How to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy
So, you want to know how to prepare for breastfeeding while you’re still pregnant. You’re in the right place!
As a postpartum doula, lactation counsellor, and nursing mama, I have to say - I’m so happy you’re here. I know from experience how important it is to prepare for breastfeeding before you give birth. Your future self is thanking you now for having the foresight to plan ahead for breastfeeding success!
There are five key ways to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy:
Understand your ‘why’
Get comfortable talking about breastfeeding
Gather equipment and supplies
Learn about positioning & attachment
Set realistic expectations
1. Understand your ‘why’
I’ll assume that if you’re reading this, it’s because you want to breastfeed. Your desire to breastfeed can in itself help you to meet your breastfeeding goals! Research has shown that mothers’ attitudes towards breastfeeding is linked to a longer duration of breastfeeding. Simply making the decision to breastfeed is a huge step in the right direction.
So, why have you decided to breastfeed? I’m not just being nosy, promise! Understanding why breastfeeding is important to you can enhance your sense of purpose and meaning about breastfeeding. In my personal experience, having a clear understanding of why I was breastfeeding helped to keep me motivated on the days when it felt hard. A quick look on Google will provide you with ample evidence of the biological, psychological, and social benefits of breastfeeding. I’m sure at least one of these benefits will stand out to you as a reason why you want to breastfeed!
A note on language: are there really ‘benefits’ of breastfeeding?
When we talk about the benefits of breastfeeding, we are really saying, “what are the benefits of breastfeeding in comparison to formula feeding?” Whilst I refer here to the ‘benefits’ of breastfeeding, it’s important to note that breastfeeding is what is biologically normal for our species. This means that formula has ‘risks’, rather than breastfeeding having ‘benefits’. To learn more about the risk vs. benefit language of infant feeding, check out Diane Wiessinger’s groundbreaking essay, Watch Your Language.
2. Get comfortable talking about breastfeeding
The language of lactation isn’t something that comes naturally to many people. It can feel awkward to talk about parts of our bodies that we’d never normally include in casual conversations. When I first started breastfeeding, I couldn’t believe how many people I was talking to about my nipples! Suddenly this part of your body that you’d usually never speak about becomes THE topic of conversation.
There’s also a whole new vocabulary to learn when you start breastfeeding. As a postpartum doula, I’m the friendly face new moms feel comfortable asking, “okay, but what IS a letdown?” The language of breastfeeding needs a whole dictionary of its own! A good place to start learning is with the anatomical language used to describe different parts of the breast. Getting comfortable talking about breastfeeding gives you the language you need to express yourself so you can get the support you need - and that’s huge. P.S. ‘letdown’ is just a fancy word for saying ‘when the milk is released from the breast’.
Bonus:
If there’s one thing to get comfortable saying before you start breastfeeding, it’s learning to ask breastfeeding helpers to demonstrate, not do it for you. Some breastfeeding helpers can be a little too comfortable with your body. It’s not uncommon to ask for help with latching your baby, only to have someone reach over, pinch your nipple, and pop baby on, before you can even blink. Without getting into the issues of consent and trauma-informed practice, this is a problematic way for people to support breastfeeding because it doesn’t actually teach you anything. The last thing I want is for you to leave the hospital not knowing how to help your baby latch, which is why I encourage you to find your way of saying, “hey, I need help latching my baby. I don’t want you to do it for me, but can you talk me through it?”
3. Gather equipment & supplies
Breastfeeding equipment & supplies is something I could definitely write a whole separate blog post about. I feel like every other day I see an ad pop up on my social media for some new breastfeeding gadget. There are some that are great, there are some that are okay, there are some that are just good marketing, and there are some that I really don’t recommend. For now, let’s just stick to the essentials - and if you don’t see it on the list here, then you probably don’t need it. Having a baby is already expensive enough - and one of the perks of breastfeeding is that you get to save money, right?
Essential breastfeeding supplies
Water & one-handed snacks: Most lactating people will tell you that this is thirsty, and hungry, work. It’s so important to stay fueled and hydrated when breastfeeding. If your nourishment and water intake are less than optimal, your milk won’t be affected unless you are experiencing real drought or famine conditions - but YOU won’t feel very well. Have multiple waterbottles that you can keep filled all around the house, so you always have water on hand wherever you’re nursing. Snacks that you can eat one-handed, that take little to no preparation, are a must!
Comfortable bra: I personally hate breastfeeding bras. They are fiddly, hot, uncomfortable, and often just don’t fit right. A thin sports bra that allows you to easily just pull your breast out is all you need. Bras when breastfeeding are really just something to hold breast pads when you have guests, because otherwise you’ll probably prefer to just be topless (trust me). I love the Boody Seamfree bras, because they are supportive, but SO soft that it doesn’t even feel like you’re wearing a bra! Not sponsored, I just genuinely love them.
Breast pads & shells: Not everyone leaks while breastfeeding, but many people do. Breast pads are worn in your bra to catch letdowns that happen throughout your day-to-day. Breast shells are like cups with a hole for your nipple. The shells sit inside your bra while you’re feeding, helpful if the letdown from the side you aren’t feeding on is more than a breast pad can hold. Some people like to use a Haaka for this purpose. I personally am not a fan, at least for use in the first few weeks while your supply is regulating, as the Haaka removes more milk than your letdown would naturally release, which over time could contribute to an oversupply issue. Oversupply is NOT something you want.
Burp cloths: I don’t have these on the list for catching babies’ spit up, although they certainly come in helpful for that. I have them on the list here because almost every breastfeeding mom I know had grabbed a burp cloth at one point or another to catch their leaking.
