Nursing Your Baby - Importance and Style Guide

Ever since I got pregnant I new I wanted to nurse my baby. As a first time mom I had no idea about special clothing for breastfeeding or about the agonies associated with it. 

First I'd like to focus on what you need to keep in mind if you plan to breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding is said to help the baby grow healthy and is surely advised to all new mothers.

If you have a normal delivery chances of your baby easily accepting your feed are higher than if you need a cesarean. There are many reasons for this. Keep in mind the following points and be prepared while you're pregnant not after you've delivered.

1. If you have to undergo cesarean you will be away from the baby for a longer period depending on the hospital you're in.

2. You will be given I.V. which delays breastmilk

3. Breasts need to be properly massaged to help the milk flow.

4. A lot of gynaecologists do not inspect the breasts for any issues while you are pregnant. Talk to yours before hand and make sure she is able to guide you well before time.

5. Make sure the hospital allows your baby to latch within 4 to 6 hours of delivery, even if it was a surgery. This is very very important and unfortunately ignored by a majority of hospitals. 

6. Even if you're baby doesn't latch at first keep trying. If your baby doesn't take the feed your body gets the signal that milk is not needed and it will slowly stop producing milk, it's a vicious cycle. This is where a breast pump comes in handy. Keep pumping to tell your body that you need the milk.

7. Stay happy and stress free - one very important point and yet the most difficult when you are trying to breastfeed but are not successful. I have cried every single day yet consoled myself by holding my baby knowing that eventually things will settle down.

8. Do not bottle feed unless it becomes an absolute must. Bottle nipples make it very hard to switch the baby to the breast (yes even the costly branded ones like Avent are pathetic)

9. Use a spoon or a paladai - see image below if you need to formula feed your baby.

Paladai - Newborn Feeder

I hope I've covered a majority of the points above. In case you have your own experiences please do share in the comments. Also let me know if you have questions and I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge.

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And now coming to nursing in style. 

The first time you nurse will be at the hospital so one piece of clothing that you need in your hospital bag is a nursing gown.

Standard nursing gowns are very  frankly not stylish or comfortable. When looking for options for myself I came across a brand on Instagram called Team Mumsie. They have these really cute nursing gowns which can be worn like a dress  and come with matching onesies and swaddle cloth  for your little one. They also have kaftans that  come in pretty prints.

(Excuse my super exhausted pictures with unkept hair, I'm still a mess!)

I picked out a dark blue set for my hospital bag. The nursing dress looks really cute but look at that tiny onesie, isn't it adorable!!!! In a diagonal from the neck to the armpit area the gown has buttons which can be opened to nurse. When closed it is a pretty dress with a contrast belt.

I couldn't actually wear this at the hospital since I was in a lot of pain after my surgery but once I could get up on my own I put this to good use. I also teamed it up with my existing maternity leggings on days when it was cold and it still looked just as stylish. If you are looking for a nursing gown do visit the team.mumsie page and get yourself and your little one a cute option to stay stylish.

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Another option for nursing in public is a poncho. I chose one from Pluchi, another brand I stumbled across on Instagram. This poncho was on my baby wishlist because of two reasons. The poncho can be worn before nursing, as a cover-up, it can be worn later on as well like a regular poncho. But the reason I picked up a poncho from Pluchi was mainly because of the very cute matching blanket and toy sets that they offer.

I wore this poncho to work when the days started to get slightly cooler, I teamed it up with a fitted t-shirt (one that would look weird had I not worn this poncho) and my maternity jeans from H&M. The material is 100% cotton but the knit makes it super soft and warm. My baby loves being swaddled in the matching blanket and the toy is his very first teddy.

I will surely recommend you check out Pluchistore page for all the color options. These would be really nice as baby shower gifts as well.

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Other nursing options include a full zippered gown, tank tops which come with a detachable front, and nursing bras. You can check out some of these at H&M and Inner Sense on amazon. I also found off shoulder dresses helpful, the ones that have an elasticated neckline.

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Say goodbye to hiding under shawls and boring gowns, stay happy as you nurse your little one in style.