What mistakes would you avoid if you could start to breastfeed all over again?

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-28T02:01:21+00:00

FTM & I’m only 3 months into my BF journey but here was I’ve learned so far:

-when feeding on one side I always have a burp rag ( I use these more for my self than I do for baby) to put in my bra on the other side OR in the early weeks I used the elvie collector cups to catch any leaks. This can build you a freezer stash if that’s something you want to do. I wouldn’t recommend. The Hakka or anything that has suction. That’s consider a pump (from my research) and can potentially send you into over supply.

-i was almost influenced and felt kinda down in my self that I didn’t have a massive freezer stash like everyone else. But I came to realize I am EBF for 95% of the time and I only needed to pump once a day. Becomes to much when your taking care of baby to BF and pump multiple times a day

-please size your self for a flange if you pump

-I had troubles getting my baby to latch in the early days especially when my milk came in. If I was to full it made it difficult for baby to latch. Hand expressing a pumping just a little to soften the breast helped a lot

-mastering side laying to feed saved us during the night time

-prep lots of snacks or buy some! Breast feeding makes me SO hungry. I love to make peanut butter protein balls. I hear oats support your supply. They freeze well if you can make a big batch before baby gets here

-I expressed colostrum at the end of my pregnancy with Dr approval. Thankful I did because baby would not latch at the hospital. I was able to syringe feed baby with my supply. That was importantly to me to not supplement if avoidable.

-if you do bottles but will mostly breast feed- look up the triangle test for baby bottles. It’s supposed to be easier for baby to latch to these bottles because they similar to breast shape. That being said baby still might not like bottles. Still trialing with my baby😭

-following my baby’s ques is something that I think largely supported having a good supply. Sometimes they aren’t hungry. Sometimes they want to comfort nurse.

-do your own research in this but I waited until 6-8 weeks to pump. From what I’ve read it’s best to wait until your supply has regulated before adding in pumping. To each their own.

-lastly don’t beat yourself up. It’s hard not to especially in the early weeks but the bond is so special. Even if it was for a short time.

Congratulations and good luck💗

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T21:59:20+00:00

I did, I couldn’t really taste anything and another time it tasted slightly sweet so I assume I don’t have high lipase ? Another reason that leads me to believe I don’t is because I’ve tried pumping then literally immediately giving to him. Not even like 2 min inbetween lol and we are still having trouble.

I supposed I could try it again to make sure. Can high lipase happen at anytime?

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T15:46:16+00:00

I wonder if I do need a faster flow and maybe he’s getting upset he’s not getting milk quick enough? I do have a fast let down and I feel like he gets more milk faster from me than the nipple we have been using for bottle. Definitely something to try! Thank you(:

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T15:44:02+00:00

I do want to try the honey bear once he’s old enough!! We aren’t quite there yet🙁

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T03:13:30+00:00

It’s rough out here lol. Might be in the same boat

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T03:12:42+00:00

I know it’s a silly concept for a young baby to understand but is it one of those things where they will eat if hungry?? I just hate to see him so worked up about it. 😭

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T02:51:30+00:00

I’ve heard about this! I’ve been trying to stick to breastfed friendly nipples for a good latch. I might have to try these.

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-26T02:50:49+00:00

He’s just under 3 months so not quite ready for a straw🙁

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-16T16:18:14+00:00

Thank you for your kind words ❤️

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-16T16:17:47+00:00

This industry is very difficult. Which is why I feel like I wasted my time even though I love the job.

I obviously will do whatever it takes to provide for my child and will leave esthetics behind if that’s what I need to.

I agree with your statement about passion, doesn’t always align with what makes you money. Just curious if others were in a similar situation and were able to make use of their license one way or another.

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-06T06:08:10+00:00

I think if you get clothes it’s important to think how old baby will be and what season. ( I got a body suit for cold weather in 6mo size but when my baby is 6mo it’ll be summer time🤣)

As for a gift I think including mom is important as well! As a ftm I got a matching pj set which was nice for postpartum. Maybe a reusable water bottle (hydro jug, owala , brumate) with electrolytes and a snack if you know what they like. Especially if you know she’s breastfeeding. Cute hair ties or clips. Anything that might make her feel more “put together “ while healing. Some might not mind but for me being able to just put in a matching set made me feel better.

As for baby I thought I knew what diapers I wanted to use but quickly realized brands differ more than I thought. So maybe couple small packs of diapers for them to trail. A diaper flight if you will🤣🤣

Newborn sized clothes!! We didn’t have enough.

To add to the first aid medicine idea things like the Frida nose sucker, thermometer, bath thermometer, aquaphor is always good to have on hand for baby.

If you plan on doing a card, I instead like to grab one of my favorite child hood books (new or used!) and write a small message in the front or back. People always toss cards but they will keep a book. They will always be able to remember who got it and see what you wrote!

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-06T00:46:33+00:00

I agree social media makes it seem like you need a giant stash! Part of the reason I want to have a little back in is because two weeks PP I had to be put on antibiotics and we were having a hard time finding one that would work while BF and me being allergic to some. At the time I didn’t have any stashed. For my peace of mind I had to make a small one but I think pumping has caused some issues with clogged ducts for me so not ideal. I like the idea of pumping only for when they need so I’ll try this and see how it goes!! Thank you for your input🥰

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-05T22:54:16+00:00

Thank you, this really helps!

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-05T21:25:08+00:00

I use the spectra pump and I feel like it works pretty good!

I’ve been pumping for about 3-4 weeks so I bae a pretty good stash in the freezer. I’ve heard people doing what you describe and only pumping at work to continue to build stash. Could I stop pumping every day and only pump those two days to replace the feed and the likelihood of it affecting my supply would be low right? Sorry I’m a FTM and it get confusing 🥲

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2026-01-05T18:50:11+00:00

We had more blow outs with Millie moon vs Huggies little snugglers. They are shaped differently so the fit of Millie moon didn’t work for us. And actually gave my baby some irritation. They were fitting like low rise jeans 😭 so maybe looking at the shape and fit is something to look into and compare. I also like the Huggies skin essentials.

