Dear Diary,

I’m a mother of two twin daughters. I did not begin exclusively breastfeeding my children until they were 4 months old. I struggled to breastfeed them both from birth and was unsuccessful initially. I continued to be determined, and eventually, I successfully pumped for one and nursed the other for the first 24 months of their lives. Getting started was very difficult for me, but I remained consistent, and my determination paid off. So if you are having a hard time, I understand—you are not alone, don’t give up! Even if your child doesn’t latch early he or she may latch eventually.

Here are a few breastfeeding tips to help you get started:

Eat

You must have adequate nutrition so that your body can produce milk. If you don’t have food stored in your refrigerator or freezer, let your friends, companion or family know that you could use some nutritions meals to help you as your embark upon this new journey.

Drink

Fluids are so important. Breast milk is largely made up of water, so you must drink lots of water, even more than your body normally requires.

Mentally Prepare 

Your baby enjoys being close to your breast, it is natural and comforting. Typically, you may feed your newborn 10-15 times a day in a 24-hour period. Scheduling is nice and ideal, but not realistic at first. Feed your child based on their hunger and demand not the clock. Every baby is a little different so some babies will eat every 2 hours some will not, you can develop a more concrete schedule when the child gets older.

Practice

When you first hold your baby, find a comfortable position.  At first, it may be a struggle to get your baby to latch probably, but when your baby opens his/her mouth, put the nipple and the areola inside towards the roof of their mouth. If your child only latches onto the nipple, you will feel excruciating pain!

Relax

I’m not sure why so much anxiety exists around breastfeeding, but it does. When you become a new mom, it can be scary, and you can become discouraged if your child doesn’t latch on immediately. Instead of worrying, take 10 deep breathes and tell yourself, I can do this! You may have to say this for an entire month, but stay consistent.

Need more tips to start breastfeeding? Scroll down and click the next page to learn about the Be’s of breastfeeding!