To all my new breastfeeding mamas! Here are a few tips on how to get your milk production flowing in the first days of nursing your newborn. Hope it helps as it did me!
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The One Thing Every Mom-To-Be Should Know
We’re 2 months away from welcoming our second baby, and I can’t help to reminisce on what it felt like being a first-time mom. Looking back, I remember thinking how everything from breastfeeding to changing diapers was easier than I imagined, but the ONE THING I had a tough time adjusting to was the LACK OF SLEEP during the first month.
Throughout my pregnancy, people would say things like, “Get as much sleep as you can now!” or “Sleep when the baby sleeps.” But no one ever told me that I would be getting 2-3 hours of sleep straight and never a full night’s sleep for at least a month.
Newborns feed every 3 hours and since I was exclusively breastfeeding, it took about 40 minutes to nurse, so by the time I put my son down, I was technically only able to catch some Zzz’s for about 2.5 hours! To top it off, my husband injured his foot a week before our baby was born which bound him to a cast and crutches for an entire month and a half! Not to mention, I had a c-section, but I was determined to breastfeed exclusively. I remember feeling a strength from within that would wake me up every time Caleb woke up to feed and change him, especially during the night. Now, I can’t help to feel somewhat proud of myself and thankful to God for giving us women superwoman powers in times like those. But I wish someone would have warned me what it actually feels like to not get at least 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I literally felt like a walking zombie. Truth is, there is no way to prepare for that. You can’t accumulate sleep when you’re pregnant so even if you do “sleep as much as you can” now, it won’t make you feel fully rested when the baby arrives (though it does feel wonderful to sleep in and rest while pregnant).
However, once your baby starts to sleep straight through the night without a night-feed or dream-feed, boy that night will feel glorious! If you start adapting your baby on a nighttime routine starting at least week 4, your baby will start to sleep through the night in no time. Caleb kept sleeping an hour more through the night week after week and by the time he was only 2 months, he slept 8 hours consecutively! By the time he was 3 months, he slept 12 hours (uninterrupted sleep with NO night-feed!) and he continues to sleep straight through the night from 9pm to 9am (however, you can adjust you baby’s bedtime according to whatever time you wish i.e. 7pm to 7am). Check out my sample bedtime routine HERE.
Dear first-time moms: It is worth every sleepless night! It will be tough but it WILL go by sooner than you think. Simply endure and try to enjoy those moments of intimacy with your new bundle of joy.
Check out a few photos from this past weekend with the two loves of my life and my baby bump. (Floral print Maternity dress by ShopPinkBlush.com):
What is A Raad Story?
The Key To Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Our baby boy has been sleeping through the night as early as 2 months (by sleeping through the night, I mean 8 hours straight without waking up to eat)! We read a few parenting books and Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo taught us about having set baby schedules. Although we do not practice word for word, we did follow a few tips that helped us especially as new parents. We practice a mix of attachment parenting, with baby wise parenting and it has worked like a charm! So what has been the key to help our baby sleep through the night? Have a bedtime routine! We started Caleb on his bedtime routine when he was 5 weeks old and he slept an hour more week by week. At 2 months he slept 8 hours and at 3 1/2 months he slept 11-12 hours! He currently continues to sleep 11-12 hours straight. This is our bedtime routine.
- 8.30PM Bath time
- 8.45PM Massage, PJs, daddy time (interacts with his dad)
- 9PM Set the night time mood & feeding time (see below)
- 9.30PM Baby falls asleep. Put down in crib
Feeding time
- Turn off lights. Babies need to learn to associate light with day and darkness with night. This is not innate, it must be learned.
- Have a nightlight or TV on (I like to have the TV on so that it’s not totally quiet that way he gets used to sleeping around slight noise).
- Do NOT interact with baby. Sleep time is not play time. If you talk to your baby, they may think it’s time to play.
- Make sure your baby is full. This is most likely the key for a baby to sleep entirely. A hungry baby WILL wake up every 3 hours. Newborns will be able to hold more food as weeks pass by. Usually when they are 5 weeks old, it’s believed that they will be able to sleep 5 hours, and at 6 weeks, 6 hours, and so forth.
- If you are nursing, nurse for at least 25-30 mins. The ultimate goal for newborns is 20 min. on each breast. Babies easily get comfortable in their mother’s arms while nursing, hence they may fall asleep quickly. In order to prevent your newborn from falling asleep, gently touch his or her feet until you feel suction again.
A baby that sleeps through the night is a happy baby and also has happy parents! Caleb is the happiest baby – he only cries when he is hungry, needs a clean diaper, or is overtired. Having a bedtime routine for our baby was the best thing for him and for us because we are all able to sleep through the night. And who doesn’t appreciate a good night’s rest?
There are exceptions when we have not been able to proceed with his routine for instance, the holidays. He continued to sleep through the night however not as long as usual. Also keep in mind, every baby is different. What worked for us may not work for others.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a comment or email us at hello@ARaadStory.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Breastfeeding in Public: Yay or Nay?
After 5+ months of exclusively breastfeeding, the best way to breastfeed is when I am at home, carefree and topless. Though this may sound abruptly honest and a little “TMI”, it’s the truth. To all the mommies-to-be and new moms out there, this is something that no one will ever tell you, but boy do I wish someone would have told me in my early days of breastfeeding. Besides it being extremely comfortable, it is also comfortable for your baby and the skin-to-skin contact adds to the emotional connection with a newborn.
Now, what are you supposed to do in public? Well, you’re obviously not going to go topless, however, how are you expected to nurse your child in the outside world? We live in a society where breastfeeding in public is somewhat of a taboo – where pulling out your boob to feed your newborn may shock everyone around you. But why? Why is something so natural, such a taboo in public? Society was not always like this. So when did things change and why?
According to Inventing Baby Food: Taste, Health, and the Industrialization of the American Diet by Amy Bentley*, here are the 2 main reasons why breastfeeding became taboo in America:
- Baby food companies. Baby food companies began associating their product with progression and “civilized” America. Suddenly, breastfeeding older infants became a thing of the past and was not done by women in industrialized countries.
- Mid-century mentality of sexualizing breasts. Post-war America brought about the rise of pin-up girls and the birth of Playboy. Breasts were viewed as something sexual and not functional.
Though there have been movements (like the #NormalizeBreastfeeding movement) that promote public breastfeeding, it can still be uncomfortable for women to nurse their child in public. Personally, I may have been a bit judgmental about women nursing in public without covering up prior to becoming a mom myself. But now, everything has changed. It’s a case of finally being in the shoes of a breastfeeding mom and it’s something that is only understood when we experience it. Nevertheless, we have to respect people’s diverse views on this subject and we must not force our personal views on anyone.
Here are a few ways you can comfortably breastfeed in public:
- A lightweight cover. A fellow mom gave me a cover by Hooter Hiders! I adore it because it’s lightweight and efficient.
- Wear easy-access shirts. There are quite a few clothing that make it easier to breastfeed anywhere. Button-down blouses and shirts with front zippers are my favorite!
- Sit next to your husband or loved ones. They will help you wherever, whenever and will never make you feel awkward.
That is the way I breastfeed in public. It’s comfortable for me and my baby and I try to also be sensitive to those around me. It will always be a Yay for me and never a Nay because when my baby has to eat, that is all that matters. If you’re a breastfeeding mama, nurse your baby publicly. Many times, no one will even notice you’re breastfeeding. Don’t feel limited to only nursing at home. You can do it – go for it!
*Amy Bentley is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at NYU – Slate.com
