Five Things I would Have Done Differently in my Breastfeeding Journey

They say “hindsight is 2020.” Although my son is only 3 months old, there are a lot of things I would change about my approach to breastfeeding.

Here is some advice based off my personal experience that I would recommend to begin your breastfeeding journey the right way. 

Bring a Breastfeeding Pillow To the Hospital 

Although I had bought a breastfeeding pillow two weeks before my son’s birth, I completely forgot to bring it to the hospital, to the detriment of my poor un-muscled arms. A seven-pound baby can’t be that heavy! -You might be thinking, but trust me. Those seven pounds will start to feel like an anchor after you’ve just given birth, are sleep deprived, and have a suction-demon syphoning energy from you. Bring the breastfeeding pillow. You will thank me later. 

I bought a MyBrestFriend pillow off Facebook Marketplace and I loved it. Compared to the Bobby, I really enjoyed that the MyBrestFriend pillow had back support and raised sections for  head-support. I actually use it to breastfeed my son while I draw for my freelance illustration jobs, and he often just falls asleep on it. 100% recommend.

Assemble your Breast pump before delivery

Your milk often comes in one-week after giving birth, or at least mine did. However, it took me three weeks to finally use my breast pump because I couldn’t be bothered to spend the energy to set it up. Imagine my surprise when I realized it only took 3 minutes. Therefore I urge you to set-up your breastpump before going to the hospital, because you might be too tired to do it afterwards. 

I got the Motif breastpump through my insurance for free, and the suction is pretty good. However, the cable to the power supply is a short, which is a bit awkward in my opinion. They do make a version of the Motif that can be battery powered as well. Looking back, I would have chosen that instead. 

Invest in a Hands-Free Breast pump

When I was pregnant, I did a lot of research into hands-free pumps. I read a lot of reviews about them not having enough suction, and decided not to buy one because of the price. However, I did end up receiving one as a baby-shower gift and it was a true game-changer. 

If you’re like me, you find it hard to sit still. Between taking care of my baby, doing household chores, cooking, and more I found it challenging to find the time to sit down for an uninterrupted 30 minute pumping-session. If I could go back in time, I would have invested in a hand-free breast pump and used it immediately. 

I received the Moma-Cozy, but there are a variety of brands available. It fits comfortably in my bra and allows me the freedom of not being tied to a machine. It’s easy to clean and the pumps have an impressive battery life. In the future if I ever have any more children, I will use it first. 

Buy a Haakaa with a lid

If you’ve done any research into breastfeeding supplies, you’ve probably heard of the haakaa. Its a wearable silicon device that catches your let-down during breastfeeding. if you’re thinking of investing in a haakaa, buy the one with the lid. seriously. those extra dollars are worth it.

I can’t even count how many times i’ve knocked-into, accidently thrown, and abused my poor haakaa, spilling the precious resource that is breastmilk all over the floor. don’t be like me. get the lid.

Have any tips you would like to share about breastfeeding or breastfeeding supplies? share your experience in the comments below!