Updated 12/29/22

I knew I would be breastfeeding when I was pregnant with my first child. There was no question in my mind about it. I just assumed this would come naturally and easily… Nature laughed right in my face and showed me that nursing is not as simple as one would think! It doesn’t come naturally for everyone! Here are some surprising breastfeeding tips and tricks I learned along my journey.

I was to start by saying this post is not intended to tell people that they have to nurse their baby or give their baby breast milk. In fact, I couldn’t care less how you feed your baby! As long as your baby is fed, loved, and taken care of, that is all that matters! You do what works best for you and your family. This post is intended to help give support to those that choose to breastfeed but are having trouble.

This is MY journey with breastfeeding. This post is not intended to replace medical advice.

When my oldest was born, she had an intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) for unknown reasons. She was born at full-term but only weighed 5 lbs 5 oz because of the IUGR. Her birth story is quite interesting and unique, but that’s a different story for a different time…

Because of the IUGR, she did not have a sucking reflex initially at birth. My goodness, we tried and tried and tried. In the hospital, the nurses and lactation consultants tried to help us successfully breastfeed. We tried all kinds of shields and gadgets to help. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that she needed to eat and we had to give her a bottle to get her to drink some milk.

I still tried to nurse her for several months when we got home, but she was stubborn and always preferred the bottle. I ultimately gave up trying to nurse her when she was about 5 months old and I would just pump and give her a bottle.

Along came my second baby, and I was determined to get it right this time. He was completely the opposite of my first… 9 lbs… and an aggressive drinker! He was able to nurse right from the get-go! I was so excited!

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Even though he was able to nurse immediately, it wasn’t always easy… breastfeeding is a journey. Here are a few surprising tips and tricks I learned along my breastfeeding journey…

1. It does hurt!

• I read so many articles that said if it hurts, you aren’t doing it correctly… I think this advice is true after the first couple of weeks….
• The first week or two, it just plain old hurts until your nipples get used to it. I think they have to get calloused over or something! HA! 😆
• I mean that part of your body goes from just hanging out to having someone aggressively sucking on them for 15-30 minutes at a time every couple hours … it’s bound to hurt until your body gets used to that!
• When I first started nursing both my boys, I would focus on deep breathing and relaxing when they first latched to avoid tensing up and thinking about the pain so much.
• What I am trying to tell you is even if it hurts, don’t give up! Keep working at it and it will likely get better.
• Use a LOT of nipple cream and let those babies air out!
• You can also try a nipple shield to help with the pain. It can sometimes also help improve baby’s latch as well.
• If it doesn’t improve after the first couple of weeks, make sure to get help from a professional.

2. Having too little milk supply is a problem, but also too MUCH of a milk supply is also a problem.

• There was a point with all of my babies that my milk supply started dwindling lower than what my baby was consuming. I worked hard to increase my milk supply. However, with my 3rd baby, I worked too hard and I started getting an oversupply of milk. That caused some stomach issues for my little guy until I finally got my supply issue figured out and I finally found a good balance.
• If you are having trouble with a low milk supply, check out my post on how to increase your milk supply.
• I bought a Haakaa with my 3rd baby, and that was a total game-changer for helping me to keep my supply up without having an oversupply. Click here to read my review of the Haakaa

3. Experiment with different holds to see what is most comfortable for you and your baby. You might be surprised what works best.

• Changing nursing positions, can change where the pressure is on your breast. Sometimes this can help decrease pressure on a sore nipple.
• I also found that changing positions when I had a clogged duct, can help to drain the area that is sore and clogged better as well.
• There are many resources for different breastfeeding positions. Here is a great post for different breastfeeding positions.

4. If you have a clogged duct, you will know! It will hurt! Here are a few things that worked for me:

• Try holding your baby in different positions (see #3 for more info on this). This can help to drain your breast differently and can help to unclog that duct.
• Use heat. Here are the breastfeeding hot packs that I use. They fit perfectly around your breast without putting pressure on your nipple. They also warm up quickly in the microwave. They were a lifesaver when I had a clogged duct.
• Massage the heck out of the area of your breast that is clogged.
  • I had a horrible clogged duct with my 2nd baby. I massaged my breast and used the hot packs at every nursing session and I got the clog to go away, but it did not feel good!

5. Give yourself time and patience. There is a learning curve.

• I thought breastfeeding would just come naturally and be so easy. That is not the case!
• There is a lot to learn and each baby and each experience can be so different.
• Don’t give up hope!
• Do what is best for you and your baby. If you want to keep trying, then keep trying. If you don’t, then stop. But know that it does take time to learn… for both you and baby.
• Having a new baby can be stressful and then adding breastfeeding on top of it is enough to make anyone lose their marbles. Here are a few great tips to help decrease your stress.

6. Make sure to get comfortable to and watch your posture.

• I had such terrible neck pain when I nursed my first baby.
• Then I realized I was hunching over every time I was trying to feed her. Once I started working on my posture, that pain went away.
• Get some pillows, a boppy, and some water, get comfortable, and enjoy relaxing while your baby nurses!

7. Don’t be afraid to get help from a lactation consultant!

• I learned so many things about breastfeeding from my lactation consultant and it helped so much with each baby.
• Each baby is so different and they all need different cues to help with nursing.
• My 3rd baby tended to have a narrow latch. I learned how to gently give him cues on his chin to open wider to get a more effective (and less painful) latch! I mean he was my 3rd baby… you would think I should know everything about breastfeeding… but we can’t know everything! So, get help if you are struggling. Don’t be ashamed of it.

8. Breastfeeding will feel like a full-time job, especially at first.

• When you first have your baby, you will be spending a lot of time feeding your baby. They need to eat more often and they usually take longer to eat as they are getting the hang of it, but that’s ok.
• You will feel like you are constantly worrying about if your baby is getting enough, if you are doing it correctly, if they have a good latch, etc. You will worry about everything and you will probably be second-guessing yourself! But take a deep breath and know that you got this! If you are worried, reach out to an experienced mama you trust, your doctor, or a lactation consultant.
• Try to find some ways to get some time to yourself and don’t let mom guilt take you over!
• Here is a list of breastfeeding essentials that might make your life a little easier.

Just know that everyone’s journey is different and your journey can be different from one baby to the next. Remember to do what works best for you and your baby.

It’s hard to not get frustrated when things aren’t going how you imagined them to be. If you feel yourself getting frustrated and stressed, check out my post on Life Changing Tips For Moms To Help Decrease Stress.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it! Being a mom is hard work and breastfeeding is hard work! Hang in there and I hope this was helpful for you!

What aspects of breastfeeding are most challenging for you? Do you have other tips that might help moms that are struggling with breastfeeding?