Yet for some new moms, breast feeding can be difficult and even frustrating. Many factors can influence a mother's success rate when it comes to breast feeding, but with the right set of tools and support she can set her child up with a lifetime of physical and emotional advantages.
Nurse Soon After Birth
Newborn babies are most alert in the first hour or two after birth. It is an exciting and tiring adventure to be born into this world, so many babies fall into a deep sleep in the hours proceeding their journey. There is no need for concern if the infant has not eaten much in these first few hours, but studies have shown that infants who nursed soon after birth had a longer duration of breastfeeding than infants who were first put to breast 3 to 6 hours after (
Taylor, 1986 ).Establish a Proper Latch
Some women make it look so easy, but a proper latch can be one of the most challenging parts of breast feeding---for new moms especially. It may seem strange, but there is a right and wrong way to position your baby while nursing, and knowing the difference will promote ease and comfort for both you and your little one. One of the best ways to learn proper latching technique is by meeting with a lactation counselor. Many hospitals have one on staff for post-partum moms. Finding a local chapter of La Leche League is another way to get support from experts and other nursing moms.
Avoid Artificial Nipples
While some babies switch back and forth from breast to bottle easily from the first day, introducing a bottle before a nursing routine is established can cause nipple confusion (yes its a real thing!) Dr. Sears says, "Baby tries to use the bottle-feeding technique on the breast and has difficulty latching-on and sucking. Baby gets very frustrated, and so does mother."
Nurse On Demand
It may seem like your new baby will spend most of the first few weeks nursing---and that's OK. Newborn babies need to nurse about 10-12 times a day. The more they nurse, the sooner your milk will come in and continue producing more. Don't be afraid of over-feeding your baby. If he or she is scared, lonely, sick, hungry, or just bored they may want to latch on, so let them. Your breasts are nature's best pacifier. Pay attention to feeding cues such as wriggling around, rapid eye movements, or gumming their hands. Avoid waiting until the baby is crying to be fed.
Set Up a Nursing Station
It may seem like you can barely get a shower in while you are breastfeeding a newborn. You can make your time more productive by anticipating things you might need while sitting down for a feeding. This can include everything from a pillow for comfort, cloth diapers for spit-up, a book to read, or your laptop to catch up on emails. Also have a drink handy, this will ensure you are getting enough fluids.
Stay Calm
Some women panic if they feel like their baby is not getting enough to eat before their milk comes in. But, you can breathe easy knowing that nature has created nutrient and antibody rich colostrum to provide all your baby needs those first few days. A newborn's kidneys can also only process a few teaspoons full of liquid, so don't be afraid that your baby isn't getting enough. Colostrum's laxative quality produces just the right amount to flush out meconium and prevent jaundice.
Get Some Rest
Having a newborn is exhausting. Luckily you have a built in napping partner. When your baby sleeps so should you--the laundry can wait.
Ask For Help If:
- Your baby is not latching on well, or nursing just doesn’t “feel right’.
- Your breasts are engorged, or you are having breast or nipple pain, especially after the first couple of weeks. Breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt!
- Your baby is several days old and is not having 6-8 wet diapers and several bowel movements in each 24 hour period.
- Your baby is sleepy and hard to wake up for feedings. He is nursing less than 8 times in 24 hours.
- There are special circumstances such as jaundice, prematurity, low weight gain, cleft lip/palate, or neurological problems.
- You develop a breast infection (mastitis) or plugged ducts.
- You intend to return to work or school, or to be separated from your baby due to travel or hospitalization.
- You have any questions or problems related to breastfeeding.
What breastfeeding tips do you have? Share in the comments section!
Breastfeeding for 17 months in Granolaville,
11 comments:
Thanks for this post. I also think that it is not the worse thing of you offer a pacifier or give your little one an ounce of formula but do not give up... I find that many of my friends gave up too easily.. Just because it worked does not mean that your baby does not want to or can't BF. i was lucky to have a great LC at my hospital whom I reached out to when things got rough. Many hospitals have LC on hand that will meet with you and help you. I also want to suggest having an e-reader. It allowed me to relax while nursing. I found that I looked forward to my nursing sessions.. I think many stop because nursing or pumping is an inconvenience. But really It is alot easier to bf in the middle of the night than make a bottle. Honestly why you would not try your hardest to give your baby the best start to life...
Is it bad that i think I am a better mother for Breast feeding my daughters than those who gave up or never even tried
Anon#1 I agree its not the worst thing to a baby a pacifier. My middle son had on until he was 3 (terrible I know). Its only bad when the baby is already having trouble latching. Once they are used to bfing u can avoid the whole nipple confusion.
