Getting Started With Breast Feeding
When you hold your baby for the first time in the delivery room, you should put his lips to your breast. Although your mature milk hasn't developed yet, your breasts are still producing a substance known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby from infections.
If your baby has trouble finding or staying on your nipple, you shouldn't panic. Breastfeeding is an art that will require a lot of patience and a lot of practice. No one expects you to be an expert when you first start, so you shouldn't hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what you need to do.
Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn't be painful. When your baby latches on, pay attention to how your breasts feel. If the latching on hurts, break the suction then try again.
You should nurse quite frequently, as the more you nurse the more quickly your mature milk will come in and the more milk you'll produce. Breastfeeding for 10 - 15 minutes per breast 8 - 10 times every 24 hours is an ideal target. Crying is a sign of hunger, which means you should actually feed your baby before he starts crying.
During the first few days, you may have to wake your baby to begin breastfeeding, and he may end up falling asleep during feeding. To ensure that your baby is eating often enough, you should wake him up if it has been four hours since the last time he has been fed.
Getting comfortable Feedings can take 40 minutes or longer, therefore you'll want a cozy spot. You don't want to be sitting somewhere where you will be bothered, as it can make the process very hard.
Avoiding Foods While Breast Feeding
Many women find that they can eat whatever they may like during breastfeeding. Even though it's true that some strongly favored foods can change the taste of your milk, many babies seem to enjoy the varieties of breast milk flavors. Occasionally, your baby may get cranky at the breast after you eat certain foods. If you notice this happening, simply avoid that particular food.
The most common offenders during breastfeeding include chocolate, spices, citrus fruits, garlic, chilli, lime, gassy vegetables, and fruits with laxative type effects, such as prunes and cherries.
You can have a cup or two of coffee a day, although too much caffeine can interfere with your baby's sleep and even make him or her cranky. Keep in mind, caffeine is found in many soda's, tea, and even counter-type medicine as well.
It's okay to have an alcoholic beverage every now and then, although having more than one drink can increase your blood alcohol level, putting the alcohol into your breast milk.
If you are planning to have more than one drink at a time, it's best to wait two hours or more per drink before you resume any type of nursing or breastfeeding. There is no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and it's time to feed your baby. While breastfeeding, any type of heavy drinking should be avoided.
Before you actually omit any foods from your diet, you should talk to your doctor. If you avoid certain foods and it causes a nutritional imbalance, you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on taking other foods or getting nutritional supplements.
Benefits Of Breast Feeding
Once you've given birth, breastfeeding is the single most important thing you can do to protect your baby and help to promote good health. Best of all, breastfeeding is free. Along with saving you money on HMR (Human Milk Replacement), breastfeeding can also help you to keep your medical bills down. Babies that are fed with formula get sicker more often and more seriously than babies that are breastfed They also have more ear infections, respiratory infections, and other problems.
This can be even more true if your family has had a history of allergies. When a baby is breastfed, the antibodies pass on from the mother to the baby, helping to protect against illness and allergies. As the baby's system matures, his body will begin to make its own antibodies, and he'll be more equipped to handle sensitivities of food.
Sucking on the breast will also help with the development of jaw alignment and the development of the cheekbone. For this very reason, there is less of the need for costly orthodontic work when the child gets older.
Unlike formula, breast milk is always ready, always available, convenient, and always at the right temperature or feeding. Plus, it contains all of the vitamins and minerals your growing baby needs, saving you a lot of money.
Breastfeeding also offers many benefits for the mom as well. The baby sucking at the breast will cause contractions right after birth, leading to less bleeding for the mom, and helping her uterus to its shape before pregnancy much faster.
Breastfeeding will also burn calories, so a mom can lose weight much faster than if she fed her baby with a bottle. Breastfeeding will also create a special
bond with the mother and the baby - which is one thing formula simpy cannot do.
Breast Compression
The sole purpose of breast compression is to continue the flow of milk to the baby once the baby no longer drinks on his own. Compression will also stimulate a letdown reflex and often causes a natural letdown reflex to occur. This technique may also be useful for the following:
1. Poor weight gain in the baby.
2. Colic in the breastfed baby.
3. Frequent feedings or long feedings.
4. Sore nipples for the mother.
5. Recurrent blocked ducts
6. Feeding the baby who falls asleep quick.
If everything is going well, breast compression may not be necessary. When all is well, the mother should allow the baby to finish feeding on the first side, then if the baby wants more - offer the other side.
How to use breast compression
1. Hold the baby with one arm.
2. Hold the breast with the other arm, thumb on one side of your breast, your finger on the other far back from the nipple
3. Keep an eye out for the baby's drinking, although there is no need to be obsessive about catching every suck. The baby will get more milk when drinking with an open pause type of suck.
4. When the baby is nibbling or no longer drinking, compress the breast, not so hard that it hurts though. With the breast compression, the baby should begin drinking again.
5. Keep up the pressure until the baby no longer drinks with the compression, then release the pressure. If the baby doesn't stop sucking with the release of compression, wait a bit before compressing again.
6. The reason for releasing pressure is to allow your hand to rest, and allow the milk to begin flowing to the baby again. If the baby stops sucking when you release the pressure, he'll start again once he tastes milk.
7. When the baby starts to suck again, he may drink. If not, simply compress again.
8. Continue feeding on the first side until the baby no longer drinks with compression. You should allow him time to stay on that side until he starts drinking again, on his own.
9. If the baby is no longer drinking, allow it to come off the breast or take him off.
10. If the baby still wants more, offer the other side and repeat the process as above.
11. Unless you have sore nipples, you may want to switch sides like this several times.
12. Always work to improve the baby's latch.
Hope you enjoyed this article and found the tips useful. Be sure to read the other parts of this breastfeeding series.
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