Things I've Learned From Breastfeeding 3 Kids

Things that I have learned after 4 total years of breastfeeding 3 kids, including how to get more sleep for mom and baby, how to lower stress, and how to increase milk supply!

I am about 4 years into my breastfeeding journey between my three kids- 18 months for my first, 17 months for my second and 10 months so far for my third. Before I had my first child, I did not know what to expect except but I was determined to give breastfeeding a shot. I researched everything I could about breastfeeding and knew about the nutritional benefits and wanted to give it a try. 

It went well, and by the time I had my third baby, I had way less doubts about nursing a baby and knew that I could do it again. Today, I wanted to share some things that I've learned along the way about breastfeeding that I thought may help another mom.

Things I've Learned From Breastfeeding 3 Kids

1. The first month is always the hardest

The first month of breastfeeding or even just the first two weeks are the hardest. You are recovering from childbirth, breastfeeding can be painful (no matter what anyone says), and you and baby are figuring it out together. After about a month with all 3 kids (or even sooner), the pain went away and we were in a good groove with breastfeeding.

One resource available to support you through your breastfeeding journey is The Moms' Room, which offers free breastfeeding tips, resources and community with other moms to encourage you! 

2. Pump a bottle for dad to feed the baby

About a month after we had my first baby, we figured out that I could get more sleep for the first stretch at night if I pumped one bottle first thing in the morning, and then my husband fed it to the baby at night. For the first feeding in the morning, I fed on just one side and then pumped on the other. That was enough for my husband to feed the baby a bottle anywhere from 10-11 PM. We just dropped this feeding for my 9-month-old last week. It is our little trick to give me some sanity and also give me a break.

3. Come up with a loose schedule

Yes, my kids always ate on demand if they were hungry, but we also still went by a loose schedule. I always try to feed the kids every 3 hours. Therefore, if the baby is crying half an hour after a feeding, I know that they are not hungry and that they are crying about something else. Also, this helps to get the baby on a better sleeping schedule. We go by an eat, play, sleep schedule and it always helped me to know what to do with the baby and when. I swear by this!

If you’re tracking, one way to make it easier is with the MyMedela app for more info. You and your partner can share an account to track bottle feedings, nursing sessions, and pump sessions – all for free. Also, when you need expert guidance, you can connect directly with a lactation consultant  24/7 via video chat.

4. Ditch the strict monitoring

With my first child, I wrote down every feeding, how long each feeding was, which breast I fed the baby on, etc. It made me crazy! I over analyzed it and stressed about it. For my second and third kids, I never wrote down a single feeding and just made sure to feed at least every 3 hours. This helped my sanity and the baby still got plenty of food.

5. Eat foods to increase milk supply

Finding foods to increase milk supply is another one of these things not to go crazy over, but during the time that I am breastfeeding one of my kids, I eat more oats and flax seeds, which are known to possibly help increase milk supply. I also continue to take a prenatal vitamin as recommended by my OB doctor and fenugreek to help increase milk supply.

6. Get a good pump

Having the right pump is so important. I've always had a Medela pump for each kid. My insurance covered it each time, and I got a new one for each kid so that it would work well and be as efficient as possible. I've always had a good experience with the pump that I had, but this new pump is way better.

I'm so envious because Medela just came out with a new pump that has all of the features that any mom would dream of for a pump called the Medela Freestyle Flex breast pump. I wish that I had this years ago when I worked full-time outside of the home and pumped often. I first learned more about this pump at the Medela BlogHer Parenting digital panel, where they shared all of the features of this new pump.

It is light, compact, and portable. It is perfect for someone who pumps a few times per day. The Freestyle Flex weighs less than a pound and can fit in a pocket, purse, or diaper bag. It has two sizes f PersonalFit Flex breast shields that offers 4-way fit to adapt to mom's natural shape and helps remove 11% more milk. My favorite part is that it has a USB rechargeable battery with a 2-hour batter life. This would be amazingly helpful to be able to take it anywhere easily! It has a touchscreen display with easy-to-use controls and a timer. For any pregnant moms out there, I would definitely check out this new pump.

You can buy the Freestyle Flex at Amazon, Target, Walmart or Buy Buy Baby. 

7. You will look back on this time as special

Though breastfeeding is so hard- mom must pump often or nurse the baby, and it is hard for mom to be away any time during the first year, clogged ducts, pain in the beginning, it gets better. After I stopped breastfeeding my first and second kids, it was a little sad! It is a special time that you will always remember.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Medela. All opinions are my own.