9 Quick
Breastfeeding Tips
by: Susan Tanner
New mothers may find breastfeeding confusing
at first. You may not know exactly what to
do or how to do it. Hopefully these
breastfeeding tips will help to get you
started.
* Start Early
- It is good to begin breastfeeding within
an hour after birth if possible, when the
baby is alert and the instinct to suck is
strong. Although you will not yet be
producing milk, your breasts contain
colostrums, a thin milky fluid that contains
important antibodies to disease.
* Feed
Frequently - You should try breastfeeding
your baby at least every two to three hours.
This will help to keep your breasts soft and
lessen or even prevent engorgement. Watch
for signs that your baby is hungry, such as
changes in facial expressions, sucking
sounds or lip movements, and rapid eye
movement or restlessness during light naps.
If you keep an eye out for these signs, you
can learn to anticipate your baby's hunger.
Breastfeeding on cue will help stimulate
your breasts to produce more milk.
* Good
Positioning - Having the right positioning
for breastfeeding will play a major role in
reducing nipple soreness. Use you hand to
support the baby's neck. The baby's mouth
should be open wide with the lips puckered
out like "fish lips", not folded in. The
nipple should go back as far into his or her
mouth as possible. If you need help finding
the proper positioning, ask a nurse,
midwife, or other experienced mother for
some help breastfeeding.
* Nipple
Upkeep - When you first begin breastfeeding
your nipples may become very sore. After
each breastfeeding session rub a small
amount of breast milk on and around each
nipple and allow it to air dry. This will
help to prevent cracking which can lead to
infection. In cases where your nipples do
crack, coat them with breast milk, vitamin E
oil, or lanolin to help them heal. Be aware
that some babies may have an allergic
reaction to certain moisturizing agents.
Proper positioning while breastfeeding is
very important to avoid sore nipples.
* Look Out for
Breast Infection - If you experience a fever
or painful lumps and redness in your
breasts, you should seek medical attention
immediately.
* Postpone
Using Artificial Nipples - If you are going
to be breastfeeding your baby, avoid
introducing pacifiers or other artificial
nipples too early. Artificial nipples
require a different sucking action than the
real thing and it can be easy for the baby
to become confused. Try to wait until after
a couple weeks of breastfeeding before
introducing any sort of fake nipples.
* No
Supplements Needed - There is no need to
supplement breastfeeding with sugar water or
formula. Neither of these come close to
comparing with the nutritional complexity of
your breast milk, and they may interfere
with the baby's appetite for breastfeeding
and lead to a diminished milk supply.
Breastfeeding your baby more often will in
turn cause you to produce more milk.
* Engorgement
- When you first begin breastfeeding, you
will be producing a lot of milk, which can
make you breasts big, hard, and painful. You
can help to ease this engorgement by
breastfeeding frequently until your body
adjusts to produce only as much as the baby
needs. While your body adjusts, you can help
to relieve the pain by applying warm, wet
compresses or taking warm baths. Some
over-the-counter pain relievers will help,
but consult your doctor before taking any
sort of drug, since it may be passed through
your milk to the baby.
* Stay Healthy
- A mother who is breastfeeding needs to eat
a healthy diet in order to produce enough
good milk. You should try and get an extra
500 calories a day, drink 6 to 8 glasses of
fluids, and avoid drugs, alcohol, caffeine,
and smoke. You should also rest as much as
possible while breastfeeding, since breast
infections are aggravated by fatigue.
