Mothers often push themselves extensively to ensure that they are producing enough milk for their newborns. But what they miss out on is that they’re supposed to keep themselves calm and relaxed to be able to feed their babies. So, if you find yourself in a position where you’re trying to balance breastfeeding and pumping, here are some tips to help you with this.
RELAX YOURSELF
First, you will need to learn how to keep yourself relaxed when trying to breastfeed and pump for your child. The more you worry about feeding time, the more you will find yourself stressing about not producing enough milk. So, instead of taking up excessive amounts of stress, you should relax throughout the process and bond with your baby.
-
DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS
To keep your milk supply going, make sure you have enough fluids in your system! You do not want to dehydrate yourself while you are breastfeeding. Doing so might result in less supply of your breastmilk, therefore, adding to your stress levels. Keep water, milk, and juices ready for consumption and avoid or limit caffeine as that adds to the dehydration.
-
PUMP AFTER FEEDING
When you’re breastfeeding and pumping, you should ensure that you have the most comfortable pumping bra on your side to help you get through. With your pumping bra, you could pump every time after feeding your baby and then store the excess milk produced for later consumption. Don’t let your breast milk go to waste. Instead, pump it all out using the best pumping bra and store it.
-
BREASTFEED WHEN YOU’RE WITH YOUR BABY
When you’re away from work and at home, then you should make sure to breastfeed your baby on demand. This will help you create a stronger bond with your baby, and you will also be able to produce more milk for your baby later. You want to keep a habit of breastfeeding your baby whenever you are at home so that you can store up more milk for your baby for later. Keep a pumping session schedule that works for you the best and follow it.
-
LIMIT FORMULA FEEDING
When you’re feeding your baby breastmilk, try to avoid giving them formula feeding. This might disrupt your entire process of ensuring your baby drinks breastmilk. Once they start on formula, there is a higher chance of them rejecting the breastmilk. So, make sure that you limit formula feeding to only when it is entirely necessary.
-
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Last but not least, you should make sure to take care of yourself throughout the process. Not focusing on yourself will cause you to overwork and be stressed in every situation. Avoid putting yourself in this situation. Take out time for yourself so that you can help ensure you’re able to feed your baby effectively.
Follow these tips to ensure a positive breastfeeding and pumping schedule. Don’t overwork yourself, and try to maintain a calm mindset to get through this stage easily.
Check out our Momcozy Breastfeeding Guide for more suggestions on how to master breastfeeding!
