Content

• Steps
• Tips

Breastfeeding is by far the best and most natural way to feed your baby. However, in the early days, breastfeeding can be insecure, intimidating, and even painful. Knowing how to properly prepare your breasts before giving birth and in the first days of your baby's life can help you reduce or even prevent soreness and sores and cracks in the nipples and make caring for your baby as enjoyable as possible.

Steps

1. 1 Start massaging your breasts to get used to handling them the way you feed them. Ask your doctor at your local antenatal clinic or breastfeeding consultant for recommended techniques. Knowing effective massage techniques will help you prepare for the arrival of milk and pumping out excess.
2. 2 Determine which nipples you have, they may be flat or facing inward. Many women do not pay enough attention to their nipples before feeding. While inward-facing or flat teats make feeding somewhat difficult, they do not make feeding impossible.
   • You can use the nipple covers that have a special ring that puts extra pressure on the area around the nipples to help them bulge.
   • Use the Hoffman Technique to support your inward and flat nipples. Place your thumbs on either side of the nipple, then press down on the skin of your breasts, gently pulling the areola out with your thumbs.
3. 3 Take care of your nipple and areola skin from the last months of pregnancy with creams and lotions.
   • The female body produces a special oil in the areoles that naturally cleans them, so there is really no need to use soap. If you use soap, wash it off thoroughly. Alternatively, switch to a sensitive skin soap to avoid irritating your breasts.
   • The same applies to washing powder. To avoid skin irritation, wash any fabric that comes in contact with your breasts - bras, nightgowns, and even lactation inserts - with a sensitive skin soap.
   • If you need to lubricate the nipple area, try using a lanolin-based cream. Creams recommended and specially formulated for nursing mothers are usually sold in pharmacies and baby stores.
4. 4 Spend your money and buy a quality breast pump, even if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding. During the first weeks of breastfeeding, you will need to express as much milk as possible. You will need to express after each feed, as babies at this age fall asleep without sucking all the milk. End feeding by expressing and store expressed milk in the freezer.
   • The more you breastfeed, the more milk will appear in the breast; your body will respond to your individual supply and demand system, and this will help you maintain breastfeeding for as long as you and your baby want it.
5. 5 Buy a few wipes and tea bags to compress if your nipples are cracked or your breasts become stagnant.
   • In the early days of breastfeeding, there is a high risk of nipple cracking. Breast creams, of course, help relieve some pain, but natural methods are also good to use. Squeeze out some milk, rub it into the nipple area and let dry. Alternatively, soak a tea bag in warm water, squeeze out excess moisture, and place it between the tissue and the nipple in your bra. Tea has a calming effect on the nipples and speeds up their healing.
   • If your breasts swell and harden, apply a cloth dampened with warm water over the swollen or hardened area. The best way to naturally attach to your baby's breast. But in the first moments, feeding in such a situation can be painful. However, as soon as the milk begins to move through the ducts, you will feel relief.

Tips

• Sign up for a breastfeeding class at your local antenatal clinic or maternity hospital. These sessions will help you prepare for breastfeeding both physically and mentally, and the experts leading the sessions will be able to answer any questions you may have.
• If you have breast implants, have your breasts removed, or have had surgery that involves your nipple, please consult your doctor about preparing for breastfeeding.