Breastfeeding provides sustenance for your new baby’s growth and development, plus it’s the perfect chance for you to bond with your newborn. Despite being a natural process, breastfeeding comes with a range of challenges for many new moms. Caring for a new baby comes with a lot of stress, but new mothers deserve support and guidance to enjoy this aspect of motherhood.

Please read on for some helpful breastfeeding tips for new mothers:

1. Get comfortable for nursing
Breastfeeding means holding the baby in the feeding position for as long as they would like to feed. For a fruitful and fulfilling experience, you should find the most comfortable position before feeding the baby. Staying in an uncomfortable position for a prolonged period may result in back, shoulder, and neck pain. Besides, it may force you to keep squirming and moving around which disrupts your baby’s feeding making them fussy. There are two recommended feeding positions: lying on your side with the baby facing you and sitting in a reclined position with the baby lying in your arms. You can breastfeed your baby on the bed or a comfortable couch and pillows are so handy for adding comfort.

2. Let baby determine the nursing time and duration
Babies understand their nursing needs right from birth. For a pleasant breastfeeding experience, let your baby determine nursing time and duration. They should determine when to feed and for how long. Allow them to sleep for as long as they wish and nurse them when awake. Do not wake or nurse them at intervals based on your timing. Some babies are faster feeders than others. Do not panic when they take too long or too short. Always respect their pace.

3. Leaks are normal
Leaking is very normal especially during the first few weeks of breastfeeding. It is natural and can happen anywhere at any time. You can experience leaks when you hear another baby’s cry, when you think about your baby or feel strong emotions and when you go for extended periods without nursing. Leaks lessen with time and disappear with time. You should however invest in quality nursing bra pads to manage leaks.

4. Baby your skin
The skin on and around your nipples is fragile and sensitive. Breastfeeding on the other hand is a continuous process especially after giving birth. As the baby keeps feeding, the skin can easily become irritated, dry, chapped, and cracked in some instances. Mothers who go through any of these conditions experience the most painful nursing sessions. However, there are some measures that you can take to avoid such occurrences including:

• Always gently wash the breasts and moisturize the nipples
• Air them out regularly to avoid clothing irritation
• Pat your breasts dry with a soft cloth after every feed
• Invest in quality breast moisturizers, balms, and soothers

5. Help baby find the right position
Just like you, your baby should be comfortable for a pleasant feeding experience. During the course, they are likely to find the most comfortable position. You should pay attention to the position and always help them to the same anytime they need to feed. Every baby is different and so is their ideal feeding position. You should however pay attention to the following guidelines:

• Train your baby to latch onto the whole areola rather than solely on the nipple
• Keep their chin right up against your breast to avoid blocking their nose
• Keep their head slightly tilted upwards
• Their mouth should be leveled with your nipple
• Minimize their head movement when nursing

Your nursing journey can never be complete without a breast pump. If you are struggling to find a great breast pump for mothers, you can never go wrong with the Edgepark breast pump. The pumps are so handy for working mothers whose babies require bottle-feeding.