While breastfeeding is a very personal decision for you and your family, my own experience with nursing was amazing. As a busy working mom, it allowed me quality time to bond with my baby girls, now 5 and 2.5. However,  I’m lucky enough to have a midwife as my sister. She  offered me 24/7 support from the start, helping me navigate the inevitable bumps in the road. In this week’s CitiScoop, one of our prenatal experts, Leigh Ann O’Connor, offers  some insightful tips on how to get started on the right foot when it comes to breastfeeding.

- Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO and Co-Founder, Citibabes

Getting breastfeeding off to a solid start can make life as a new parent much smoother. The milk your body makes is designed specifically for your baby . Here are some simple steps you can take in preparation to successfully breastfeed:

• Take a comprehensive prenatal breastfeeding class. You will learn how milk production works, how to know if your baby is getting enough milk, and how to manage life as a breastfeeding family. (MomPrep offers classes uptown and downtown at Citibabes SOHO).

• Make a birth plan. What happens in the birth setting can impact how breastfeeding gets started.

• Tell friends and family that you are going to breastfeed. Get your “team” involved. Surround yourself with a positive support system.

• Once baby is born, choose to room-in with your newborn at the hospital.

• Enjoy plenty of skin-to-skin time in the early days with your baby. It is where he/she instinctively wants to be. It’s also where all of your baby’s systems are regulated and you’ll be able to observe early hunger cues.

• Avoid early supplementation unless it is prescribed by an M.D. for a medical reason.

• Talk to your friends who are breastfeeding or who have breastfed. Find out which ideas worked in their favor and what they may have done differently to get things off to a good start.

• Attend a weekly breastfeeding support group led by a certified lactation consultant. These meetings are low cost and you will have the opportunity to enjoy the fellowship and support of other breastfeeding moms and ask all of your questions. (MomPrep offers a breastfeeding support group every Tuesday Uptown.)

Happy Breastfeeding!!

by Leigh Ann O’Connor, MomPrep

MomPrep at Citibabes is pleased to offer a prenatal breastfeeding class on Wednesday, July 14 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, in addition to a full roster of prenatal classes.