What I Wished I Knew About Breastfeeding Before I Had Started

I am so grateful that I was able to breastfeed my son and last longer than I ever thought I could. When I was pregnant, I decided I wanted to breastfeed and try to continue breastfeeding Luke for six months. I didn’t really do much research on breastfeeding other than I knew I needed to start right after he was born so it’s something I needed to let the labor and delivery nurses know about. That was the extent of my knowledge of breastfeeding. I had no idea how difficult breastfeeding could be or all the need to know things that came with breastfeeding.

There are so many things that I wish I had been aware about or knew about before I started my nursing journey with my son. Of course you can only prepare so much but the true learning experience is when you are in the midst of it. But I put together a list of things I would have loved to know before I started breastfeeding. I think it would have prepared me more of what to expect which would have helped me get through the emotional parts of breastfeeding.

Before I get started, it’s important to have a great support system when it comes to breastfeeding. In the early stages of breastfeeding when you and baby are learning how to breastfeed and your milk is adjusting to your baby’s needs–can be the hardest part of breastfeeding. A lot of mamas give up in this stage so it’s important to lean on those for support to help get you through.

Also, take advantage of the resources that are in place for you. Find a reputable lactation specialist to help guide you and teach you the importance of a good latch. I am so glad I finally saw a lactation specialist to tell me if I was breastfeeding correctly and if Luke was getting enough from me. I promise that after those first three months of breastfeeding, it does get easier and will become second nature to you and your baby. So hang in there mama, you got this!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you would like to know more please read full disclosure here.

Cluster-feeding:

Cluster feeding can be so exhausting especially when you aren’t aware of it prior to breastfeeding. Newborns breastfeed A LOT but there were days where all Luke wanted to do was breastfeed with little to no break between nursing sessions. This is what cluster feeding is which can happen for a few hours a day where all your baby wants to do is feed, feed, AND feed. It can get pretty exhausting to the point where you may cry…a lot. But once you understand the why, it makes it easier to get through.

They say it helps boost your milk supply for your growing baby, or your baby is going through a growth spurt, or if it happens in the evening–your baby could be stocking up before bed. Either way, cluster feeding is a natural part of breastfeeding and trust me you’ll get through it! It happens more in the beginning and tapers off as baby gets older.

How hungry I was going to be:

I had no idea how hungry I’d be while breastfeeding. All I wanted to do was eat even more so than when I was pregnant. I still had cravings and I found myself rummaging through the pantry late in the night. It makes sense as your body is making food for another human. So make sure you gear up on some healthy snacks!

Sadness when let down occurs sometimes:

Not every time but a lot of the time when I breastfed Luke, I would feel sadness or what I would describe as “home sickness” feeling when my milk would let down. When I tried to figure out why, I found that it’s a common thing among some nursing mothers. It’s called dysphoric milk ejection reflex and it occurs right when your milk lets down for a few minutes afterwards. Knowing why it was happening helped and that I wasn’t alone was easier to accept the weird feeling. Eventually, it didn’t occur as much but when it did–I would just try to distract myself.

How frequent baby needed to nurse and how long it took to nurse:

I had no idea that my son would need to nurse every 2-3 hours around the clock as a newborn. But it’s so important to make sure baby eats to gain weight back and build your milk supply! Luke would take forty minutes to an hour to nurse for the first three months. So sometimes it felt like I was nursing him all day aside from when he would nap. But eventually, he got better at it and it didn’t take long at all. Luke always nursed every two-three hours until I weaned him. He was a snacker so he still nursed frequently but would only nurse for about 5-7 minutes at a time when he became a more efficient nurser.

You’re supposed to offer both boobs:

I had no idea that you are supposed to offer both boobs. I would only offer Luke a boob at a time and he seemed content. But to make sure baby gets enough and that you are balancing out both boobs–it’s important to offer both breasts. Once my lactation specialist brought that up, I always offered both boobs. Luke didn’t always take both especially when he was a newborn but I always felt better offering both.

Start next breastfeeding session with opposite boob:

Alternating your breasts is important otherwise you may end up with one breast being bigger than the other. Your boobs will already feel uncomfortable so not maintaining equal milk supply between both breasts will only make matters worse. This also ensures that your baby gets the hind milk (I talk more about this below) at the next feeding which is the fattier milk that your baby needs to grow!

