Congratulations on having made the choice to breastfeed your baby. It is a great choice in caring for your baby. It increases bonding, nutrition, and the overall health of your baby. Along with breastfeeding comes questions. Many of your breastfeeding concerns are shared by all women. Here are a few of the most common questions and answers.

Imbalanced Breasts – A very common problem experienced by many breastfeeding women is one breast becoming larger than the other. Many times this is cause by the preferences of your baby. One breast may have better flow than the other so your baby drains it successfully every feeding, while the other breast retains milk. If you experience this issue try rotating the larger breast back in twice. Feed on the larger breast once, go to the fast breast, then back to the slower breast.

Breastfeeding in Public – This is one of the biggest breastfeeding concerns of many new mothers. You want to go out to the restaurants, malls, and parties, but now you have a new complication. One of the easiest solutions is to buy some breastfeeding shawls which allow you to carefully cover your baby and breast during the feeding. You keep good privacy even in the most public place. Many malls, restaurants, and public locations have become very sensitive to the needs of breastfeeding mothers and have added breastfeeding stations in the women’s lounge or another special area.

Sore Nipples – Along with breastfeeding often comes sore nipples. Your nipples have never undergone the intense repetitive sucking they are feeling now. Between the sucking, the milk, and the saliva of your baby, your nipples are likely to become sensitive and sore. Your milk is one of the best conditioners for your nipples. The best news is your nipples will toughen up quickly and the pain with stop.

Engorgement – As you start breastfeeding expect after a few days to experience engorgement. New mothers expect their breasts to fill up, but most times they are not expecting the overwhelming engorgement which happens to a high percentage of women. This is one of the breastfeeding concerns which can be solved very easily. If your baby’s feeding is not enough to drain the breasts adequately then you may want to use a breast pump to drain a little more milk and save it in your refrigerator.

Sexuality – After a few weeks have passed and your obstetrician has given you the go ahead it is common for a husband and wife to begin to have a normal sexual relationship again. This presents another of the common breastfeeding concerns. Do not worry if nipple sucking has been a part of the your relationship in the past and is again. Light sucking is not going to drain your breast, and the baby is going to have plenty of nutrition.

All of your breastfeeding concerns are very normal and come to the mind of almost every new mother. Never be afraid to ask your obstetrician for advice, or check with your local hospital to see if they have a lactation advisor. You and your baby are doing great, keep enjoying your new experience together.