Anon#2 I can understand you being proud of bfing, but its important for us to support our choices as women even if we don't agree. But the "better mother" judgement is a slippery slope I wouldn't want anyone judging my parenting skill. I also think women just don't see bfing enough. If it wasn't still taboo or looked at as weird if you do it to long I think more women would feel comfortable. Thanks for your honesty!
My biggest advice is to realize that you do have enough milk, we teach women to nurse every three hours....actually in the beginning it is whenever they want, and honestly the smaller chested you are the more often you may need to nurse, also depending on how the birth went, how sleepy baby is, etc. Things like losing weight- remember different scales at different offices read differently...so don't be freaked if he lost two ounces from hospital to doctors office...they are calibrated differently. Also if you had IV fluids, during labor your baby may have lost more weight than it normally would have because it plumped up a little with the fluids if that makes sense. So do not stress the amount of milk you are producing, nurse as often as possible, and get others to help you as much as possible with everything else. If baby won't latch, watch some self-latching videos, get naked, skin to skin and let baby find way to breast to self-latch. The other is reach out, ask for help, people will even come to you...la leche league hotline is 24/7.
Nacia what do you think the US government can do to promote breast feeding. If you look at the WIC program that helps many mother's and children they do little to promote. They give out checks for formula and do not reward mother's that choose to breast feed. Also when watching teen mom I noticed many of them start off breast feeding but most stop and turn to formula. I wonder if we can reach the next generation through shows like Teem Mom maybe we can get rid of the taboo of Breast feeding. I also wonder what programs like WIC can do.. I bf both children and am a minority.. Sorry a bit off topic but just a though
I agree Anon#3. Women often give up thinking that they aren't making enough because when they pump only a little comes out. A baby is FAR more efficient than a pump and gets exactly what they need, even if they have to work harder for it than with a bottle. GREAT tip!
Anon#4, I'm not sure what the gov't can or should do. To be honest I'd like them to stay out of my business all together...but that a whole other post, lol. As for WIC, I can tell you from personal experience as a teenage mom you are made to meet with a counselor periodically, but there is NEVER any mention of breast feeding. Those formula vouchers are the norm. But I do recognize that if you are in the financial position to need WIC then you are also probably working at a low paying job that doesn't support breastfeeding.I don't have the answer except getting bfing back to being the beautiful, natural, and healthy thing our breasts were made to do.
Just so you know WIC is much more breastfeeding friendly in the last few years than it has ever been before. Each WIC runs itself differently, each country regulates it, which is why it is difficult to standardize rules and regulations...but Ms. Obama with her Obesity campaign IS focusing on breastfeeding. WIC's are starting to hire breastfeeding peer counselors (some WIC particpants who are sucessful breastfeeders to mentor other mothers). They are also getting better about giving out rental pumps and most are starting to get a lactation consultant on staff. breastfeeding women are given more food vouchers as they need to eat more. Rhode Island WIC just started not giving out formula I believe. I think this is where the program needs to go, and will go in the future, formula by doctors note only...and I hope it goes there.
Low income women in particular need additional supports, as stress affects breastfeeding as well, but the argument around low paying jobs not supporting breastfeeding, while it is understood, atleast in the state of NY it is illegal. Women need to know they can and should take time to work out a pumping schedule, and that even if no one else has done it before, accomodations need to be made.
The comment one of the posters made about feeling like a better parent- we are a society suck at supporting breastfeeding moms...or mothers in general because we set them up to fail. We tell them...do this, and then we stare at them nursing in public, or we make crude jokes about how long a baby might nurse for, and we normalize formula feeding. We have uneducated doctors who don't have more than 1 hour of training in medical school telling women to supplement because they don't know any better, or to wean because they don't understand that most medications are compatible with breastfeeding (not all but most). We set women up to fail. This culture. So it's not that one is better than another, its just that some are better able to advocate, educate, and get the help they need, and others are not. The more women get out and nurse in public, the more they tell other mothers, this is normal...they more children learn this is the way to feed...when it becomes so normal that you don't even look twice at a nursing mom...then we can blame a mother when she fails...otherwise I blame the culture and of course the evil formula companies.
I meant County
My advice is that it is hard at first but it does get easier. In fact I continued to Bf past six month ( my first goal) because it was easier. II totally agree with the post above that Drs. are not promoting it. At our 9 month appointment I was told I should start to introduce the bottle and at 1 year I was told that I told introduce whole milk. I do agree that there is a taboo about BF.. I am glad to hear that there is more of a push for bf especially in NYS. My hospital did push it but they still sent me home with TONS of formula. My mother said in her generation it was never even mentioned in the hospital . So I guess there is progress. It also would e cook if we could get MTV to promote it like mentioned in an above post.
thanks for all this info!!
Just saw the new Times cover and thought of you.. That is why bf gets a bad wrap!! Thanks for the info!
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