Breast pump: To be clear, pumps are not essential in most cases. There are certain conditions where an electric pump may be necessary, like if you are exclusively pumping. Pumps can be helpful if you anticipate periods of separation from your baby, like returning to work or taking a trip. In the first few weeks, however, it is usually not recommended for most people to pump, as your supply is regulating to match your baby’s needs during this time.
4. Learn about positioning and attachment
Before we talk about positioning and attachment, I need to give a disclaimer: every breast/chestfeeding duo is unique. There are general guidelines that can be supportive, but you’ll also have to figure out what works best for your unique breast/chestfeeding relationship. It’s okay if what works best for you isn’t the same as your friend or what you see in photos. That being said, many breast/chestfeeding issues could be easily prevented, or improved, by optimising latch and positioning - so it’s worth learning about.
In my experience, prenatal breastfeeding classes focused mainly on teaching breastfeeding positions. I think what is more helpful is to learn WHY everyone seems so concerned with positions. The ‘right’ position can help to support a deep latch. I say ‘right’ in quotations, because there’s no one ‘right’ position, only what works best for you and your baby. Different positions will work better or worse for you depending on a variety of factors, including your breast size/shape, and baby’s oral functioning. It can take some experimenting to figure out what positions work best for you both, which is why ideas for positions can be helpful.
So, why is a deep latch important? A deep latch helps to maximise your comfort, and is crucial for effective milk transfer. A deep latch is pain-free, and helps baby to fully drain the breast during feeds. Fully draining the breast helps to maintain milk supply, as more milk removed = more milk made. A shallow latch can be associated with a whole host of problems, including (but not limited to): nipple pain and/or damage, low milk intake, low milk supply, engorgement, plugged ducts, and/or mastitis.
how to get a deep latch
Beyond the nipple: A deep latch means baby takes both the nipple AND breast tissue into their mouth.
Asymmetrical latch: An asymmetrical latch means the baby's mouth covers more of the areola near the baby's lower jaw than the upper jaw. In other words, after latching, more of the areola will be visible above the baby's top lip than below the bottom lip.
Chin leading: Baby’s chin touches the breast first, in the same way that you’d bring a burger to your lower jaw before you take a bite.
Baby’s alignment: It’s hard to drink with your head turned! Try to swallow with your head turned to look over your shoulder and you’ll see. In most positions, like the traditional cradle/cross-cradle holds, supporting baby’s alignment means that their tummy will be pressed against you.
Wide mouth: It might take patience, but wait until baby opens their mouth wide (like they’re about to take a big bite of a sandwich) before latching. Tickling their top lip with your nipple may encourage them to open wide.
A qualified lactation professional can support you in achieving a deep latch.
5. Set realistic expectations
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard new parents say “I had no idea breastfeeding was this much work.” What these parents really mean is, a) they didn’t realise how much time they’d spend feeding their baby, and b) they didn’t realise that breastfeeding challenges are common and can take time and support to overcome. Having realistic expectations about babies helps new parents adjust more easily to their new family life, so here are the 3 most common breastfeeding realities I’ve seen new parents be shocked by:
1. Frequency of feeding
Do you know how often newborns breastfeed? The longest that newborns will go in between feeds is about 2-3 hours. This is timed from the start of the previous feed, meaning that if you started feeding at 1:00, you will need to feed again around 3:00 or 4:00. One study found breastfeeding sessions in infants between 1 and 6 months to last 12 to 67 minutes. If your baby is on the longer end of that spectrum and feeds from an hour, and is going 2 hours in between feeds (timed, remember, from the beginning of the last feed), then you could have only one hour in between feeds! Furthermore, some babies ‘cluster feed’, where they’ll feed on-and-off for a period of time. You’ll spend a lot of your time, if not the majority of your time, breastfeeding, at least in the beginning.
2. Disrupted sleep
Considering that a newborn baby feeds every 2-3 hours throughout the day and night, you too will likely be waking every 2-3 hours, day and night. Getting enough sleep is often the major concern for parents with new babies. Between breastfeeding sessions and trying to sleep when baby sleeps, it’s almost impossible to get anything else done - which is why postpartum support is essential.
3. Breastfeeding challenges
Over 70% of mothers experience breastfeeding challenges. For this reason, it is important to have a plan before giving birth about who you will turn to for lactation support. Whether you seek support from an IBCLC, a lactation counsellor, or a postpartum doula, having easy access to a qualified lactation professional can help you to resolve any problem quickly, which is essential for helping you to meet your long-term breastfeeding goals.
It can also be helpful to consider how your birth plan may affect breastfeeding outcomes. Information about the potential impacts of birth interventions on breastfeeding can support you in making informed choices. This LLL article outlines how different interventions may affect breastfeeding, and provides ideas for ways you can mitigate potential challenges.
Phew, that was a lot.
Now that we’ve covered how to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy,
How are you feeling?
It’s a lot to take in at once, I know. Take a moment to reconnect to your breath and your baby. You’re doing awesome, and your baby is so lucky to have you. By reading this article, you’ve given yourself a HUGE head start towards meeting your breastfeeding goals. And remember, you don’t have to do it all alone.
If you’d like compassionate & evidence-based lactation support, I can help.
Get in touch today to learn more!
About the author
Ceridwen is a postpartum doula and lactation counsellor based in the Cayman Islands. She offers personalised, evidence-based information to help pregnant families prepare for their baby’s arrival. After birth, she helps postpartum families to feel calm, confident, and cared for, with a focus on lactation and mental health.
Learn more about Ceridwen here.
