1. Burp the baby after a feed: Feeding baby is strenuous and exhausting for the mom especially during the initial weeks. Carrying the baby after a feed to allow it to burp whenever possible can be a small yet great support.
2. Involve yourself in diaper changes: Your equal participation in all the tasks of taking care of the baby can give your partner a much needed break. It could be diaper changes, or giving the baby a bath or also taking the baby for a stroll.
3. Feed the baby expressed milk: Feeding the pumped breastmilk to the baby can help the mom get a period of uninterrupted rest as well as give you an opportunity to bond with the baby.
4. Involve yourself in household chores: Sharing the workload at the home front can support the breastfeeding mom. It can also create a foundation for a gender neutral parenting for your baby.
5. Give her at least a few minutes of baby-free time: You could play or engage with the baby when the mom rests or sleeps or does something she used to enjoy doing before the baby came. This can greatly elevate her mood and breeze through her postpartum period.
6. Encourage the mother to not give up: The sleepless nights and cluster feedings can make it too hard for her to continue breastfeeding. Your words of encouragement, constant support and discussing the benefits can help in the process.
7. Give your partner and yourself time and grace to adjust to the new phase: Each baby, each pregnancy and each breastfeeding journey is different and unique. So give your partner, your baby and yourself the time to adjust to this new phase. We are sure you would sail through it with grace.

Tips & Tricks

In the mean time, you could try doing any of these to ease your swelling and pain of your feet.

1. Take periodic breaks if you are sitting or standing. If you have been sitting, get up and if you have been standing, have a seat.
2. Have an exercise routine. Walking regularly can boost up your circulation. Swimming and mild aerobics can also help tackle your swelling. Yoga postures like Vajrasana can really help relieve swelling and pain from your feet.
3. Elevate your feet when you are sitting.
4. Lie down on your side when resting or sleeping which can help in efficient waste elimination by the kidneys and reduce swelling.
5. Choose comfortable footwear over fashionable ones. You may also use soft slippers especially for home to reduce discomfort or pain.
6. Keep yourself hydrated to reduce the swelling. The more water you drink, the less you retain.
7. Salt restriction can also help in reducing swelling.

When the swelling is more than mild, it is advisable to consult your doctor.

Breastfeeding your baby has so much of benefits but comes with a fair share of difficulties and challenges to overcome. You should give it your best shot to breastfeed your baby for its obvious benefits. But, given the unavoidable situation of your inability to breastfeed, feeding formula is a suitable alternative. It is really important that you are never made to feel guilty for choices beyond your control.

We, at Little Sudhams promote and celebrate every mother’s successful breastfeeding journey. So, before you give up breastfeeding, please consult a physician or lactation consultant or approach a breast milk bank.

*Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as feeding infants only breast milk, be it directly from breast or expressed, except drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral supplements or medicine.

3. Stress & Anxiety: Stress can hinder the supply of breast milk, though it may not stop the milk production. New mothers may enter into a loop of lack of sleep, stress and reduced breast milk supply. Hence, you should have a check on your sleep and stress levels. On the other hand, regularly feeding your baby can soothe you and help reduce stress levels and mood swings. Anxiety, fear stress and hormonal imbalances can affect your breast milk supply. It is also very important to remember that every mother does her best and it is completely normal to be overwhelmed by your responsibilities. Try to meditate or do a simple exercise or anything that can lift your mood and avoid stress. Talk to a friend or family member who has recently had a baby. This could help you in sharing tips and ideas and you could also get much needed empathy and reassurance.

4. Balanced Diet: A balanced and healthy diet is essential for the health of the breastfeeding mother and the baby. The quality of the breast milk will be greatly improved when you consume the right kind of diet from the start of your pregnancy and throughout your breastfeeding journey. A balanced diet can not only improve your breast milk supply but also improve your quality of milk. Even when the quantity of the milk supply is not a problem, when your diet lacks vital nutrients, the quality of breastmilk may get affected and/or you may get malnutrition. For example, if your diet lacks Calcium, the body makes amends to make Calcium available from your bones from the breastmilk. The recuperation of the body is better when the diet followed is a healthy one with all vital nutrients.

5. Hydration: Almost 88% of breast milk is water, hence hydration is key. Make sure you drink adequate amount of water. You could sip water, fresh fruit juice, lemonade, tender coconut water or butter milk as you nurse your baby or just after a feeding session. Drinking adequate water is key to maintain the breastmilk supply for nursing mothers. This can help to keep your body stay hydrated as the amount of water input has a direct effect on the breast milk supply.

6. Exclusive Breastfeeding:

Exclusive breastfeeding can improve breast milk supply. Breastfeeding works in the principle of demand and supply. The more you breastfeed, the more milk the breasts create. So, regular breastfeeding with no formula substitution can help increase your supply. Alternatively, you could also take the help of breast pump to increase your supply. You can increase the breast milk supply by pumping every 2-3 hours even when your baby is not hungry. Doing this routine for at least a day or two can help increase your supply greatly as your body adapts to produce more milk based on the demand.

7. Skin-to-Skin Interactions: The skin-to-skin interactions have been found to increase breast milk supply for the mother. The skin-to skin interaction can be done as long as possible and as frequently as possible especially during the postpartum period.* So mommies, go ahead to hold and cuddle your baby as much as possible. Don’t worry you cannot spoil or pamper your baby by doing so. On the other hand, the bond between you and your baby is strengthened by frequent skin-to-skin interactions. It could also help calm the baby and make the baby feel safe and secure. The skin-to-skin interactions between mother and baby can not only regularize breastmilk supply but also strengthen the bond.

In conclusion, remember that attention to the following aspects can help improve and regularize your breast milk supply:

*postpartum period is the first 3 months after childbirth