Feeding Your Baby - Tips and Tricks for the New Parent
Feeding your newborn is a wonderful bonding experience for all new parents. Whether you’re in a quiet, dark room in the wee hours of the morning, in a busy restaurant, or walking down the street in the middle of the day, your baby has to eat and they will let you know. While there are many opinions and thoughts on what’s “the right way” to feed a baby (breast vs. bottle, formula vs. mother’s milk, etc.) the most important thing to remember is a fed, healthy baby is a happy baby, no matter what method you choose.
We’ve assembled some tips, tricks, and products for feeding your newborn, particularly through those first few months of life. As always, the experience of parenting is completely personal, and whatever works best for you and your baby is probably the best choice. If you have any questions regarding the safety and well-being of your baby, please reach out to your medical provider, midwife, or doula.
When a Baby is Hungry, They Will Eat
There’s a lot of research, literature, and opinion around theories such as nipple confusion causing difficulty for babies to eat. While this may be true for some babies, in some cases parents do not have a choice but to switch from breast to bottle and back due to external factors. Not only that, but as we mentioned before, feeding your baby is a beautiful and powerful bonding experience that can be hard to share if you exclusively breastfeed. Try different nipples, bottles, and positions to best support your little one latching on and getting all that yummy nutrition.
Non-nursing Parents are Great Supports!
Exclusively breastfed babies may feel trickier to support during the night for the non-feeding parent. That doesn’t mean they can’t get in the game, though! Many couples who exclusively breastfed have developed systems where both partners are responsible for tasks when the baby needs to nurse so it doesn’t all fall to one parent. While one parent uses the bathroom and grabs a snack before settling in to nurse, the other can help support by changing the baby’s diaper. Afterwards, when the nursing parent is finished, support can look like help with burping the baby, changing their diaper again (any new parent knows those things are always full!) or holding them skin-to-skin until they fall back asleep. Talk with your partner about how you can both get involved and keep in mind, as the baby grows, the type of support needed will change as well.
Knowing What is Necessary and What is Extra Takes Some Time to Learn
Navigating a baby registry can be a daunting task for a new parent, especially if it’s your first rodeo! There’s an endless amount of items you may feel like you need, especially the further down the rabbit hole you get. While this may seem like the way to go for new parents, veterans will tell you as long as you leave your house with a well stocked diaper bag of basic necessities, the rest can be improvised. Diapers, wipes, snacks, a changing pad, a
pacifier, diaper cream, and a bottle are staples in every parents’ diaper bag. Some additional must-haves from the pros include: a wet bag, usually used for cloth diapers or swimsuits, to keep any soiled items in. A portable cell phone charger, so you’re never stuck in an emergency situation without a cell phone. And lastly, a change of clothes for both you and baby. This may seem like overkill, but you never know when a spit up moment becomes a sour milk shirt you’re stuck in all day.
Few Things Go As Planned - Roll With It!
One thing being a doula and a parent has taught me is from the moment you decide to get pregnant, the only thing you can count on as a plan is the fact that the plan will change. It may take you and your partner longer to conceive than you’d thought. Your pregnancy may be more challenging than you’d hoped
for. Your birth plan may not pan out the way you wanted it to. One of the biggest challenges new parents face is a baby not latching, whether it’s breast or a bottle fed. This can be stressful, especially when you’re already sleep deprived and going through many different changes physically, mentally, and emotionally. There are many ways to get support - ask your doula about lactation consultants, or choose a doula who may be one themselves!
We at Beautiful Births and Beyond will work with you to create a birth plan, a secondary plan, and ensure that your whole support team - from partner to doctor - are all well educated and on the same page the entire time. From pregnancy, birth and beyond, we are here for you. Reach out for a free consultation today by clicking the “contact me” link in the menu bar above!
