What do I need to get ready to breastfeed my baby?

This is a question that I hear often, especially if the expectant mom doesn’t have any one around her who is breastfeeding and doesn’t know what to expect. Often, what one needs to do to prepare for anything baby related seems to mean “what do I need to buy?” as evidenced by baby showers, baby fairs, registries and such. Pregnant families are bombarded with ads for special pillows, feeding supplies, ointments, pumps, bottles, nipples, pacifiers etc. The truth is that none of these things are necessary. This is the beauty of nursing your infant. You have what it takes to make milk and your baby has what it takes to get milk from your breasts. The less we interfere with that, the better. (Of course, there is a small percentage of women who may not make enough milk, but this is rare). 

My favorite way to explain how breastfeeding works is this: Think about how long humans survived without bottles or nipples or pacifiers or pillows. Artificial breast milk (formula as we know it) was developed for marketing in 1929. Humans had been thriving for millions of years before that time. 

So, what do we need to feed our babies? 

We need confidence. We need to believe we can do it. The difference in my own successful and unsuccessful breastfeeding experiences was knowing that I would make it work, no matter what. Remember this: Your body made a baby! Making enough milk is the easy part. 

We need knowledge and support. We need to surround ourselves with those who understand that breastfeeding works and will support us when we are having doubts. 

We need to learn all about how to breastfeed because many of us don’t live in a culture that supports breastfeeding. The artificial milk culture has taken away our “village”. Women having children now are preceded by three or four generations of bottle fed babies. My mom, my grandmother, my aunts, my sisters and friends, had no idea how to help me breastfeed. So we must learn ourselves and share the knowledge with our families, our partners, our friends, our sisters and brothers, our daughters and sons. 

We need to seek out others who have breastfed. We find this in mother-to-mother support groups such as La Leche League and Breastfeeding USA. We find this at WIC through peer counselors. We find this through Facebook groups and websites that unite us to other moms who have come before us. 

Back to the original question-

“What do I need to do to get ready to breastfeed my baby?”

Some practical tips:

• Have a history and breast exam by your Midwife or Ob during pregnancy to rule out signs that there may be a problem; if a problem is suspected, see an IBCLC before birth.
• Find a community of breastfeeding women either local or online. Many local areas have their own groups. On Staten Island an option is the Facebook group  Staten Island Breastfeeding Moms
• Go to group meetings, such as La Leche League before the baby is born. Here is the website for the Staten Island group La Leche League of Staten Island
• If you are WIC eligible, ask for a breastfeeding peer counselor
• Take a class or read books about breastfeeding. Bonnie Halk at Mama Knows has some amazing classes
• Bring your partner with you to class or share your books with those who will be supporting you
• Find an IBCLC as a resource before the baby comes. Plan to call her as soon as questions arise
• Find out if your insurance company covers breast pumps and lactation consults with an IBCLC
• Plan to have your baby in a Baby Friendly hospital or Birthing Center. If not, read as much as you can about Baby Friendly practices, so that you can insist on this type of care for yourself and your baby. Learn about the “10 Steps to Baby Friendly” here Baby Friendly USA 
• Be prepared for the most awesome, rewarding adventure of your life!