth Mama Nipple Butter
Nursing Bras: Highly recommend investing in hands free pumping bras linked above

This has been my journey for the last 3 weeks and I’ll share more on Instagram as we go but Breastfeeding and pumping can get very stressful. It took me a while to get used to of my pumping schedule and its definitely getting better. Like I said, its totally okay to exclusively breastfeed, feed expressed milk via bottles or supplement with formula! Do what works for you and your baby and consult your Pediatrician as needed. Hope this will help the new mamas and I would love any tips and tricks from experienced mamas here or on my Instagram!

PS: This is me sharing my experience on a personal level & there is no intention to share any medical advice here. Please consult your Doctor/Pediatrician for any medical advice.