11/28/2023
If you want to breastfeed, this is for you 👇🏼
There is not enough emphasis on the importance of hunkering down with your baby and breastfeeding round the clock in the first 3-4 days after birth.
These stories everywhere about milk never coming in or never making enough perpetuates the fear among pregnant women that breast milk supply is left up to chance. That some women are just lucky. It’s not true.
I need you to know that figuring out breastfeeding is going to be hard, especially in the first two weeks. I need you to know that you can’t sleep for five hours straight at night in the first several weeks after birth and expect to build a strong supply. I need you to know that if you do not breastfeed often in the first few days after your baby is born, you will not make enough milk to keep up with your baby’s needs.
And if this was you and you desperately wanted to breastfeed but couldn’t keep up, I’m sorry. Nobody told you this and somebody should have.
Know also that your birth experience shapes your postpartum experience. Having a traumatic, 3 day long induction will impact how you enter motherhood. Exhaustion, trauma and an unsupportive care team can absolutely impact how easy or difficult it will be to latch and breastfeed well. Ultimately, it all goes back to why building a birth plan and choosing your dream team can make ALL the difference.
Exceptions to this rule include certain preexisting health conditions such as PCOS or prior breast surgeries. These can sometimes impact milk supply/the ability to breastfeed and I recommend seeking lactation advice prior to birth.
