Breast/chestfeeding Basics!

By
Shannon M. Clark, MD
|
March 23, 2021
Breast/chestfeeding Basics!

Are you pregnant and planning to breast/chestfeed?

After you’ve just welcomed your newborn baby (or babies) into the world, you will soon realize you must now supply food externally. The options: formula or breastmilk. Many people opt for milk through exclusive breast/chestfeeding. However, while breast/chestfeeding is supposed to be "natural", that does not necessarily mean it comes naturally. As labor and delivery nurse, Kaci Dyson, learned after having her first baby, breast/chestfeeding, like all other skills in life, is a learned skill.

Kaci thought that when she had her own baby, things would go great. After all, she was a trained professional who taught pregnant persons how to breast/chestfeed as part of her job. However, when she got home with her newborn, like many mothers, she was at a loss and things were overwhelmingly challenging. Kaci realized that if she felt that way as someone with education and training, people without her background likely felt even more lost. That’s when she decided to bring even more education and support to new parents.

The reality is, once new parents leave the hospital, they also leave behind the support team of nurses, doctors, and lactation consultants. They go home with a new baby and lots of new experiences that they must navigate on their own. That’s where Kaci comes in! She offers some online resources, like the video I'm sharing today!

Watch the "Breast/chestfeeding Basics with nurse, Kaci Dyson, below for some helpful tips!

In this video, Kaci shares the basics of breast/chestfeeding. With her easy-to-follow tips, you’ll have a bit of a leg-up when you start your breast/chestfeeding journey!

Mama Coach Kaci Dyson

Here are a few of the key tips she covers in this video:

  • The different parts of breastmilk (colostrum, foremilk, hindmilk)
  • How to stimulate milk production
  • When to switch between breasts during feeds
  • Antenatal milk expression (what it is and why it can be helpful)
  • Learning your baby’s feeding cues
  • Breastfeeding positions

Learn more with Tinyhood online classes!

Tinyhood offers online classes for the modern parent taught by professionally certified experts. Classes cover essential topics you need to know, such as labor and birth, breastfeeding, safety/CPR, sleep, eating and nutrition and more!

Tinyhood Online Classes


Shannon M. Clark, MD

Shannon M. Clark, MD

Shannon M. Clark, MD, MMS is a double board certified ObGyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, and founder of Babies After 35. In her roles as a clinician, educator and researcher at UTMB-Galveston, she focuses on the care of people with maternal and/or fetal complications of pregnancy. Dr. Clark has taken a special interest in pregnancy after the age of 35, which according to age alone, is considered a high-risk pregnancy.

Follow Shannon on TikTok @tiktokbabydoc, Facebook @babiesafter35, and Instagram @babiesafter35.

Need help choosing the right products or services for your journey?

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