We recently brought home our second baby from the hospital and I have begun my second breastfeeding journey! While it is such a fun and exciting time, there are also A LOT of learning curves and adjustments we are making while becoming a family of 4.

One of the biggest adjustments is breastfeeding! I am so excited and blessed to be able to provide for both of my kids in this way but breastfeeding is NOT easy and there are a lot of things I forgot (probably on purpose) about the first week breastfeeding a new baby.

There really is nothing like doing skin to skin with your new baby and connecting with them, watching them nurse for the first time. It really is the most euphoric experience I could have that feeling a million times!

After having my baby, I was in newborn bliss for the first day- and then I was reminded about all those things I forgot from the first time around. Breastfeeding is hard from the jump- and here is why!

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1. How THIRSTY it makes you

It truly is amazing how thirsty you get during breastfeeding. I Literally feel like I could drink an entire gallon of water while I am nursing. I am on day 6 now and still feel this way!

My poor husband- I am super forgetful (I’ll blame new mom fog) but every time I sit down to nurse I am always asking him to bring me water. They do tell you to stay hydrated for breastfeeding so I guess it makes sense!

On top of being thirsty- I am so hungry ALL THE TIME. I felt like I ate a lot while I was pregnant, no. Breastfeeding moms might need to consume close to 500 extra calories a day and it sure shows in how hungry you are!

Just make sure to fuel up on healthy snacks. Too much sugar and processed foods can effect your body and even your supply in a negative way. That stuff also does not give you any energy or nutrients your body needs and you REALLY need the energy being a new mom!

2. How SORE you are

This is definitely one I blocked out of my mind on purpose. You are SO sore after the first day it is almost cringeworthy.

As long as your baby is latching well and not hurting you (from biting or not getting enough nipple in their mouth) this is to be expected. I am happy to report that on day 6 things are looking up but it has been a rough few days to get here.

There are some things you can do to help though! And let me tell you- you will want to do ANYTHING to help your sore nipples. I will share what helped me below-

• Nipple shield– although I did not use a nipple shield this time around I did with my first. I was in pain and did not want to give up breastfeeding because of that so- I tried the nipple shield and it worked well! The lactation consultant I had at the hospital did discourage me from using it which I understand. The baby could get nipple confusion and get used to the shield and not want to latch without it. I didn’t care! I was going to try anything and it ended up being fine although I did use it for entirely too long. Probably 2-3 months. It was a pain if we were out somewhere and I had to make sure I brought it with me. Eventually I did forget to bring it one day on an outing and my baby had to eat. Thankfully he latched on like it was nothing and it was not an issue for me BUT I am not a lactation consultant and you should seek professional advice if you decide you might want to use one starting out!
• Nipple Butter– I LOVE this organic nipple balm. It comes in a small container but you don’t need much. I used it within the first few days when breastfeeding causes cracked nipples! TMI but it’s the truth. It really did help them heal and feel better.
• Silver Cups– Now THESE are a game changer. I discovered these silver cups this time around and am still currently using them. They are made with pure silver so they are soft, thin material. You express a small amount of breast milk into them and put them directly over the nipple in your nursing bra. They protect against the material from your bra as well as help heal up any cracks. As of today- day 6 I am in so much less pain and I have these silver cups to thank! They have amazing reviews on amazon- check them out!
• Correct latching from baby- If your baby is only putting the tip of your nipple in your mouth, first of all ouch. Secondly, they aren’t getting all the milk they could be and will probably be biting you! The best way I have found to help my baby latch is to squeeze your whole breast like a hamburger and literally shove all of it you can into your baby’s mouth. Their bottom lip should be puckered out, not sucked in to get the best latch. If you are unsure if your baby is latching correctly, please reach out to a lactation specialist! It is so worth it to get all the correct info to help your breastfeeding journey be successful.

