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shelbylgosselin

Setting Yourself Up For Breastfeeding Success




Breastfeeding is natural and beautiful, but it is not straightforward or easy. Breastfeeding is a little like taking a Spin class for the first time. You are scared, you don't know what to expect, and you don't expect to be perfect your first class. So, you take it in stages. After a while, you forget why you were scared, you forget the time you almost fell, and you feel strong and confident. Breastfeeding is also a skill, and it takes a lot of practice and commitment before you feel like you know what you are doing. So stick with it, ask for help when you need it, and know I am here cheering you on!


I always new I wanted to breastfeed, but in the 3rd trimester I started to get nervous. I had heard so many stories of moms that, despite trying everything, breastfeeding did not work out for them. I wasn't going to let this stop me from trying, but I knew that I had to be prepared and educated to give breastfeeding my best shot. Looking back, I wish I wouldn't have stressed so much. While I can't change how much I worried over breastfeeding, I hope that I can take some of the pressure off of you. Here are my breastfeeding tips for the 3rd and 4th trimester.


Before Baby:


  • Take a breastfeeding class with your partner before your baby comes. We took ours at the hospital, and it was so helpful. They went over latching, how your milk comes in, and more.

  • Even if you don't have a birth plan I suggest writing one, even if it is just to let your nurses and doctors know that you want to breastfeed. You can see my birth plan here.

  • Find comfy button-down easy to nurse in pajamas for the hospital. I lived in this button-down nightgown from Target. I have it in every color.

  • Get a few nursing-friendly bras. I am not a fan of the nursing bras with clips. I prefer bralettes like this one for nursing. For me, it was easier to pull it down than try and un-clip. Whatever you decide, only buy a few to start your cup size will change postpartum. Also, I did not wear a bra in the hospital; it was just one more thing to take off when you are exhausted and nursing around the clock. Plus it is a lot easier to do skin to skin without a bra!

  • Have a few button-down/nursing friendly tops and dresses ready for when you go home. I lived in this button-down top from Amazon.

  • Research a lactation consultant in your area to visit after baby arrives.

  • Get your breast pump early. There are a ton of free options covered through insurance, but you do have to go through a verification process. I used a 3rd party website called Aeroflow and purchased the Medela Sonata, it was an upgrade, but there are lots of free options too!

  • Register for or order a Haakka pump. I have the one with the suction bottom and the leak-proof cap. I used my Haakka to increase my supply in the first two months. For me, it was a lot easier than pumping to increase my supply. I would attach it to the side Wyatt wasn't eating on and slowly worked my way up to collecting an extra 2-4 ounces per feeding.

  • Have nutritious snacks for the hospital and for when you come home. Eating a healthy diet and getting enough to eat is so essential for building and maintaining your milk supply. My go snack was Majka Lactation Bites. I brought three bags to the hospital, and not only did they taste great, but I also believe they helped my milk come in faster. You can use my code SHELBY10 for a discount. I love the original flavor!


After Baby:


  • Do skin to skin as soon as you can. I had a c-section, so we had to wait till we were in recovery to do skin to skin, but I was still able to hold him against me while in the OR. Keep doing skin to skin in the hospital, and when you get home. Skin to skin will comfort baby and help with your milk production.

  • Try and breastfeed as soon as you can at the hospital. Ask the nurse to help you with latching and ask for the lactation consultant to come at least once a day, even if you think it is going well.

  • Massage and hand express before and after feedings to help your milk come in. Continue to massage when you are feeding. Massaging will help your milk to flow, and it will also help to prevent clogged ducts.

  • Be prepared to nurse on demand. The general guideline is to nurse every 2 to 3 hours or 8 to 12 times every 24 hours for a newborn. Everyone is different, but for a reference, I consistently fed Wyatt at least every 2 hours 24 hours a day for the first few weeks. If he showed signs of hunger, like rooting, then I would feed him.

  • Go see a lactation consultant. Even if you feel like everything is going great, go! Most insurances cover a couple of visits. They will check your latch, check for a tongue and or lip tie, go over positioning, and best of all, they check to see how much your baby is getting in a feeding. If you bring your pump with you, they will also make sure that your flange is the right size.

  • Sorry in advance, but you might get sore or cracked nipples. Wyatt had a slight tongue and lip tie, so I would have to reposition Wyatt a lot and use my finger to get his lips to flare out for an effective latch. I ended up with cracks on my nipples, and while it was uncomfortable for a few days, it got so much better when my milk came in. After I nursed him, I would hand express milk and rub it on, within a day or so the cracking healed. Even after I healed, I still had a hard time with latching and would use a saline soak when I noticed the first signs of redness. For the saline soak, I mixed 1 cup of warm water with ½ teaspoon of salt in one of my Medela bottles then would hold it on one side for 45 seconds and then rub milk on after.

  • They make nipple shields to help with discomfort. I thought it was hard to use one, so I didn't use it. You can ask if they have them in the hospital.

  • Ameda ComfrotGel Pads were a lifesaver. I used these in the hospital before my milk came in, and they made a world of difference. I would buy a pair just in case in advance, and you could also try asking for them at the hospital.

  • Use a bracelet or a scrunchie to remember what side you fed on last. I also use an app for tracking feedings and pumping sessions. I use the hatch baby app, it is a red icon in the apple store I have been logging feedings since May 24, 2019!

  • It is OKAY mama if you end up needing to supplement with formula. Fed is best. If you decide breastfeeding is not for you, then that is an answer. But, if you want to keep going, then don't stop nursing or pumping even if you have to use formula. You could try nursing first and then have your partner give them formula while you pump. Pumping will let your body know that it needs to make more milk.

  • DON'T STRESS. I know it's hard, but stress does affect milk production. I remember one night Wyatt was crying, and I was trying to pump. I could hear him everywhere I went in the house. I pumped nothing, not a drop. Finally, I ended pulling my car out of the garage into the driveway and blasting my favorite song (sorry neighbors). After I had calmed down, I turned the music down, turned my pump on, sat back, and relaxed. Within a minute, I felt my letdown.




I am not an expert or a licensed lactation consultant. The information I have shared is what I have learned from classes, research, and experience.

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