I remember those initial difficult days with my first born when I struggled with an emergency C-section recovery and my determination to breast feed my daughter. My body ached, the new born wanted my attention and there were many challenges of breastfeeding I hadn’t anticipation even after my extensive research while pregnant. I needed support from those around me and I realized that sometimes they didn’t know how to help best. Based on my experience, here are five ways to care for a nursing mother.
1. Give her privacy
I feel this is the most important support a nursing mother needs! Protect her from constant visitors. Give time for mom and baby to bond. Mom can’t really start feeding the baby when Jamal Chacha and Salma Auntie are sitting right there in the room and munnu chunno wrecking havoc around the house.
2. Take care of her nutritional needs Especially Water
A nursing mother needs to keep up with her nutritional requirements just as, if not more, when she was pregnant. Cut her fruit when she is holding the baby. Make sure you place a glass of water besides her so that she can take a sip before she starts nursing.
3. Protect her from unWarranted Advice
Everyone and their mom has advice on how to increase, decrease (or commercialize) milk supply. A new mother really doesn’t need all that pressure!
4. Let her rest
Help her rest by taking care of the children, cooking her a meal or giving her time for a much needed shower.
5. Take part in the feedings
Just because the mother is nursing doesn’t mean that the father or other family members can’t help in feeding the baby. The nursing mother can pump breast milk that can be offered later in a bottle.
What else would you add here in terms of care for a nursing mother? What support you wish you had?
I wanted to make a special mention of some great products from Philips Avent that can be a great help for new parents.
The Philips Avent Fast Electric Bottle Warmer is great to warm milk evenly and quickly. It defrosts gently and can also be used to warm baby food. A 150ml/5oz of milk bottle warms in just three minutes using the Philips Avent Fast Electric Bottle Warmer. By constant circulation of milk, hot spots are prevented and milk is warmed quickly and evenly. It is more convenient to warm milk this way than using water and much safer than microwave. You can easily select the settings to defrost frozen milk or baby food into liquid.
Philips Avent also has many more products such as milk storage bags, manual breast pumps, electric breast pumps and nipple protectors to care for a nursing mother. You can check them out here.
Do remember in the end that it’s a mother’s decision whether she chooses to nurse or formula feed her baby. Some women are just not able to. Support any decision a mother takes. A happy mother always makes a good mother.
[Read More: Baby Shopping List: An Essential list of Items for the first year]
Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored by Philips Avent. All opinions are my own.
Don’t tell her she doesn’t need to eat so and so. The child will get sick from that. It’s not scientifically proven and just makes breastfeeding something resentful. Don’t force her to eat stuff she doesn’t want to. Let her eat what she feels like?
Such an important point! I totally agree!
Yasssss girl, short simple and clear.
Thank you!
1. If the mom wants to go to the other room to nurse, don’t insist that she sits there and feed with a cover.. maybe she doesn’t feel comfortable..
2. Don’t give advice about nursing/formula unless asked.
Great point! Thanks for your feedback.
Nipple shields and nipple creams are life savers
Not many are aware of nipple shields,they are used when a mother is in an excruciating pain because the child either sucks on the mother too hard or because of excessive feeding the nipplesbleed.many mothers want to just give up because of the pain but if you use these shields while feeding they give u soo much comfort
Great point! Thanks for adding that!
When the baby cries, don’t wonder out loud if the mother is making enough milk, or if something she ate is making him gassy. This sends the mother into panic mode and makes her feel inadequate.
That’s a great point! You’re right, this really stresses the mother.