One of the first decisions you will make about your baby is whether or not to breastfeed. Certainly every health professional will tell you that breast milk is the healthiest baby milk there is and that breastfeeding is the preferred method of feeding.
Some women, however, don’t like the idea of feeding their baby that way and are apprehensive about even trying it. Other women wouldn’t mind breastfeeding their babies, but since they’re going back to work in a few months, they decide not to start. But every woman is different, and breastfeeding may work very well for you.
Some important facts about breastfeeding
To help you understand the many benefits of breastfeeding, here are some basic facts about the more traditional method of feeding a baby:
- The most nutritious type of breast milk is colostrum, the substance that nursing mothers produce from birth until their milk comes out.
- Your body will produce the exact amount of milk that your baby needs. The more your baby feeds, the more milk your body will make. And if the baby’s demand decreases, so will the amount of milk your body will produce.
- When you breastfeed, your womb returns to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly and you will lose weight more quickly.
- Some women find that breastfeeding babies acts as a natural contraceptive for them. However, this is not true for all women, so if you want to delay the next pregnancy, you should still use birth control while breastfeeding.
- Breastfeeding is the cleanest and cheapest way to feed a baby, with no need for bottles, sterilizing equipment, or expensive formula.
- A baby’s immature intestine and small stomach can digest breast milk much more easily than formula. Unlike formula diapers, breast milk diapers don’t smell!
Starting with breastfeeding
Babies are born with a natural reflex and instinct to breastfeed. Their sucking reflex is most powerful at birth, which is the best time to start. Many young women, especially if they are new to breastfeeding, may find it a bit difficult at first. For this reason, many hospitals provide breastfeeding information and may even have a lactation consultant on their staff. As soon as your baby is born, it would be a good idea to find your lactation consultant and ask her all of her breastfeeding questions. She will give you some ideas about breastfeeding positions and help you latch on correctly.
If you’re nursing twins, the positions are slightly different, as you’ll see here:
In principle, it is not that difficult to start breastfeeding as newborns have a strong sucking reflex at birth. Just hold the baby in the crook of your arm. Supporting yourself or the baby with pillows, bring the baby closer to your chest. Gently touch the side of baby’s mouth with your nipple and your baby will automatically open his mouth to take the nipple. You should gently hold the nipple between your thumb and forefinger. Offer not just the tip of the nipple to the baby, but also part of the areola (the slightly darker area where the nipple attaches). Since the baby has a very small mouth, offer the nipple and areola very carefully. The baby’s chin should be touching the breast, but the nose should be off the breast or only slightly touching it. You will know if the baby is not latched on properly if it hurts. When the baby is latched on correctly, you should not feel any pain.
At first, the baby will nurse for a few minutes at a time. At first, there will be a quick sucking action as the baby takes the first thinner milk. As the thicker, more nutritious rear milk enters, the baby will begin to suck more rhythmically, with the lower jaw moving up and down with a deep action.
Common Breastfeeding Problems
If you are a new mother, you may find it a little difficult to breastfeed at first. She is already tired from birth and her body is going through all the usual postnatal hormonal changes that occur at this time. Until she has gotten used to breastfeeding, she may experience sore nipples. This shouldn’t be a cause for concern, as the skin hardens after a while. To help you, there are several nipple creams on the market that are safe to use while breastfeeding. Talk to your lactation consultant or healthcare professional to find out which one is best for you.
You should also make sure to empty your breasts at each feeding. This is done by offering both breasts at each feeding. Once the baby is done with one breast, burp him and then offer him the second. Make sure the second breast becomes the first at the next feeding to ensure it is not too full, as this can lead to mastitis.
Mastitis is an infection caused by a blocked milk duct due to breast engorgement or bacteria from a cracked nipple.
The importance of a good lactation diet
While you are nursing, you need to eat for two. Basically, this means that you should eat the healthiest foods for your baby and maintain your own strength. It is very important at this time to eat often and make sure you drink enough, especially if you live in a hot climate. Many women make sure to drink while they are breastfeeding and then go back to drinking once they have finished. The importance of a proper diet cannot be stressed enough. Some women can breastfeed for a minimum of six months, but others will continue until the baby is two years old. It’s a very personal decision, but either way, you need to take care of your strength during this period.
If you choose to breastfeed, you have made a very positive decision because you are giving your baby the healthiest start in life.
