Things you need to know that most people won't tell you

I am not an expert on breastfeeding, so I will not attempt to tell you everything there is to know on this issue. What I notice however, is that there are a couple of things that new mothers should know about breastfeeding before they give birth, so that they don't get too disappointed or unsure when people who have never breastfed start to question them. This is actually one of the key problem that lead to unsuccessful breastfeeding... simply because of lack of knowledge.

1. Your milk will only come in 3-5 days after birth
For goodness sake, this is one of the most important things all mothers should know, and yet many were only told that their milk will not come in immediately. This results in some sort of misunderstanding, as some mothers thought that not immediately means the next day (or even 6 hours later?). I was confused as a new mother as well, and I constantly got questions from my close relatives on whether I had milk, as my baby was crying all the time.

2. Baby has enough fat stores/ liquid to last 3-5 days
This is the wonder of nature. It gives the newborn enough stores until mommy's milk comes in. You don't really have to give the baby formula before your milk comes in. Be confident when baby cries and when well-meaning people around you ask. The fact is that all babies cry and they want to suckle. Let them suckle at your breast as much as possible so that your milk can come in faster. If you let them have liquids or formula, it may lead to a host of other problems like nipple confusion, wrong suckling technique, and feeling too contented to try suckling at your breast. All these are detrimental to successful breastfeeding.

3. Try not to pump your milk within the first 2-4 weeks
I know, a lot of people are concerned if baby is getting enough milk. I am a mother too, and I understand how it feels as you are worried that baby gets hungry or thirsty. But the truth be told - you simply will not have that much milk in the initial days, plus the suction from the pump will never be as strong as baby's suckle. They can milk you for more than your pump can get. Baby will continue to suckle until he/she is contented. They will unlatch after they are full. It is our basic instinct. I started pumping early as I was the kiasu mommy too, but ended up feeling disappointed with the initial pumping. No one told me not to at first, but I was glad I managed it due to luck.

4. Never schedule your feeds
All babies have very small stomachs. I was told that their stomachs are as small as a walnut. If you think about how small newborns are, this probably makes sense. Therefore, they may need to feed contantly. So demand feed as much as possible. Rigid scheduling may harm the newborn. When I talk about demand feeding, it literally means that. I remember my first child breastfed as often as every half an hour. This is tiring, I admit. But take heart, things will work itself out within the next month or so. Please don't be scared of by my statement at the point as every baby is different. My second baby only feeds every 3-4 hours and sometimes lasts up to 6 hours until the next feed. She just sucks longer each time. That happens when she was a newborn.

5. There is no need to supplement with water
Some grandparents/parents always get too eager with feeding water. They believe that it is necessary when baby hiccups, or worry that baby will not take water when they are older. The truth is that breastmilk (foremilk) contains a lot of water already. By feeding water especially in the initial days, you may not only cause nipple confusion, but also confuse your own breasts. As breastfeeding works very much on a demand-supply theory, less suckling from the baby (after he/she gets "full" on water) means less demand, and the breasts responds by making less milk. As water contains little or no nutrients, isn't it better to breastfeed when baby wants to drink something? Both my babies had no problems with water after they start solids, and I did not give them water when they were younger.