Preparing for lactation or breastfeeding before the baby arrives? Learn the ways to increase your milk supply while pregnant.
Maybe you’re a new mom who has heard of the many benefits breastfeeding has for you and your baby. Or maybe you’re already a mom who failed to exclusively breastfeed your first baby before and you want to be more successful this time around.
Whatever your reason may be, what matters is you’re here and you want to learn how to prepare your body for breastfeeding before the baby arrives.
Can all women breastfeed or lactate?
As mothers, our bodies are built for breastfeeding. Most women are physically able to breastfeed. Regardless if you have big breasts, small breasts, or inverted or flat nipples, these breasts are designed to feed your babies and produce enough milk for them.
In fact, our bodies are capable enough to breastfeed that we can even do tandem feeding, or even breastfeed triplets or quadruplets.
It is very rare that a woman is physically unable to breastfeed her infant. It may be that she has an immunodeficiency virus or serious medical conditions that render her incapable of breastfeeding, or she’s taking illegal drugs or medication that has a contraindication to breastfeeding.
So for most moms, if you want to breastfeed your baby. YOU CAN.
But if lactation or breastfeeding is so natural, then why are so many new moms having such a hard time with it? Because while a mother may decide and plan to breastfeed, she doesn’t really prepare for breastfeeding.
Do you plan to breastfeed and want to give your baby the best nutrition he needs? Preparing your body for breastfeeding is important to give sufficient milk to your baby before he arrives.
Lactation: Preparing for breastfeeding before the baby arrives
According to Abbie Yabut, a certified breastfeeding counselor (with 16 years of experience) and a mom of five, your body is already producing breast milk even before you’ve given birth. Even if you don’t feel it yet, the milk is already there and just waiting for baby to suck it out.
“Milk production starts on the 20th week of gestation. So even if you give birth at 26 weeks or prematurely, there is already milk. It is important to note that prolactin, the hormone that produces milk is inversely proportional to the pregnancy hormone progesterone.
So when you give birth, your progesterone level drops, prolactin will go up. That is why milk is already present at day 1 even if you don’t feel it in your breasts,” she explained in Filipino.
Here are some ways to increase your milk supply while pregnant and prepare your body for lactation.
1. Have a healthy and balanced diet to have a good lactation
During pregnancy, hormonal changes happen to a woman’s body. These hormones play a fundamental role in ensuring the proper course and concentration of pregnancy.
To support all these changes, preparing your body for delivery and for breastfeeding are important. You should be very vigilant about the foods you eat to acquire sufficient vitamins during pregnancy.
Poor nutrition during pregnancy has an impact on the condition of a child. It may hamper the baby’s growth. Eating healthy foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding period can able to store enough fat to produce sufficient milk later. This is important for both the mother and the baby.
Now that you are preparing to breastfeed, you need special nutrition needs. According to MedlinePlus, a pregnant woman needs more folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamin D than she did before pregnancy.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that may help prevent certain birth defects. Before pregnancy, you need 400 mcg (micrograms) per day. During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, you need 600 mcg per day from foods or vitamins. It is hard to get this amount from foods alone, so you need to take a supplement that contains folic acid.
Iron is important for your baby’s growth and brain development. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases, so you need more iron for yourself and your growing baby. You should get 27 mg (milligrams) of iron a day.
Calcium during pregnancy can reduce your risk of preeclampsia, a serious medical condition that causes a sudden increase in blood pressure. Calcium also builds up your baby’s bones and teeth.
2. Take it easy and avoid carrying heavy loads
Are you a career woman? If yes, and you are pregnant, it is advisable to take a few days off especially if your job exposes you to risks such as chemicals, radiation, and other dangerous materials. Carrying heavy things and standing for long periods of time is also not advisable during pregnancy.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, heavy lifting, standing for long periods of time, or bending a lot during pregnancy could increase your chances of miscarriage, preterm birth, or injury during pregnancy. High physical demands at work have also been associated with menstrual disorders, which might reflect reduced fertility.