I documented when and how long I fed Luke and which breast I started with. You will be tired and will have mommy brain so remembering which breast you last left off from can be hard. I found writing it down to work every time. 

Boobs and nipples will hurt:

I had no idea just how sore breastfeeding can make your nipples even if you have a correct latch! My nipples cracked and bled for the first week or so I breastfed Luke. Plus, your boobs will be sore from your milk coming in. I found these products below (that I wish I had ready to go when I started breastfeeding) that helped alleviate the pain drastically!

You may have to avoid some foods while breastfeeding:

You obviously want to still eat healthy since you are eating for two still. And continue taking your prenatals. Some nursing moms don’t have to change their diet at all but I had to adjust my diet. I found that Luke had a sensitivity to dairy so I had to remove all dairy from my diet. Also, I had to minimize caffeine as I noticed it did affect his sleep if I had too much.

Always worried about whether Luke was getting enough or not:

This is one of the toughest things I struggled with while breastfeeding. You have no idea how much your little one is getting as you have no way to measure it. I just learned to trust our breastfeeding relationship and that he will eat when he is hungry. I always offered my boob if I felt like he didn’t enough or if I thought he was hungry.

“When in doubt, whip it out.” This literally was the quote I lived by while breastfeeding, lol.

Learning the difference between when your baby is finished eating and begins to comfort nurse:

Like I mentioned above, Luke would sometimes take up to an hour to feed when he was a newborn. It made it hard to do anything other than Netflix and nurse. I quickly learned that he was probably done eating like thirty minutes into the breastfeeding session and was just comfort nursing the rest of the time.

Did not know how hard it can be emotionally and physically:

I had no idea how difficult breastfeeding can really be. The physical and emotional toll it takes on your body in the beginning is crazy. I remember crying a lot and ever wondering if it was going to get easier. But I’m here to tell you that it DOES get easier. If you can survive the first three months of breastfeeding, then you are golden. It was like night and day after three months how much easier breastfeeding was. It became like second nature and I could do it with my eyes closed (I probably did during those night time feeds 😉 ).

I loved breastfeeding and the bond that I shared with my son. It is an incredible feeling being able to provide for your baby in a way that no one else can.

Didn’t know there are two different kinds of milk (hind-milk and fore-milk):

Hind Milk —> This is the milk that comes towards the end of the feeding. It is the fattier portion of your milk that will keep baby feeling full. This is why it is important to not switch breasts until baby is completely done eating and to start with the breast you ended with next breastfeeding session (if you fed with both breasts).

Fore Milk —> This is the milk that comes before the hind milk when your milk is letting down. It is thinner and watery compared to the hind milk. This is what quenches your baby’s thirst.

If you pump, you’ll actually be able to tell the difference because your milk will change from being super thin, watery milk to a thick, richer milk.

Didn’t know how important it is to nurse as much as possible in the beginning to build your supply:

My supply took a hit somewhere around 3-4 months or so because I used the nipple shield with Luke for two months and I didn’t offer both breasts all the time. Luke was always gaining weight but I definitely feel like I should have been able to produce more. When I started pumping between nursing sessions, I noticed a big improvement in my milk supply. But I will definitely nurse as much as my second little guy who is due in June wants too without any hesitation so I can I build a great supply for him.

Feeding on demand and paying attention to hunger cues:

I learned that feeding on demand instead of trying to go by a schedule is way more important for breastfeeding. Feeding on demand ensures your baby is getting enough milk and is great for building and maintaining your milk supply.

I really struggled with trying to figure out when Luke was hungry. He was a happy, content baby most of the time so he never really showed he was hungry until he cried (which apparently is a late hunger cue). I got in the habit of offering my boob every 2 hours or so during the day to ensure he was getting enough.

Knowing what I know now, I feel so much more confident breastfeeding my second boy. Part of the struggle is just not knowing what’s going on or understanding all the components that come with breastfeeding your little one so I really hope this post can give you some guidance on what to expect. If you have any questions about breastfeeding, feel free to drop a question below. I would love to give you the best answer I can. I also would love to know from experienced breastfeeding mamas if there is anything that I may have missed. <3