Breastfeeding tips real mums wish they had known before becoming a parent

Breastfeeding can be one of the hardest parts of motherhood, and no journey is the same. What’s right for one family may be completely different to the next.

The UK currently has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, with just 68% of women exclusively nursing their baby from birth - a figure that drops to 48% by the time their newborn is eight weeks old.

Further data from mothering app Peanut, shared exclusively with Yahoo UK, found that 52% of British mothers find breastfeeding challenging, while 65% think there is not enough support available for breastfeeding.

Mothers are often told that breastfeeding is the 'easiest and most natural' thing in the world, but this can be far from the case and each breastfeeding experience brings its own joys and complications.

With this in mind we asked mums what’s the one thing they wish they knew before they began breastfeeding. From using a dummy during cluster feeding to investing in silver nipple cups, here is what they said...

1. "Don’t buy a pump before the baby is here." - Alice, a mum of one

2. "'Breast is best' doesn’t mean formula is evil. Formula is great. Don’t put breastfeeding/pumping on a pedestal stool at the expense of enjoying motherhood." - Tegan, a mum of two

3. "Don't be afraid to use a dummy during cluster feeding days to give yourself a little break - baby will spit it out if they're really hungry!" - Lauren, a mother of one

4. "I was really blindsided by how challenging it was at the start and thought I must just not be cut out for it. Fast-forward five months and I love feeding my little girl and being her number one source of comfort." - Naoimh, a mum of one

5. "For some reason nobody tells you nipple shields exist - they do and they’re a godsend (both for babies with trouble latching and mums with sore boobs)." - Zoe, a mum of one

6. "Breast is not always best. Each family should do what is right for them. In retrospect, I would have not done it." - Amanda, a mother of one

7. "If your nipples are sore the Silverette nipple cups are an absolute lifesaver and well worth the price tag, if you can afford it." - Katie, a mum of one

Read more: Breastfeeding products: 12 award-winning buys mums swear by - Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read

8. "The first few weeks a baby will feed constantly. I was sitting on the couch feeding all day every day and it made me panic... but it is normal and settles down around 6-8 weeks. Use that time to recover. Binge watch TV, let others cook and clean and soak up the baby cuddles." - Eabha, a mother of two

9. "It hurts, sometimes it’s non-stop and just when you’ve got it all sorted and in a good feeding routine you have to try drop feeds and get them eating proper food." - Jess, a mum of one

10. "Don’t pump too early as it can give you mastitis." - Rosie, a mum of one

Read more: What is the painful breastfeeding condition mastitis? From symptoms to treatments - Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read

11. "You can't have enough breast pads. In those first months, when your body's trying to figure out how much milk your baby needs, even the best breast pads get soaked through. Buy the washable variety (I used Lansinoh's Washable Nursing Pads) as they're much softer on your sore nipples and you'll save yourself money in the long run." - Alison, a mother of one

12. "Seek a second or even third opinion on whether or not your baby has a tongue tie - even if your baby has been given the all clear! So many tongue ties, which cause all sorts of feeding issues, get missed on the first newborn check ups, only to be diagnosed weeks or even months later.” - Hannah, a mum of one

13. "My second son really opened my eyes to how unique breastfeeding is: no two babies are the same, even when they’re both your own. I had a wonderful, year-long first experience but my second feeding journey was bittersweet due to a missed tongue tie. It was only when we swapped to combi feeding and then full formula did I realise the weight of the few months of (breast) feeding before." - Amy, a mum of two

14. "Babies don’t come out knowing how to feed. Go to a breastfeeding clinic as soon as possible, get support from people who have been there and done it. Find out how to hold the baby. You’ll never regret being in a room with other women going through the same thing as you." - Natalie, a mother of two

15. "I didn't realise you could both breastfeed and bottle feed. It allowed me to carry-on with breastfeeding when I was about to give up!" - Jenn, a mother of one

16. "I found a local breastfeeding support group really helpful. Getting advice on different holding positions was so useful. I also had a chance to try a breastfeeding support pillow which really helped my back. Not only did I get advice from them but tips/shared experiences from the other mums, many of whom are still good friends years after." - Kate, a mother of two

17. "I wish I had been much more aware of the importance of good latch and positioning from the start, I think a lot of the mastitis and discomfort issues I had were down to not getting this right. Later I was blindsided by the huge hormonal highs and lows I experienced, feeling very depressed when I started to reduce feeds and shocked by how quickly you’d get a high once you were feeding again, it was quite a struggle at times to navigate this." - Bethan, a mother of one

18. "Try to ignore the noise of other people's opinions and experience and do what feels right for you and your unique situation. There shouldn't be any shame in switching to formula - my baby was formula fed, as was I, and we are both happy and healthy." - Harriet, a mum of one

19. "Breastfeeding is like two strangers learning to do the tango together. It is really awkward and hard for BOTH parties to learn a new skill. It takes time, patience and actual coaching." - Meg, a mother of two

20. "It's an art and a science. If it doesn't work at first, there are lots of ways of altering the position that can make a big difference. Also, people are generally very cool about it. I was bracing myself for funny looks in public, but that never happened." - Muireann, a mum of one

21. "I wish I knew that my supply would drop when my period returned. It caused my little girl to be constantly on the boob because she wasn’t satisfied after the feeds." - Shivani, a mother of one

22. "Go out when you feel ready to go out, not when people tell you 'you should get out of the house'. Go somewhere you know (with seating you can feed on!) and feel comfortable. Do a full dress rehearsal before you go too." - Ruby, a mother of two