During the last month of pregnancy, a woman should try to do less (heavy) work. Breastfeeding does take its toll on your body, so it’s best for you to relax and take it easy before the baby arrives.
Image from Pexels
3. Do prenatal hand expression
One way to increase milk supply while pregnant is by trying prenatal hand expression. Prenatal or antenatal hand expression is when a woman rhythmically compresses her breast so that milk comes out. This milk is called colostrum which is produced in the second trimester of pregnancy.
Colostrum contains vital immunological properties and helps to colonize the baby’s gut with healthy bacteria that protect against allergy and disease.
Hand-expressing milk can have benefits to women, especially when they had trouble breastfeeding in the past. The colostrum you collected during pregnancy can be used to feed your baby if you happen to have a low milk supply or your baby is struggling to breastfeed; this can limit the need for formula.
Here’s how you do it:
- Before you start, wash your hands with soap and warm water.
- Have something clean ready to collect the milk in.
- Some find that gently massaging their breasts before expressing helps their milk to let down.
- Cup your breast with one hand then, with your other hand, form a “C” shape with your forefinger and thumb.
- Squeeze gently, keeping your finger and thumb a few centimeters away from your nipple, just outside the darker area around it (areola). Do not squeeze the nipple itself as you could make it sore. This should not hurt.
- Release the pressure, then repeat, building up a rhythm. Try not to slide your fingers over the skin.
- Drops should start to appear, and then your milk usually starts to flow.
- If no drops appear, try moving your finger and thumb slightly, but still avoid squeezing the darker area near your nipple.
- When the flow slows down, move your fingers around to a different section of your breast, and repeat.
- When the flow from one breast has slowed, swap to the other breast. Keep changing breasts until your milk drips very slowly or stops altogether.
You can begin hand expressing around 36 weeks of pregnancy.
4. Prepare your accessories for your lactation journey
All you really need to breastfeed is well, your breasts. But sometimes, it helps to have accessories and breastfeeding-supportive clothing to make your breastfeeding journey easier.
You might consider purchasing nursing bras you could use when your baby arrives. They are advisable because you can pull them down easily for feeding. You don’t have to struggle with a bra that is too tight – you wouldn’t want to be doing that while trying to pacify your hungry baby.
Check your nipples too. Are they inverted or flat? Maybe a nipple shield would help in the first few days. Also, you might need some nipple cream or warm compress when your nipples crack from a wrong latch or when your breasts get too sore or engorged due to breastfeeding.
If you plan to express your milk, you can start scouting for the best pump that’s easy to use, as well as storage bags for your expressed breastmilk. Preparing these things before giving birth can help soothe your mind and focus on the more challenging part which is breastfeeding.
5. Seek breastfeeding counseling
Do you know of any breastfeeding positions that may help in breastfeeding your baby? Do you know what to do when he isn’t latching properly?
Seeking advice from professional health providers will let you decide what practice you should apply according to your condition and capacity. Sign up for online breastfeeding classes or inquire at the hospital where you’re going to give birth if they have an ongoing breastfeeding support program.
You may also ask for tips from other breastfeeding moms.
Finally, Mommy Abbie reminds pregnant women that the best way to prepare for breastfeeding is to prepare not just our bodies (for sleepless nights and long hours of breastfeeding), but also our minds and hearts to take on this new challenge.
“The best preparation, more than anything, is to prepare our minds, our hearts, and our bodies. Our bodies because of the sleepless nights especially on the first 6 weeks, and mentally, because there will be days when you feel like you’re not producing enough milk,” she said.
“It would also help to attend a (breastfeeding) class, or talk to a mommy who is breastfeeding. The best way is to educate yourself, and of course, eat well, have enough rest, and take care of your body,” the lactation counselor reminded.
Breastfeeding may seem hard and scary at first, but take it from the millions of moms who were able to breastfeed their babies successfully – you can do it. All your sacrifices and worries will be worth it, the moment you see your child getting her nourishment from you.
If you have any questions regarding breastfeeding, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about it or consult a certified lactation consultant in your area.
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. TheAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.
