7 surprising things about breastfeeding your baby

2. You’ll be hungry when you breastfeed
Nursing burns an extra 500 to 600 calories per day. The obvious plus is that you’ll lose your baby fat faster than if you bottle feed. The downside is: you’re always hungry. So go with the flow (pun intended) for now. Eat three wholesome meals per day, and if you’re hungry in between (you will be!), nosh on nutritious snacks like fruit, cheese, yogurt, trail mix and whole-wheat toast, and make sure to drink plenty of fluids (especially water and milk). Indulge in occasional treats like antioxidant-containing dark chocolate, or a milky chai latte, but don’t use your extra caloric allowance to pig out on high-fat, nutritionally empty chips or pop.

3. You’ll have to keep your milk contained
How can we say this delicately? Your breasts will produce a lot of milk. Sometimes it overflows. It may even spray when lovemaking. So nurse baby before any grown-up play dates with your hubby. And for day-to-day dryness, wear nursing pads. They’re like little mini pads for your bra.

4. Props are a nursing mom’s best friend
• A nursing bra will make feedings easier and provide support for your vastly larger breasts. Wear it with loose, flowy shirts for the most discreet access, or throw a baby blanket over your shoulder and baby’s head if you’re shy (though there’s no reason to be: there’s actually not much that’s not obscured by your baby’s head).
• A nursing pillow (a sort of half-doughnut pillow that rests around your midsection while you sit) will help you position your baby, and provide some support if you want to read a magazine.
• A breast pump will relieve engorged breasts when your baby’s sleeping or you’re at work (freeze the milk for bottle feeding, or if you’re particularly productive, consider donating some to a milk bank that provides milk to babies whose mothers cannot nurse for health reasons. See The BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre’s breastfeeding website for more info.)

5. Two words: cracked nipples
At some point, your nipples will get red and cracked. You can rub them with breast milk after nursing, or use a lanolin-containing nipple cream like Lansinoh (sold at drug and baby stores). Yes, it hurts to get baby latched on, but the actual nursing part won’t be unbearable. And the cracking will go away. Proper placement and latching is essential for preventing chapping and cracking, so contact a lactation specialist for help. But if your nipples are also itchy and have white patches, get thee (and babe) to a doctor: you might have a common and easily treated yeast infection called thrush.

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