The answer was really hard. I had problems with latching, which required a shield, problems with milk supply, and a multitude of other worries. The biggest problem for me was that breastfeeding didn’t have that relieved feeling of contentment where I could hear my baby making large gulping sounds as his jaw made that large movement with each swallow. I felt completely inept and a failure as a mother because I found breastfeeding to be very stressful. All the worries that I had came bubbling to the surface whenever he didn’t latch and I spent the breastfeeding time in near tears as I watched the breastfeeding consultant fix him to my breast properly.

Breastfeeding was not fun but my experiences with breastfeeding does not have to be the normal experience for first time (or even subsequent) mom’s. Today, I am going to talk about some of the holds that you can do when you breastfeed and over the weeks to come, I will have other helpful tips for breastfeeding.

Before I go on to describe the holds, I do want to mention that not every hold works for every woman and you shouldn’t feel pressured to try them all. If a hold works for you, by all means use that hold. There is no reason to mix things up since it can throw off your breastfeeding routine. I am going to describe four holds that are commonly used for breastfeeding. Feel free to add any holds that you can think of in the comments.

The Holds:

The First hold that I am going to look at is the cradle hold. This is one of the most common and for many women it is one of the most comfortable holds that a mother can use. A nursing pillow is recommended for this position but you can use a regular pillow. Before you begin breastfeeding, place the pillow around your waist. Lay your baby on his side so that his stomach is against your stomach with your arm curled under him and his head resting in the crook of your arm, face level with your nipple. Tuck his lower arm under your arm and bring him to your nipple.

The second hold that I would like to describe is the cross-cradle hold. This is very similar to the cradle hold except you will be holding the baby with the opposite arm than the breast that you are nursing the baby from. This is an excellent hold if you need to see what the baby is doing and to help position your breast. The baby is laying the same way as in the cradle hold but your opposite arm is across her back and your hand is supporting her head while she nurses. A nursing pillow is also recommended for this position.

The football hold was one of my personal favorites and it is a position that is usually recommended for women with large breasts or women who had cesarean deliveries. In this position, the baby is placed on his side a nursing pillow that is positioned against your side. His feet should be slightly behind your arm and his head should be level with your nipple. Your arm should be against your baby’s back and his head should be supported by your hand. If your breasts are large, you can hold the underside of your breast with your free hand but be sure that your baby is getting enough of the breast into his mouth for a proper latch. To help with the latch, try to keep baby’s hands out of the way by tucking one arm under your breast and the other beside his chest.

And last but certainly not least is the lying down position, which is a wonderful way to snooze while baby is nursing. For this position, lay down beside your baby with your lower arm tucked under your head while your baby is positioned onto her side with her tummy against yours and her head is positioned in front of your nipple. Place your free arm behind your baby’s back for support or hold your breast while she nurses if it is necessary.

Hopefully, out of these four positions you will find one that works for you but if at any time you feel uncomfortable with breastfeeding, please contact a local lactation consultant, La Leche League, public health nurse or your doctor.

All the best,

Sirena Van Schaik

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If you breastfeed your baby, chances are there will come a time when you need to store breast milk. This can be when you return to work or even if you are only planning a few hours out.

Storing breastmilk can be one of the most confusing things for new mother’s and it is good to know how long it lasts, and how to properly store it. I have heard countless mother’s ask how to do this and at one time I was in this position, although for not very long obviously.

Even though my time breastfeeding was short, I can still offer some advice on storing breast milk. Most of my knowledge on breastfeeding and everything to do with it comes from organizations such as the La Leche League and the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Lactation Committee. The rest of my knowledge came from my experience as a mother and an Early Childhood Educator, especially the parts about using stored breast milk in centers and also the public health nurse and the lactation consultants who worked with me when I had my children.

So now that I have highlighted a little bibliography, I thought I would give you some tips on storing breast milk.

How to store breast milk:

After you pump, there are several things that you should do if you are planning on storing your breast milk and these are standard practices regardless of the type of breast pump that you are using.

• Containers: All containers should be sturdy, and clean. They should also be single used containers and are usually glass and plastic, although with the warnings regarding hard plastics, it may be safer to only use glass containers. Never store breast milk in plastic bags or bottle liners.
• Labelling: Make sure you label each container with the date and time that the milk was expressed. This will make it much easier when you are using it and will ensure that you do not use the breast milk after the expiration.
• Mixing: It is important to never mix breast milk. Each time you express, the milk should be placed in a new bottle or container. You should also never mixed any breast milk left in a bottle after feeding with a fresher bottle. Simply dispose of the breast milk since bacteria is pulled back into the bottle with each suck from the baby. Also, you should never mix breast milk and formula. Everything baby needs is in the breast milk and there should be no need to use formula. If you are concerned about supplementing, speak with your pediatrician first.
• Storage Length: Breast milk can usually last for 24 to 48 hours in a refrigerator. After that time, you should dispose of it. If you freeze the breast milk in a freezer that is attached to the fridge, it can last for about 2 weeks to about 3 months with a good freezer, although I would stick with the lower numbers for safety reasons. If you store the breast milk in a deep freezer that is not attached to any fridge, you will find that the breast milk can last for 6 months.
• Heating Stored Breast milk: When it comes to heating, the best method and really the only method you should use, is to heat it up in cup of warm (not hot) water. If the breast milk is frozen, place it in the fridge for about 24 hours before you use it. Never heat the breast milk in a microwave since it can create hot spots and nutrients will be lost in the heating process.

And there is a run down of storing and using stored breast milk. If you have any other questions, please email me at sirena_vanschaik@yahoo.ca or post a comment here.

One last thing before I sign off for today, when breast milk is left in a fridge, you will find that it separates with the thinner milk on the bottom and the thicker fatter milk on top. You may also find white flecks in the milk after you heat it but don’t worry, that is completely normal.

All the best,

Sirena Van Schaik

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