How to Make Breastfeeding Enjoyable

The truth about breastfeeding is that even though it can be a powerful bonding experience, very few people actually call it enjoyable. The cracked nipples, midnight feeds, and loss of freedom are just a couple reasons why many new moms find breastfeeding to be challenging.

However, there is definitely joy in breastfeeding. The snuggles, the skin-to-skin contact, the feeling that you are able to provide sustenance to your child when nobody else can — those are all reasons to celebrate breastfeeding and embrace the joy it provides.

If you are struggling to find the joy, here are a few tips on how to make breastfeeding something you look forward to rather than dread.

1. Set your expectations

This is easier for a second-time mom than a first. A first-time mom has been inundated with photos of picturesque moms nursing their babies in white gowns in front of open windows. The images that are most circulated around breastfeeding usually show breastfeeding to be calm and cozy. Any new mother can tell you that is almost never the case — at least a first.

To start breastfeeding with the expectation that it will most likely begin as an exhausting, stressful, and potentially painful endeavor is not what anyone wants to hear. But expecting it vs. being blindsided by it will help you understand what you are getting yourself into so that you can enjoy the parts that are wonderful, like the cuddles and bonding.

2. Find a breastfeeding support system

Like anything in life, finding someone to share this experience with will make everything better. Try searching for new mom groups in your home town or even lactation support groups. There are tons of them around. If you are looking for a group to join, this article is a great place to start.

If you are struggling with breastfeeding, nothing will add more joy to the equation than being able to text a friend at 2 a.m. asking about cracked nipples and getting a supportive and funny reply back. Mom friends are everything.

3. Revel in the bond you are creating with your baby

Perhaps the #1 most enjoyable part of breastfeeding is the bond it creates. During those baby years, when they are tired, crabby, or hungry, you are the one with the comfort (or more accurately, your boobs are). It creates a bond that truly can never be broken. Clearly, this is true for all moms and babies, breastfeeding or not, but for those who breastfeeding works for, having your baby skin to skin and in your arms so many times a day will really help you feel connected.

At Insurance Covered Breast Pumps, we know that the pumping life is mom life. And we want you to be successful!

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