Tips for Successful Breastfeeding

1. You should begin breastfeeding your baby an hour after delivery.

2. Colostrum, the yellowish milk produced by the mother in the first 3 days, is very healthy for the child.

3. The baby does not need anything other than breast milk for the first 4-6 months of life. Breast milk provides adequate nutrition and immunity for the baby.

4. A baby who has only breast milk (no additional water), and urinates a minimum of 6 times in 24 hours is getting enough breast milk.

5. There is no need to worry about frequent watery motions in an exclusively breastfed baby, as long as the baby is active and passes urine adequately.

6. Your baby should be free to breastfeed whenever and for as long as she chooses. More suckling means more breast milk. Demand feeding alleviates breast engorgement and breast infection.

7. It is important that the baby not only get foremilk (rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins, that also helps quench the baby's thirst), but also get hind milk (rich in fat and calories). Therefore, you should allow the baby to keep suckling from one side until he leaves the breast on his own, so that he gets enough hindmilk.

8. Try to avoid bottle-feeding entirely. It is not necessary at all.

9. Bottle-feeding may be a direct cause for breastfeeding failure.

10. If the baby cannot tolerate bottle-feeding or artificial feeding, it can lead to a serious illness.


Knowing the basics of breastfeeding

Positioning:
The baby should be unwrapped before being put to the breast. This will allow her the freedom to feel her mother's body, especially her warm breasts. She must be positioned such that she is in a semi-upright position with her stomach touching your stomach, her lower shoulder touching you, and her upper shoulder close to your breast.

Latching on:
She must take the entire nipple (the dark areola) in her mouth. If she is still very young and has a small mouth, it is more important that her lips cover the lower part of the areola than the upper part of the areola. It is her lower jaw that will do all the suckling.

Timing and Frequency of Feeds:
She must be allowed to feed as often and as long as she wants (including during the night). This will ensure that she gets enough hindmilk, and also a feeling of security.

Ban on Feeding Bottles:
Although you may have got many feeding bottles as gifts, it is important that you never use them. The use of feeding bottles could cause nipple confusion and result in breastfeeding failure.

Tips For New Feeder

# Try to place baby at the breast as soon as possible after birth. Ideally, this will happen right in the delivery room. Ensure that your practitioner will allow you to nurse in the birthing or delivery room if all goes normal.

# Babies only minutes old will often crawl up to the breast from the mother's abdomen, and start breastfeeding all by themselves. This process may take up to an hour or longer, but the mother and baby should be given this time together to start learning about each other. Babies who "self-attach" run into far fewer breastfeeding problems. This skin-to-skin contact will also help keep the child warm.

# Try to get some professional help, such as a lactation specialist. In the hospital, you can ask if a lactation consultant or a nurse who is knowledgeable about breastfeeding can observe your technique. If you leave the hospital before receiving any guidance, make sure that someone with breastfeeding expertise evaluates your technique.

# If possible, try to stay in the same room with your baby.

# Limit visitors to allow more nursing opportunities. This may mean limiting visiting privileges at first to just your spouse. This is probably better anyway, since it allows the three of you to bond right away.

# Mothers and babies learn how to sleep in the same rhythm. Thus, when the baby starts waking for a feed, the mother will also start to wake up naturally. The baby shows long before he starts crying that he is ready to feed. His breathing may change, for example. Or he may start to stretch. The mother, being in light sleep, will awaken, her milk will start to flow and the calm baby will be content to nurse.

# A baby who has been crying for some time before being tried on the breast may refuse to take the breast even if he is ravenous. Mothers and babies should be encouraged to sleep side by side in hospital. This is a great way for mothers to rest while the baby nurses. Breastfeeding can be relaxing, not tiring.

# If possible, try not to use artificial nipples.

# Babies will take whatever method gives them a rapid flow of fluid and may refuse others that do not. Thus, in the first few days, when the mother is producing only a little milk and the baby gets a bottle from which he gets rapid flow, he will tend to prefer the rapid flow method. Just because a baby will "take both" does not mean that the natural method is not more beneficial.

# Nurse on demand, up to twelve feedings a day. This will keep your baby happy and will increase your milk supply to meet the demand as it grows. Also, don't let your baby sleep through a feeding. If it's been three hours since your newborn last fed, then it's time to wake him or her up.

