Helpful Tips
Latch and Positioning Support
Helpful Tip: Allow your baby to be the closest to the breast as possible for an optimal latch by having the mother’s tummy be touching their tummy to allow for head control and proper positioning to latch. Try a “laid-back position”.
Milk Supply Concerns
Helpful Tip: Milk supply is regulated by supply and demand which means to empty your breasts often to stimulate more milk production. Feed your baby 8-12 times in 24 hours.
Supplementing a Breastfed Baby
Helpful Tip: Watch for early feeding cues when determining if your baby is hungry. Offer a bottle using a slow-flow nipple, and have baby’s head in an upright position when bottle feeding. Pump your breasts to maintain supply if you choose to supplement a feed.
Weaning from Breastfeeding
Helpful Tip: Mother-led weaning is when the mother chooses to drop a feed at a time and replace it with solid food/supplementation. Baby-led weaning is more gradual when the baby slowly loses interest on their own (tends to happen towards toddlerhood). Wean slowly to allow your breasts and hormones to adjust and baby to adjust to the change in feedings.
Weight Gain Concerns
Helpful Tip: If your baby is having trouble gaining weight, finish a feed on one breast before switching to the other breast. Top up the feed if baby is hungry after breastfeeding with pumped milk or formula or seemed sleepy during breastfeeding. Watch diaper output to ensure baby is hydrated. Weight gain concerns can develop in cases of inefficient milk removal, allergies or tongue ties or health concerns with the baby.
Postpartum Breast Issues
Helpful Tip: Breastfeeding should never be painful. This would be an indication to be assessed by a doctor or lactation consultant. Watch for flu symptoms, redness, soreness, firmness or skin breakdown at the nipple (signs of mastitis).
Prenatal Breastfeeding Education
Helpful Tip: Become informed and educated on breastfeeding before troubles arise. Look into prenatal classes or reach out to your local lactation consultant to better understand what to expect in the early stages of breastfeeding and how to troubleshoot common issues.
Tongue Ties
Helpful Tip: A tongue tie is a band of tissue that ties the base of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. Tongue ties are congenital. Tongue ties do not always pose an issue with breastfeeding, so please be assessed by your lactation consultant or ask for a referral to a pediatric dentist for evaluation. Some babies can still successfully breastfeed with a tongue tie depending on the degree of the tie and latching and milk removal at the breast.
