Breastfeeding by Age and Stage: Part 1 - The First 6 weeks

Most people think their baby will latch right away, their body will make milk, and their baby will grow. Easy, peasy, right? Not necessarily. A study from UC Davis Medical Center surveyed 418 first-time mothers all who intended to breastfeed. After the study had concluded, 92% of the mothers said they struggled with breastfeeding. 92%!

The reasons for this are varied and many, but lack of breastfeeding education is a top one. Point blank, new parents don't know what to expect. In this series, I will cover what each age and stage looks like for breastfeeding, common struggles parents encounter, and how to survive each phase.

Coming Home
If you want to know more about the first four days of breastfeeding, check out my e-book, The First Four Days. For now we will start on day 5(ish). At this point, your milk has transitioned to mature milk, baby is likely feeding non stop around the clock, you are recovering from birth, and adjusting to life with a newborn. The following are common experiences:

• Pain or discomfort when latching (this isn't necessarily normal, but is common)
• Baby falling asleep often at the breast
• Feeds bleeding together and feeling never ending
• Unsure if baby is full or not
• Baby awake for chunks during the night (annoyingly)
• Very little predictability with sleep and schedules
• Feeds may take as long as 40 minutes, but shouldn't be longer than that
• Leaking breasts, especially when baby feeds on one side, but also just randomly
• Small wake windows, and erratic naps that last anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours
• Oversupply, low supply, just enough supply depending on how the early weeks went
• Some people are already pumping at this point and some aren't

This is the initiation period. It can feel brutal, disorienting, and perpetual. It's not, it does change. But when you're in it, survival is the name of the game. Here are some things you can do to get through the first 6 weeks:

• Find a show with multiple seasons, a completed book/audio book series, podcasts etc. You're gonna spend a lot of time sitting with a sleeping baby on you. If you don't have older kids to chase after, enjoy the chance to just sit on your couch or bed and catch up on your favorite shows or media.
• When you sit down for a feeding session, make sure you have everything at ARM'S reach such as a drink, snacks, phone, book, etc. Per above point, you could be there a while so best to have everything you need. Oh, and use the bathroom yourself before you sit down!
• Try to make everything as pleasant as possible and pamper yourself when and where you can. Order the fancy breakfast, keep the lighting low and romantic (I personally love candles, the real deal or the battery kind), and surround yourself with cozy blankets. The real reason behind this is to increase oxytocin (and therefore your milk supply), but also it will likely improve your mood.
• Remember the basics. The immediate postpartum is not a time to run a marathon, start a business, renovate your home, or tackle any really big project. The priorities every day should be the very basics. Get outside, drink water, move your body (very gently), connect with people, family, and friends, and eat nourishing food. That's it. 

Around 6 weeks, most parents see a small shift in their developing newborn, and things usually feel ever so slightly more manageable. If you are at the 6 week mark, take a moment to really pat yourself on the back. Just a personal opinion, but I find the immediate postpartum the most difficult phase. Regardless of which phase you prefer, there is always something beautiful and better ahead. For the next part in this series, I will cover weeks 6-14, so stay tuned!