Secrets of Breastfeeding Success



1.      Before you even have your baby, take a breastfeeding class, buy a breastfeeding book. Create a nursing station: a comfy chair with a side table for snacks, water, nursing pads and burp cloths. Once you have the baby, put aside other obligations.
2.      Attend a La Leche League meeting after you have the baby and consider a visit with a lactation consultant. Even if you're not having problems, she can teach you the proper techniques.
3.      At your baby shower, ask a friend to organize a "food train," where friends and relatives take turns bringing you home-cooked meals for the first few weeks.
4.      Nursing frequently—every one to three hours—should help you establish an ample supply.
5.      Learn the proper latch. Most breastfeeding problems can be prevented with a proper latch. Prop up the baby with a pillow, if necessary, and hold her up to your breast; don't lean over toward her. Tickle your baby's lips with your nipple until her mouth opens wide, like a yawn. When your baby opens her mouth wide, quickly draw her to your breast.
6.      If you do have problems, it's important to correct them early on. Here are some of the most common ones:
a.       Sore, cracked nipples. Review your book, contact your breastfeeding buddy. In the meantime: nurse on your least-sore breast first. Don't wash your breasts with soap; water is sufficient.
b.      Engorgement. In the meantime: apply a warm compress to the breast before nursing to stimulate milk flow. If the breast is extremely swollen, pump a bit of milk until the breast softens; otherwise, your baby may not be able to latch on. As you nurse, massage the breast toward the nipple.
c.       Leaking breasts, is a normal effect of your body adapting to nursing. If you leak on one side while nursing on the other, use a clean towel to catch the flow.
d.      Slow letdown. For some women, it takes a few minutes for the milk to start flowing after baby latches on. You can massage your breast to stimulate milk flow. Relax, listen to music while you nurse.
e.       Fast letdown. If forceful jets of milk overwhelm your baby, take her off your breast to let her catch her breath until the spraying subsides. Also try offering only one breast per feeding.
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