How not to feel like you are “failing at breastfeeding” (and 6 signs that it’s actually going well!)
We don’t see people breastfeeding very often. When we do, we are certainly aren’t looking too closely and really observing how it works. Unfortunately, this means that when we have a baby, we’re learning breastfeeding from scratch. I’m here to take the mystery out of how to know that breastfeeding is going well.
Help! My baby is refusing the bottle!
Bottle refusal is super stressful. The key to solving the problem is to first understand what your baby is trying to tell you (spoiler alert - they are telling you that they need your help), then you can work with your baby instead of getting into a head-to-head with them. The best part is, you don’t need to leave the house or starve your baby out.
We need more breast kindness.
Despite their prevalence in advertising and entertainment, breasts are really not well understood by most of us. This becomes a big problem when we are feeding our babies with them. What can we do to empower ourselves and learn how to care for them?
Just say no to visitors
The first week after giving birth is a wild and joyous ride. It can also be really stressful and overwhelming. Let's control what we can and just say no to visitors. Because you don't need your mom to come over with yet another onesie and hold the baby. You need to sleep, nourish yourself and learn how to breastfeed.
You know what they say about assumptions…
Most couples in long-term relationships report feeling emotionally disconnected from their partner a lot of the time, and it's even worse for parents. Resentments and misunderstandings fill in for genuine communication, leading to mistrust and arguments. Having a scheduled communication practice with each other, even for 5 minutes a day, can bring that bond back together.
Our little baboon babies
Our babies are wired to be held, and stress comes from fighting our biology.
A nursery is nice, but what about planning for breastfeeding?
Why do we put so much energy into creating a nursery for our baby? Sure, it's fun picking out colors and choosing all those sweet little details, but shouldn't we put our energy towards learning how to feed our child? Most new parents plan to exclusively breastfeed, but many will stop a lot earlier than they planned. Perhaps we need to center the conversation on what we can do to empower ourselves before the baby is even born.