The Boobie Baby Nurse

If you want to breastfeed- please know that if it doesn’t go exactly as you planned that does not mean you have failed or cannot breastfeed.

If your baby had difficulty latching in the hospital so you’ve been pumping- you are still breastfeeding.
If you’re dealing with low supply and supplementing- you are still breastfeeding.

If you are feeding your baby breastmilk, no matter how much or in what way, you are a breastfeeding momma. Your milk does not decrease in value because you may not be breastfeeding in the way you envisioned. BUT, if you are having struggles please reach out and work with a CLC to help you meet your goals. You can do hard things!

🍒Your baby’s tummy is tiny in the early days! That is why colostrum does not have to be high in volume, but is very nutrient dense.

On day 1 your baby will more than likely only be receiving 5-7ml of colostrum each feeding and this is perfect for their little stomach.
On the following days and next few weeks baby’s stomach capacity increases gradually (your breastmilk also increases gradually, not a coincidence😉) and baby can eat more at each feeding.

Do not be discouraged if you pump or hand express in the beginning and only get a few milliliters. This is EXPECTED, and this is NORMAL. The 2oz bottle of formula you see is NOT the volume your baby needs in those early days.

🥛❄️Make sure you’re storing your milk correctly- we do not want to waste any of the magic milk you work so hard for!

Directly after pumping your milk is good at room temperature for 2-3 hours. This is perfect if you are planning to use the milk for a feed coming up soon.

If you are planning on using it in the next couple days or do the pitcher method when pumping multiple times a day, your milk can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. However, it is worth mentioning that enzymes do start to break down around 24 hours and may alter the taste of milk (especially if you have high lipase). If you notice baby refusing refrigerated or frozen milk later this may be the culprit and you should try freezing directly after pumping.

In the freezer your milk is good for 6 months and should be stored toward the back. If you have a deep freezer it is acceptable to keep milk for 12 months, still wanting to keep milk stored the furthest from the freezer door.

🍼When bottle feeding your breast fed baby it is important to remember that babies do not eat the exact same amount every time the breastfeed, so similarly they may not eat the same amount from the bottle either!

🥨Snack feeds are totally normal! Once you or whoever bottle feeds your babe learns their routine they may start to notice these snack feeds happen at about the same time each day.

TIP for not wasting any of that precious milk: freeze some breastmilk in 2oz bags to accommodate these smaller feeds.

🌙Did you know that your baby is specifically designed to wake in the night to breastfeed?

✨Babies need to eat frequently to get the nutrients they need to grow and maintain blood sugar. Glucose is incredibly important for brain development so making sure you are breastfeeding often, even in the night, is essential.
✨Continuing to feed every 2-4 hours through the night is also protecting your milk supply. When you allow your breasts to become too full from going long stretches between nursing, you are telling your body that it does not need to continue to make that volume of milk.

I know those nights are long, and you’re tired. Trust me, I have been there. Just know it doesn’t last forever! Try to make a game plan of what would make these night feeds easier, even if that is just having your bedside table stocked with all the necessities and snacks!

🎀It is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!
Did you know that for every 12 months of breastfeeding, your chances of breast cancer decrease by 4.3%? This is in addition to the 7% decrease observed for each birth.
This means if you breastfeed for the AAP recommendation of two years, your chance of breast cancer decreases by a total of 15.6%!!
Protect your tatas!

My face lights up when I am discussing breastfeeding with a pregnant momma and she tells me she already has colostrum in the freezer🤩
Having colostrum can be SO beneficial especially while in the hospital.
If baby is having difficulty with low blood sugar they are often required to supplement to bring that level back up to normal. If your goal is to exclusively feed breastmilk, having this extra colostrum will come in handy!
If latching is difficult in the beginning, colostrum can be helpful to entice baby to suck when dropped with a syringe into babies mouth at the breast. It can also serve as a replacement if baby is unable to successfully latch and feed at the breast sufficiently.
Early removal of milk and breast stimulation is great to start encouraging milk supply and getting your body ready for feeding babe.
It is also helpful to become familiar with hand expression before you are needing to use it as a tool. This allows you to understand the anatomy of your breast and practice expressing.
Having extra colostrum is nice to have on days when baby has a cold, infection or rash! There’s a reason it’s called liquid gold. ⭐️

It is important to note this is encouraging hand expression, not use of an electric pump. You should not hand express colostrum until 37+ weeks of pregnancy or until your physician has approved it.

Did you know that based on our breastmilk composition we are considered “carriers”?
There are two different types of breastfeeding mammals- nesters and carriers.
Carriers do just as it sounds, carry their babes along with them wherever they go. This means baby needs to eat more frequently and needs to be close to the mother to have access to the frequent milk they need.
Nesters will nurse their babies less frequently and can leave them in the nest or burrow for longer spans of time.
What determines this is the fat content in the milk provided to the specific mammal.
For example the average fat content of polar bear milk is 33% where human milk’s fat content is 3-5%.
So, it is expected for your baby to want to nurse very frequently. It is biologically normal. Snuggle those babies in close, baby wear, and don’t feel guilty about it. 👶🏼

✨It is ok to not do everything right all the time, nobody does!
Being a breastfeeding mom (especially in the beginning) can be difficult at times. Just remember that you are exactly what your baby needs- faults and all!
A tip for when you are struggling (whether that be with latching to a babes less preferred side, getting rid of a ni**le shield , etc) try to put all your practice in during the day and then at night- you can do whatever has been working if you need to! Mommas need rest too.

Typically, no.

In the first few days some babies do have difficulty latching, but this doesn’t mean that they won’t learn or be able to latch in the near future. Having inverted ni**les does not automatically indicate the use of ni**les shields either. If latching is not going well in the beginning it is important to still stimulate the breasts by hand expressing or pumping. Then spoon or syringe feed baby the colostrum collected.

Disclaimer: ni**le shields can be very helpful in certain situations but if you are needing a ni**le shield I would suggest working with a CLC to ensure proper type/size & to hopefully work towards weaning away from them at the appropriate time to prevent issues such as decreased milk supply and increased risk of clogged ducts/mastitis.

⏰“How long should my baby breastfeed?” I hear this question often from my new mommas. The answer is a little more complicated than x amount of time, really every baby can be a little different.
However, there are some typical guidelines that we try to encourage for each feeding.

- Early days/weeks: 10-20 minutes per breast each feeding should be the goal in the beginning as we are trying to establish breastfeeding. We want baby to be actively feeding as much as possible during this time (good latch, sucking with audible swallows).
- 1 month: Babies may start to shorten their feeds around this time as they have become more skilled at emptying the breast. Feeds may be 5-10 minutes per side. It is important to still offer both breasts every feeding so that baby has the option to get as full as they need.
- 2-6 months: At this point it is typically safe to “trust your baby” and let them tell you how long they need to feed (typically still nursing about 10 minutes or longer). They also may start only nursing from one breast per feeding. Pay attention to your babe and when they seem full.

Remember that your baby may differ from these and still be a happy & full baby! These are not absolutes but guidelines for when you are beginning. The best way to measure if baby is getting what they need is tracking weight gain and diaper counts.