10 Ways to Prepare for Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
1. Build your breastfeeding support network
Talk to your partner and family about your wish to breastfeed, and be clear about the support you’d like from them. Ask your midwife for resources; they’ll have plenty. Reach out to friends who have breastfed, too. Having someone at the end of a text or phone call for quick advice or encouragement is invaluable in the early weeks.
2. Join a local breastfeeding group before birth
Finding a breastfeeding support group while you’re pregnant means you’ll already have a network of mums around you when your baby arrives. Pop along to a session before your due date. Seeing other mums breastfeed and hearing about their experiences can be really reassuring.
3. Take an antenatal breastfeeding class
The first time you hear words like “latch”, “engorgement” and “let-down” should be somewhere calm where you can take it all in, not moments after giving birth with a hungry newborn in your arms. Many NHS trusts and local groups offer free antenatal breastfeeding classes.
4. Add breastfeeding to your birth plan
Ask for plenty of skin-to-skin contact after birth, which stimulates the hormones that help get milk production going. You might also want to include delayed cord clamping and an uninterrupted first hour with your baby, sometimes called the “golden hour”.
5. Learn different breastfeeding positions
The cradle hold is the position we see most, but there are many others, including the rugby (football) hold, cross-cradle and side-lying. If one doesn’t feel right at the start, it helps to have a few more to try. Your midwife will also be on hand in the first hours and days to help.
For upright feeding, the BellaMoon 3-in-1 Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow or Mini-Moon Nursing Pillow gives you support exactly where you need it.
6. Know how to get a good latch
A good latch is the key to comfortable breastfeeding. The acronym CHIN is a handy reminder:
- Close: hold your baby close to your body
- Head free: let your baby’s head tilt back slightly
- In line: head and body facing the same way, with no twisting
- Nose to nipple: line your baby’s nose up with your nipple before latching to encourage a deep latch
7. Understand how breast milk supply works
In the first few days, your baby feeds on colostrum, a small but highly concentrated first milk. Your milk usually “comes in” around two to four days after birth. From then on, breast milk supply works on demand: the more your baby feeds, the more milk you make. Making milk takes energy and fluids, so stay well hydrated and eat regularly.
8. Pack a breastfeeding essentials kit
Breastfeeding makes you hungry and thirsty, so keep snacks and a water bottle within reach wherever you feed (even if that’s the sofa, pinned under a sleeping baby). Other breastfeeding essentials worth having ready:
- Nipple pads to absorb leaks
- A breastfeeding-safe nipple cream
- Comfortable nursing bras
- A silicone milk collector to catch let-down from the other breast
- Silver nursing cups to soothe and protect sensitive nipples between feeds
- A supportive nursing pillow like the BellaMoon 3-in-1 Nursing Pillow, which helps you feed in different positions while keeping good posture
Image: BellaMoon 3-in-1 Nursing Pillow.
9. Prepare for the newborn feeding schedule
Feeding on demand helps establish your milk supply and comforts your baby, so in the first few days you may be feeding as often as every hour. Rest as much as you can before birth, and be gentle with yourself afterwards. It’s okay to pull up the drawbridge for a while and focus on you and your baby.
10. Know that breastfeeding discomfort usually passes
Some nipple and breast tenderness is very common in the first days, and knowing that in advance can help. Your body adapts quickly, and for most mums breastfeeding gets easier. If pain is severe, lasts throughout feeds or doesn’t improve, speak to your midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding supporter, as it’s often a sign the latch needs a small adjustment.
Breastfeeding Preparation FAQs
When should I start preparing for breastfeeding?
The third trimester is a good time to start. That gives you time to take a class, join a local group and gather your essentials before your baby arrives.
Do I need a nursing pillow for breastfeeding?
You don’t need one, but many mums find a nursing pillow helps with positioning, reduces strain on the back, shoulders and arms, and makes longer feeds more comfortable.
Is it normal for breastfeeding to hurt at first?
Mild tenderness in the first few days is common. Pain that is severe or doesn’t improve isn’t something to push through. Ask your midwife or a breastfeeding supporter to check your baby’s latch.
When does breast milk come in?
Milk usually comes in around two to four days after birth. Before that, your baby feeds on colostrum, which is everything they need in those first days.
You’ve got this, Mama!
Irene from BellaMoon x
www.bellamoon.co