# Nurse for as long as the baby wants. Most newborns require ten to forty-five minutes to complete a feeding.

# Try not to impose too many restrictions on the length or frequency of breastfeeding.

# A baby who drinks well will not be on the breast for hours at a time. Thus, if he is, it is usually because he is not latching on well and not getting the milk that is available. Get help to fix the baby's latch, and use compression to get the baby more milk.

# Don't try and feed your baby if she is screaming. If crying has begun, do some rocking and soothing before you start nursing. You can also try offering your finger to suck on until the baby calms down.

# The key to successful breastfeeding is a proper latch. Before you leave the hospital you should be shown how to get your baby latched on properly. You should also know that he is actually getting milk from the breast.

# Position yourself comfortably with back support, pillows supporting your arms and in your lap, and your feet supported by a footrest or a telephone book.

# Position baby close to you, with his hips flexed, so that he does not have to turn his head to reach your breast. His mouth and nose should be facing your nipple. If possible, ask your helper to hand you the baby once you are comfortable.

# Support your breast so it is not pressing on your baby's chin. Your baby's chin should drive into your breast.

# Attach or latch baby onto your breast. Encourage him to open his mouth wide and pull him close by supporting his back (rather than the back of his head) so that his chin drives into your breast. His nose will be touching your breast. Your hand forms a "second neck" for your baby.

# If you are feeling pain, detach baby gently and try again.

# As long as you are comfortable and baby is nursing successfully, use whatever works for you. There are a variety of breastfeeding positions to try.

# It is very important to bring the baby to your nipple height. Leaning over your baby can cause backaches, neck and shoulder strain, or sore nipples.

Tips for Breast-Feeding Success

It's helpful for a woman who wants to breast-feed to learn as much about it as possible before delivery, while she is not exhausted from caring for an infant around-the-clock. The following tips can help foster successful nursing:

Get an early start: Nursing should begin within an hour after delivery if possible, when the infant is awake and the sucking instinct is strong. Even though the mother won't be producing milk yet, her breasts contain colostrum, a thin fluid that contains antibodies to disease.

Proper positioning: The baby's mouth should be wide open, with the nipple as far back into his or her mouth as possible. This minimizes soreness for the mother. A nurse, midwife, or other knowledgeable person can help her find a comfortable nursing position.

Nurse on demand: Newborns need to nurse frequently, about every two hours, and not on any strict schedule. This will stimulate the mother's breasts to produce plenty of milk. Later, the baby can settle into a more predictable routine. But because breast milk is more easily digested than formula, breast-fed babies often eat more frequently than bottle-fed babies.

No supplements: Nursing babies don't need sugar water or formula supplements. These may interfere with their appetite for nursing, and that can lead to a diminished milk supply. The more the baby nurses, the more milk the mother will produce.

Delay artificial nipples: It's best to wait a week or two before introducing a pacifier, so that the baby doesn't get confused. Artificial nipples require a different sucking action than real ones. Sucking at a bottle could also confuse some babies in the early days. They, too, are learning how to breast-feed.

Air dry: In the early postpartum period or until her nipples toughen, the mother should air dry them after each nursing to prevent them from cracking, which can lead to infection. If her nipples do crack, the mother can coat them with breast milk or other natural moisturizers to help them heal. Vitamin E oil and lanolin are commonly used, although some babies may have allergic reactions to them. Proper positioning at the breast can help prevent sore nipples. If the mother's very sore, the baby may not have the nipple far enough back in his or her mouth.

Watch for infection: Symptoms of breast infection include fever and painful lumps and redness in the breast. These require immediate medical attention.

Expect engorgement: A new mother usually produces lots of milk, making her breasts big, hard and painful for a few days. To relieve this engorgement, she should feed the baby frequently and on demand until her body adjusts and produces only what the baby needs. In the meantime, the mother can take over-the-counter pain relievers, apply warm, wet compresses to her breasts, and take warm baths to relieve the pain.

Eat right, get rest: To produce plenty of good milk, the nursing mother needs a balanced diet that includes 500 extra calories a day and six to eight glasses of fluid. She should also rest as much as possible to prevent breast infections, which are aggravated by fatigue.