How To Start Breast Feeding

Breastfeeding is good for all babies because it will keep the bonding between the baby and the mother strong. Not only that, breast milk is also the complete form of nutrition for your infant. It has the perfect amount of fat, protein, carbohydrate, and minerals. Other formulas cannot equal the breast milk of a mother. Anything that is not natural is just harder for their bodies.

Nursing your baby at the first few months of his life offers more benefits to your child. Frequent breastfeeding is advisable because more studies show that babies who are exclusively breastfeed within the first six (6) months are less likely to develop upper-respiratory and ear infections and diarrhea. Although breastfeeding is recommended up to 4 years, but the closer you get to twelve (12) months of breastfeeding, the more benefits your child will have.

You should nurse your newborn when he shows signs of hunger, such as increase alertness or activity. Ideally, breastfeeding must be done before your baby starts to cry because babies usually sleep when they are still in their first few weeks. You must wake him up gently and begin breastfeeding while he may fall asleep again at the middle of your nursing. If ever he’s not awake after four (4) hours of sleep since the last time you nurse, wake him up again and continue breastfeeding.

Make breastfeeding easy for you and your baby by starting off right. Here are some suggestions on how to start proper breastfeeding:

• Talk to your doctor if breastfeeding is right for you because there are instances where breastfeeding is not advisable for few mothers most especially if she is currently taking medications or supplements or had breast surgery before.
• Breastfeed your baby after two hours from delivery period. Find a position that’s comfortable for you and your baby. Choices include the cradle-hold, the clutch or football hold, the sideline position, or the cross-cradle. Football hold is recommended for mother’s with big breasts, those who are recovering from caesarian sections, and when nursing premature babies. This position is suggested to CS patients because their abdomen will not be touched by their babies.
• Support your breasts with your free hand by placing your fingers underneath and your thumb on top. Gently press your baby’s lips towards your nipple to give him chance to open his mouth wider. When she does, hug her close to the chest and make sure that his lips turn outward and the tongue down with his mouth covering most of the areola to create a complete seal. You should hear quiet sounds of swallowing and not clicking and smocking voices.
• If you feel pain when the baby starts to suck, gently place your finger in the corner of his mouth together with the release of your breast and start again. Nursing may make your nipple tender but not hurt. Pain indicates that you’re not nursing your baby properly.
• If an infant cries, never give him a pacifier until he learns to breastfeed because it can add to his confusion due to the different sucking motions.
• Don’t be alarmed if your breasts become larger after the few days of your delivery because this is very common. Frequent breastfeeding, massage, and more compresses will relieve the pain will soothe your breasts. To keep your nipples from getting cracked, let them air dry after each feeding or you can put a little breast milk on them, or a pure lanolin and hydro gel pad which are available in different pharmacies nationwide. Cracked nipples indicate that your baby is sucking at the tip of your nipple rather than covering the entire areola.
• Call a doctor if you develop a fever, lumps, or redness around your breasts because these are signs of infections. Skip breast feeding is the major cause of such infections. Get enough rest and sleep to avoid them.
• Avoid giving your infant any other liquids aside from breast milk because it can block their ability to absorb the essential nutrients provided by the mother’s milk.
• Your body burns about 500 calories everyday and therefore, you must eat more nourishing foods and must keep yourself hydrated. Abstain from alcohol because your baby can take whatever liquids you’re drinking. It can affect his health and might cause health disorders of your infant.
• Lastly, be patient. Patience is the key to success. Always remember that breastfeeding is a learned skill which will eventually get easier over time.

This is a supply and demand system where infant’s demand for breast milk is supplied by a nursing mother. Breast milk is not just food but it is water and its immune factors, so it’s like medicine. The more you nurse, the more quickly your mature milk will come in and the more milk you’re actually to produce.

While breastfeeding schedule may be found by some mothers as a bad idea but it has its advantages also. Some say, it’s not right because you will not be able to listen to your baby’s cues. On the other hand, breastfeeding scheduling works for some mothers. But what’s most important is that, as mothers, it is our great responsibility to breast feed our babies. They are counting on us. They don’t ask us to be born in this world but we do, right? Therefore, we have to provide them all the necessary care, protection and comfort they needed in order to survive in this world.

If you’re a soon-to-be mother and you are reading this article, you will find that breastfeeding is not an easy task. But you will get used to it and later on will find it as a wonderful and unforgettable experience of a woman as a mother.

According to one of the contestant of an international beauty pageant, “the essence of a woman is the mother” which is true, right? This is part of womanhood that must be cherished by all women. We are the only creatures who are capable of doing breastfeeding therefore, we must be proud of it. Our child brings joy and happiness to our homes and in return, we need to give them the proper care, attention and comfort.