Breastfeeding has always been one of the biggest stressors for me when it comes to having a newborn. I can roll with the lack of sleep, postpartum healing, baby fussing part of it (kinda 😉 )… but when it comes to my babies nursing, it has been hard for me to be relaxed about it. More than anything, I’ve stressed about my milk supply because it was never that great.

In the past I would have baby nurse whenever I could to try and boost my supply. I would pump multiple times a day in hopes that I would have excess milk to store and freeze, only to get an extra 2-3 ounces per day. I would weigh baby after feedings to track how much he was getting because I was convinced he wasn’t eating enough. I’ve tried multiple tinctures, teas, and recipes for lactation support. Needless to say, it’s always been a struggle and worry for me – until now.

I know that breastfeeding is all about supply and demand, but I got very lucky with Shay. He is a great nurser – it came naturally to him right away which definitely wasn’t the case with my other two. I had countless meetings with lactation consultants and we had to work at it just get through daily feedings – so for any mama who struggles in this department, I feel you! However, Shay has had a great latch from the start and eats often. Hallelujah, sister. I can breathe.

With that being said, I wanted to share a few products/tips that are making the process much easier for me this time around.

1. Haakaa // GAME CHANGER. A few weeks before I gave birth, two of my friends surprised me with Amazon deliveries… they both got me Haakaas (thank you Lauren & Becs). This thing is the reason why I have so much frozen milk. Never in a million years would I have thought that the letdown/leakage of the breast I’m not nursing on would contain SO MUCH milk. Each time I nurse I’m collecting around 2 ounces in the Haakaa, which ends up being at least 16 ounces I’m able to freeze in one day. If you are planning to nurse, please give it a try. It’s super easy to use… and who doesn’t want to save every ounce of breastmilk that they can?

2. Amazon Nursing Bra // I was in need of a new nursing bra and tried this one from Amazon. I really like it – cute and easy to clip. I would say it runs TTS – I wear a medium. I’ve fallen asleep with this on and it’s comfortable (no padding). Great for everyday wear.

3. Eat the right foods for lactation support // Something that every nursing mom hears. This time around I’m really taking it into consideration and am eating foods that are shown to support a mother’s milk supply. I’m eating a lot of eggs, peanut butter, veggies, and oatmeal.

Many of these foods are healthy… makes sense… which is why it was a great time to start Weight Watchers again. Nate and I started Weight Watchers about a week ago but we have done the program on and off for years. They have a points plan for nursing moms so I knew I wanted to jump into it right away. I desperately needed to change my eating habits and I feel better already. I have around 30 pounds to lose but am not stressing about it. My main concern is keeping my milk supply up and fueling my body with the nutrients I need to help me feel healthy and energized.

4. Boppy // I mentioned this in my What I Packed in My Hospital Bag // Round 3 post. Great for all moms, nursing or not! I use it all the time.

BREASTMILK STORAGE TIP

It only took me 3 babies to learn how to store my milk the right way. In the past I’ve always just poured my milk into a bag and stored it upright. Now I store it horizontally and have saved so much room in our freezer. I use these breastmilk storage bags and they get the job done.

And to wrap it up… a few more breastfeeding affirmations for whoever needs them. XO