Hello everyone, this post has really been in my drafts for about a year.. but better late than never. Anyway I hope you’re all good! This post is a brief summary about my experience with breastfeeding and I hope it helps some of you.

So I almost exclusively breastfed my daughter up until weaning at 6 months. After introducing solids, I continued to breastfeed until 15 months. She had formula on a few occasions, more so when I physically was unable to feed her or express milk for her to have in a bottle. Especially the first few days when we were having difficulties with latching.

How have I did I find breastfeeding? At the start it was very difficult and painful, but I remember being told it would get better and although I couldn’t imagine that, it really did. I’d say after the first 2 weeks, I was okay. I’m grateful I was able to do it as long as I did. At the start, I tried a variety of things to try and make it easier. I’ll share a few things which I feel helped me and could help any expecting mums or newly breastfeeding mums.

Remember the most important thing is that your baby is fed! I had such feelings of guilt when I was in the hospital and couldn’t get the latch right so had to give my baby formula but as long as your child is getting the nutrition he or she needs, you’re doing the best for your child. I by no means think giving formula is easier than breastfeeding, they both come with their challenges. Do what works best for you and your family.

So the first thing I would say is absolutely a must especially at the start when latching can cause pain and discomfort is nipple cream/ balm! There are lots to choose from but the one I used the Lansinoh HPA Lanolin nipple cream and occasionally still use it now for other purposes like a barrier cream for the nappy area. It has a variety of uses which is great when you have some left over. It really helped provide relief during those early days. I would apply it imbetween feeds and put a bit on a breast pad when I was using them. It really helped create a good barrier to allow the skin to heal.

I also started with the Tommee Tippee Closer to nature steriliser set which had the basics. In terms of the steriliser itself, it wasn’t bad but next time I might consider a steam steriliser which also dries the contents. When she was a bit older I changed to the glass bottles which I wish I’d found before as I found them so much easier to clean and also preferred warming milk in a glass rather than plastic bottle.

Another thing I used (and still use!) was a simple dimmable light. This is the one I used from amazon. Perfect for the night feeds.

When it comes to a nursing bra, I tried a couple but the one I found the one that suited me best was this maternity sports bra from H&M which came as a pair. Comfort and practicality is what I found with this, especially for easy access when I was pumping at work. I’d advise getting fitted and trying a couple of different types to see what is most comfortable for you.

Next up – pumping! I started off using an electric hands free pump which was great at first but when this stopped working as well as it did initially, I switched to a manual one. Honestly this pump was so simple and reliable for me – Madela Harmony Flex pump. Pumping at work was a whole other experience but my advice is preparation is key. I loved this cooler bag I used to transport the milk on the commute home with removable cooler blocks I would keep in the freezer prior to use. The Medela milk bags were my favourite out of all the various ones I tried.

That’s a little overview of my experience and hope you’ll find something helpful there. What has your experience been? Is there anything you found very helpful? Let us know in the comments

Until next time,

The Sister Mama,

Cheral