3. Uterus Contractions

Something else I pushed to the back of my brain after my 1st baby- uterine contractions postpartum. It does make sense- your uterus is trying to get back to it’s normal size after being stretched out for 9 months. But, I forgot all about that!

AND- breastfeeding makes them worse. Every time I nursed my newborn in the hospital I would get the worst cramping! My doctor told me this happens to be worse the second time around- reported by many moms. Well, I believe it!

It actually felt to me like having labor contractions all over again. The only thing that helped me was having motrin and tylenol in the hospital every few hours. Thankfully it only lasted about 2 days in my experience, but it is definitely something I want to forget again.

4. Cluster Feeding

You always hear about cluster feeding when people talk breastfeeding but until you are in the thick of it, it isn’t something you really understand until you experience it. I remember nursing my first baby and being camped out on the couch all day thinking “it this always going to be like this?!”

Well, the answer is no. It won’t. But when I had my first I was on maternity leave for 12 weeks- it was getting colder out, and I didn’t have anywhere to be or anything else to do besides be present with my baby. So that is what we did- I just fed on demand whenever he needed me to and it worked out. It was hard work but for me it was fine- I didn’t have anything else going on.

The second time around is a little different. I have a toddler (a very busy toddler) that needs me also! My little one has just started cluster feeding the past couple of nights. It has lasted a few hours but is right at dinner time, which has been a challenge. Thankfully, my husband has a little time off work to be here with the family and has taken over dinner for now so I can feed the baby.

BUT unfortunately, he won’t get to be here all day for long and will have to return to work soon. So, a couple of things I am trying to prepare for the nights I won’t have help- nursing in our wrap and having my toddler help!

Nursing in the wrap has been a challenge- I have never tried to nurse in the wrap before and there is a learning curve. If we can get it down, I can still feed my baby on demand and be hands free to prepare dinner and help my toddler with things! I have been using my baby K Tan wrap which is my favorite. It is so easy to use and makes me feel like my baby is really secure. I can get her in the nursing position easier with my K Tan and we have been semi successful so far!

Also, my toddler loves to feel big and help with all kinds of adult tasks. He LOVES to cook and that helps me during these crazy nights! Now, he can’t do any cutting or actually cook on a hot stove but he can grab ingredients, pour things and throw things away which is a win win for both of us. I just have to keep in mind I KNOW dinner is going to take longer to prepare- and plan accordingly. I also plan to make pretty simple meals for a few weeks until we get the swing of things.

5. Leaking

After your body is done making colostrum, (the good stuff baby needs their first few days earth side) your body will start producing breastmilk. Sometimes, when baby is eating or even if you aren’t doing anything you will experience leaking. Some moms even leak when they are near their baby or hear a baby cry! The human body is amazing.

There are a few things I am using to help with milk leakage. It does not stop it, but I am using a haakaa, shell milk collectors, and breast pads! I’ll link them all below.

If you have read any of my other posts, you know how I love my haakaa. (Read my blog post 5 things you need in your nursery setup as a breastfeeding mom!) You suction it to the opposite breast your baby is eating from and it collects the letdown from the other breast. That is precious milk not wasted!

Haakaa also makes these ladybug breastmilk shells you can put in your bra to collect leakage. Works great if you are at home. You just place them in your bra and you’re good to go! Then you can keep that extra milk and add it to your freezer stash.

Lastly, I use these bamboo breast pads while I am out and about. They are washable and reusable which I like a lot better than the disposable ones. Those are usually itchy in my opinion and super wasteful!

Don’t get me wrong I am SUPER thankful I am able to feed my babies with my breastmilk. Breastfeeding is HARD, as is exclusively pumping. These are just the real struggles a new breastfeeding mom goes through when first learning how to feed their baby. If you have any other ideas of how to make this time easier for new moms, leave them in the comments below! And remember, fed babies is always best. Weather you are breastfeeding, pumping, formula feeding, or a combination, all moms are amazing and doing what is best for their babies and their families!