How to Support a new mom who is breastfeeding

September 15th, 2010 posted by admin
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How to Support a new mom who is breastfeeding

I was the first of my friends to have a child and looking back now as she approaches toddler hood and two of my friends now have infants, I can see how easy it would be for communities and families to support and promote breastfeeding, and how many times they don’t. Here is my top ten list of things that you can do to help a new mom to give their child the best gift possible:

  1. Give her some space in the first few days, save the new baby visits for after breast feeding is well established,
  2. Keep visits short and frequent, new moms are often more comfortable breastfeeding alone
  3. Don’t stare, treat it as a completely normal activity if the mom feeds in front of you, because it is normal and there is no need to make any comment, even if it is positive and supportive.
  4. Offer to get the mother a drink while she is feeding her baby
  5. Always show up with food of some sort, a prepared meal or a snack
  6. Ask your friend in a non judgemental way if she needs help with the laundry or another other household task
  7. Bring DVD’s without loud crashing noises to watch, during a growth spurt new babies want to feed all of the time, and its best just to relax and go with it
  8. If you go out to a restaurant with the baby, choose a table in a corner. A new mom may feel comfortable breast feeding in public if she is in a more secluded spot, shielded by friends. I regret not taking better advantage of the pre toddler days.
  9. Keep conversation light if she looks tired, stick to topics like Big Brother or a local Sofa Sale and offer to watch the baby while she gets some rest.
  10. If you are having a party make it baby and mama friendly with non smoking areas, non alcoholic drinks, good party food, reasonable sound levels, and a quiet place to feed. It is surprisingly easy to take infants out in a sling, as they will simply fall asleep given the right conditions, and new families can be included in the festivities. This gets a lot more difficult as kids get older so its good to take advantage

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