What if there were something you could do beginning right after your baby's birth that would give them a healthy start to life, protect against disease for years to come and benefit your health, all while costing nothing? It may sound too good to be true, but it's not — that's the power of breastfeeding. For many mothers, however, breastfeeding challenges stand in the way.

"Breastfeeding doesn't always happen easily, but that doesn't mean you're doing something wrong or that things won't get better," says Rie Tamayo, Lactation Consultant at Methodist South Hospital. "Your baby may struggle to get a good latch, for example, or you may have sore nipples or engorged breasts. These problems have solutions, and you should eventually be able to successfully breastfeed."

Understanding common breastfeeding challenges and what to do about them, including when to seek support, can help feeding time go more smoothly.

Why Address Breastfeeding Challenges? To Enjoy Its Bountiful Benefits

No matter what breastfeeding challenges you may experience, the effort to overcome them is worth it. Breastfeeding helps lay the foundation for your baby's short—and long-term health.

"Breastfeeding can reduce your baby's risk of certain illnesses that every parent is all too familiar with, including ear infections, lower respiratory infections and diarrhea and vomiting," Tamayo says. "If you breastfeed, your baby may also have a lower risk of developing obesity in childhood, as well as asthma and Type 2 diabetes later in life."

Breastfeeding can help protect your baby against several other conditions, too, including:

• Allergies

• Childhood leukemia

• Eczema

• Sudden infant death syndrome

"Breast milk has so many remarkable qualities," Tamayo says. "It changes over time, so it always has the right blend of nutrients to meet your baby's needs. It also helps your baby's digestive system to mature and serves as an efficient way for antibodies to flow from you to your baby, strengthening their developing immune system."

What's good for your baby is also good for you.

Breastfeeding can benefit you in a variety of ways, including:

• Helping you bond with your baby through skin-to-skin contact

• Helping you lose weight after giving birth

• Reducing your risk for several diseases, including Type 2 diabetes and breast and ovarian cancers

• Saving you money on formula

Your body releases the hormone oxytocin to prompt breast milk to flow during breastfeeding. Sometimes called the "love hormone," oxytocin promotes a feeling of calmness, but that's not its only benefit. After birth, oxytocin can help your uterus shrink back to normal size, potentially reducing postpartum bleeding, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Latch Lacking? Here's How to Improve

One of the most fundamental breastfeeding challenges is ensuring your baby fastens, or latches, well onto your nipple. Ensuring a good latch may take time and practice — finding a breastfeeding position that's comfortable for you and your baby is an important step — but starting with the proper technique can help.

"First, you need to encourage your baby to open their mouth wide," Tamayo says. "Gently rubbing your nipple against your baby's lips should do the trick."

Once your baby's mouth is open, gently bring it to your breast, with your nipple pointing just above the top lip. Make sure your baby's lips are turned outward. Your baby's chin should lean into your breast as he or she latches on, with your breast taking up his or her entire mouth.

Look for signs of a successful latch, such as your baby's head positioned straight ahead with its chin on your breast. You may be able to see or hear your baby swallowing — another clue that they are properly latched. The latch shouldn't be painful, so if you feel discomfort, break the suction by gently putting a clean finger in your baby's mouth. If additional attempts aren't successful, undress your baby and hold them skin to skin on your chest. Place your breast close to your baby's mouth and let them come to your nipple.

Conquering Common Breastfeeding Challenges

Latching may come easily for you and your baby. Still, you may encounter other breastfeeding challenges during your child's first months and years of life. We've listed out some common ones below:

Breast Engorgement

"Engorgement occurs when too much milk stays in your breasts, causing them to feel full or painful and, in some cases, making latching difficult," Tamayo says. "Frequent feeding — as often as every two hours — to help drain milk from your breast can reduce your risk of engorgement."

If your breast is too full, massage it or put a warm washcloth on it before breastfeeding to encourage milk flow and manage breast engorgement. Keep massaging while your baby eats, but be sure to let them feed from the affected breast first.

Sore Nipples

A bad latch, improper release at the end of feeding and thrush, a type of fungal infection, are some of the many factors that can cause tender or painful nipples.

Honing your latch technique can help. To prevent nipple injury or irritation, wash the nipple with only clean water, don't wear clothes that are too tight and use a clean finger to delicately break your baby's latch when necessary. If your nipples are cracked or persistently sore, or you see white spots in your baby's mouth — all potential signs of thrush — see your primary care provider and your baby's pediatrician so they can prescribe appropriate treatment.

Low Milk Supply

"Your body may not produce enough milk if you try to stick to a breastfeeding schedule instead of feeding on demand," Tamayo says. "When you breastfeed frequently, your body automatically makes enough milk to keep up with your baby's demand. So, whenever your child shows signs of being hungry, breastfeed."

You can also promote a healthy milk supply by offering your child both breasts at feeding time and emptying your breasts by pumping or hand-expressing milk, if necessary.

Mastitis

Bacteria from your baby's mouth or skin can cause a breast infection, leading to breast inflammation or mastitis.

Proper latching and allowing your baby to fully empty one breast before offering the other can help protect against mastitis. If you develop breast inflammation, keep feeding often — your milk is still safe for your baby — to keep milk from building up in your breast. If symptoms don't improve after a day or so, you may need antibiotics to treat the infection.

Help for Breastfeeding Challenges

Don't feel like you have to navigate breastfeeding problems alone. A network of support is available, including lactation consultants.

"A lactation consultant is trained to help new moms breastfeed successfully," Tamayo says. "They can provide personalized breastfeeding tips and lactation support based on the challenges you and your baby are experiencing. Check with your local hospital or with resources in your community to find breastfeeding support that makes sense for you and your baby."

Want to brush up on breastfeeding basics? Call 901.516.3475 or 901.516.3705 to register for a breastfeeding class at the Maternity Center at Methodist South Hospital.