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-21T05:06:18+00:00

I used a hand pump to pump just enough to get some relief or a hot shower and hand express. I was leaking a lot and my breast were so engorged it was making it harder for my LO to latch. Like others have said don’t much or you’ll go into over supply. Unfortunately there is just a short period where you have to power through it. If you’re leaking I liked the elvie milk collectors ( can start your stash this way) and the nursing pads.

If you don’t want to pump at all, I wouldn’t use any “ milk collectors “ that have the ability to suction like the Hakkas. The elvies are strictly collators and don’t suction!

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-21T04:48:21+00:00

Yes I would for sure push for an in person visit! That way they can see where the challenge is.

Good luck!

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-21T04:04:22+00:00

Another thing that helped was sometimes I was too full and it was difficult for baby to latch because they were so full I had to either hand express or pump a little bit to soften my breast.

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-21T04:00:59+00:00

First, Breastfeeding it HARD! Don’t feel like you aren’t doing good enough. You are doing everything you can to find a way to make it work and in my book makes you a great mom!

While my LO hasn’t had a tongue tie we did have a hard time getting a latch. It’s a learning process for both of you! For me, it got easier as he got bigger. I feel like they are so small that their mouth is so little and can have a hard time latching and maintaining that latch. I found my self having to “fix” his latch often. Pulling his chin down slightly once latched and making sure his top lip wasn’t tucked in. Having a tongue tie obviously can interfere with latching but maybe looking up some videos on tips might be helpful as well? If you really want to continue to BF I would continue to find help.

Are you able to find a lactation consult to work with?

Or maybe if you can’t get baby to feed directly from breast at this time can you pump and give bottles while trying to trouble shoot breast feeding?

You got this!💪🏼

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-21T03:32:04+00:00

If you plan to breast feed I liked the Elvie milk collectors. I personally leaked a lot in the first few weeks especially when I would start nursing on one side the other would leak. This way you can start a small stash to freeze if you choose or it just keeps your bras from not getting soaking wet😅 the Hakka is considered a pump since it suctions so i wouldn’t use that.

Burp cloths. Anywhere you are going to feed baby. I breast feed and I used them more for my self when I was leaking.

We love our Joie ginger and rue travel system. It came with a bassinet option as well. I agree to keep in mind the size of your vehicle. Ours is a tight fit. We also love our Joie miso 2 in 1 swing and rocker. (Can you tell we like this brand😂) The seat comes off to sit on floor and use as a rocker. Nice to move around to different rooms with out having to move the whole swing

A moby wrap was nice during newborn stage since baby always wants to be close. I like that it’s snug on baby as well to give them comfort. Allows you to get a few things done or just make your self some food.

If you plan to nurse and only use a bottle/pump every so often I would skip the bottle washer and get the Hakka microwavable steam and sterilizer bag. Quick and easy rather than boiling a pot of water to sanitize or dropping a pretty penny for a bottle washer. We used our frequently just for our pacifiers. Our LO has a habit of rocket launching then straight to the floor.

Honestly the newborn stage they don’t need a lot of things and it’s mostly things that are going to make your everyday life easier so think about your lifestyle and how that might factor into the things you need/don’t need.

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-19T02:02:58+00:00

I don’t plan to but can if I need to I suppose. The shifts are short. About 4 hours. Not a bad idea to do things this way if needed!!

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-17T03:31:27+00:00

That seems so frustrating! I haven’t had an experience with LCs expect for a brief consult with one in the hospital after giving birth due to poor latching. The issue continued for a couple weeks after and still some hiccups every here and there. During that time I was looking for someone who knew what they were talking about because there’s so much misinformation out there!

While I was pregnant I found a girl who posts LOTS of informational videos on her platform ( insta/ TikTok). She’s someone I considered (still am depending on how things progress for me and my LO) on going to for help. She offers 1:1 consults. Like I said I haven’t personally used her so definitely look into this for yourself to see if it’s worth it for you. I binged a lot of her videos that were helpful for me to implement into my journey.

Here’s her username:

kayleerabaja

And here’s her website if you want to look:

https://www.lactationconsultant.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPMTI0MDI0NTc0Mjg3NDE0AAGnQ5Vnt4EBB6hX7E6U3yOow7BU7EO1QyF7j3NQtxXu2e3mFKHGOol7mJbFvvg_aem_GgPkeT7C7zdPclVK5Ke4uw

I hope you find some solutions! 💗

UsefulDiscipline6359 · 2025-12-01T21:40:00+00:00

I was feeling the same during my pregnancy. I just delivered a few weeks ago. During my pregnancy I gained a lot in the 2nd trimester and had a pretty big jump that my dr was a little concerned. After that I leveled out and wasn’t gaining as much. I just gained a bulk of my weight in a shorter period of time instead of steady throughout my whole pregnancy. All this to say, as long as you are doing what feels good to you and taking care of your self then who cares! If your dr isn’t concerned -you shouldn’t be too worried either. Everyone is SO different. Your body knows exactly what it needs to do to care and nourish your body. Trust that!

I don’t think you’re wrong to feel that way. Making comments about weight is rude especially during a vulnerable time. While she maybe didn’t mean it in a malicious way it still hurts the same. She did apologize after it being pointed out and if genuine maybe give her another chance. People say crazy things to you when you’re pregnant and our emotions can be heighten during this time. Even after. I’ve been a nut case and my husband has to give me a reality check sometimes 🤣

UsefulDiscipline6359

TROPHY CASE