Hi mums, I have been a silent reader of ParentTown as I am not a new mum but a rather old mum. My daughter is pregnant right now and I am very excited to be a grand mum. I want to make sure that I support her well on her breastfeeding journey, even though at our time, mums did not breastfeed but we fed formula. How can I be a good support for her when the baby arrives?

I am so happy to see your question and welcome to ParentTown! I hope to see more grandmas like you on ParentTown as new mums like me have much to learn from older wisdom like yours. I am also very happy to see that you want to help your daughter on her breastfeeding journey. This is wonderful and absolutely the right thing to do. New research has shown us a lot of things about breastfeeding which will mostly contradict what you learned when you had your own babies. Some of the main differences Breastfeeding is vital for baby’s health and development and also for the mother’s health. The effect is not just for now, but for the future too. Breastfeeding works best when the baby is fed in response to hunger cues, not on a schedule. That’s usually quite frequently, especially in the beginning. (Latch on demand) While confinement practices say that new mums should avoid showers/washing hair because of wind - scientifically there is no basis to it.If your daughter wants to shower or clean up, please do not give her a hard time for it Hydration is critical to having a good supply of milk. If she wants to chug water, please let her do so and don’t stop her because of tradition prohibiting it Sore nipples aren’t a normal part of breastfeeding; they are a sign that something is wrong. With the help of a lactation consultant, she should soon be breastfeeding comfortably. Babies should be breastfed exclusively—no formula or solid foods—for six months or so. Mums should continue breastfeeding with solid foods added to their diet into these toddler years—even two years or more. Besides showing her support to keep on her exclusive breastfeeding journey, your daughter will probably help with getting her life back to normal and her baby. Don’t wait for her to ask if the laundry needs to be done or if she needs dinner prepared or if you should baby sit overnight while she and hubby catch up for a much needed date night. Just do it. Also don’t expect her to turn up for family functions or do things to please the extended family - she doesn’t have time for any of that. Her world should be focused on resting, getting back in shape and having enough milk for baby. Also please don’t insist that she takes the baby out till late at night. Help her get baby into a good sleep routine right from the start so that her life gets easier in the near future. Don’t guilt trip her when her decision is different from yours and most importantly, don’t pull a long face when she wants to do things her way and not yours. This is HER baby and she will do what she thinks is best to make her child happy. And you should be doing the same. She is your baby. Keep her happy. Wishing you a very happy and healthy grandchild

Breastfeeding is very tiring so please give her time to rest. It is also a highly personal thing in the first few days so give her her own private space to bond with baby.