One thing that you’ll never hear a mother say is “breast feeding is easy!” From cracked, sore nipples to sore breasts to bad latches, breastfeeding can be an incredibly frustrating and painful experience. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. If you’re planning on breastfeeding, or are currently breastfeeding, here are five tips to ensure that it’s as easy as possible for you and your baby:

Choose a Hold That Works For You

There are a number of different ways you can hold your baby to help ensure a proper and comfortable latch. The cradle hold is the “classic” hold that work swell for full-term babies, but other holds such as the cross over hold is great for smaller babies and the football hold works well for any mums who’ve had a Cesarean section. The reclining position works well for sleep time. Babycenter.com has some great tips for positions and tips for making breastfeeding work for you. Give it a little read if you’re interested.

Lay With Your Baby

A great way to encourage your baby to breastfeed – and for mum to get some rest – is to lay with your baby. Numerous studies have shown how laying with your baby rather than placing him or her in a bassinet or a cradle will help breastfeeding along. There are a number of resources out there for parents to learn how to lay with their babies and even co-sleep.

Use Lanolin For Sore Nipples

A bad latch always spells “d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r” for nipples. Dried out, cracked, sore and sometimes even bleeding nipples need a bit of TLC, something which lanolin can certainly help with. Lanolin provides nipples with a hydrating, healing environment that helps prevent scabbing and reduces any additional friction on the nipples that may make them even more sore. You can get some great sore nipple treatment creams from Lansinoh (a UK company that a few women I know swear by).

Get A Feeding Pillow

Many breastfeeding mums absolutely swear by their feeding pillows. While you can get by using a normal pillow, feeding pillows often come in a crescent shape so that they surround a mother’s sides and front. The pillow adds some extra height so that mum doesn’t have to hunch over nearly as much and can save herself some back pain. These pillows can also double up as being an aid to help baby sit up when he or she is ready.

Use A Pump

A breast pump is an absolute essential for any breastfeeding mum. Expressing breast milk either by a handheld or electric pump can give your breasts and nipples a much needed break if you are feeling sore, or it can also give you a chance to get out for a couple of hours and get some “mum only” time. Breast pumps can do wonders for new moms especially for working mothers. They could pump breast milk into a container and can be stored for later use. This could facilitate a proper balance between their mom life and work life. Breast pumps could be a lactating mom’s best friend if her new-born have difficulty in sucking milk or if she is under medication. Also, for a nursing mother with restricted milk flow, she can use breast pumps for low milk supply. For more information you can check websites like Moms Review. The best way to ease the frustration of breastfeeding is to take breaks, so make sure you take care of yourself while taking care of your baby so that you both remain happy and healthy. Lansinoh sell some excellent breast pumps here and have all of the necessary information about them to ensure you do it right.