All About Breastfeeding

Women have been breastfeeding their babies since the beginning of time. Your baby will thrive on your milk and the cuddly closeness that breastfeeding offers.

Don't get discouraged; the nurses and lactation consultants can help you position baby properly. Here are three simple ways to cradle baby. Breastfeeding pillows and carefully folded blankets and towels can also help you prop baby in a comfortable position.
1.      The Football Hold. Place baby beside you face up and lengthwise.
2.      The Lying-Down Hold. Lay baby next to you in bed, with you on your right side, he on his left. His mouth should be at the same height or slightly lower than your nipples. With your free hand, adjust baby's mouth toward the nipple closest to the bed and circle your other arm around him.
3.      The Cradle Hold. Lay baby lengthwise across your abdomen, using one hand to support his head and the other his bottom.

Every two hours, put baby to your breast to suck. Once baby has worked out that you're his source of milk and coordinated his latch, suck, and swallow, he'll likely nurse for 20 to 40 minutes on each breast.

If you hear and see your baby swallowing, he's drinking. However, you should call your pediatrician if your baby exhibits these signs:
1.      Your baby stops feeding after 10 minutes or less.
2.      Your baby is frequently fussy and lethargic.
3.      Your baby's skin is yellowing.
4.      Your baby's stools are hard and dark.

In reality, all of these products help ensure success.
1.      Medela Cure Swabs help heal sore spots.
2.      Glamourmom's Tank Top Nursing Bra is cute, comfy, and discreet.
3.      Gerber Breast Therapy Warm or Cool Relief Packs relieve engorgement and sore nipples.
4.      Peaceful Pea's Nursing Nest makes it easier to nurse lying down -- great for c-section moms.

Even if you nurse often, sometimes your breasts still get engorged. It's hard for a baby to latch on to a rock-hard breast, so here's how to relieve that painful feeling and get the milk flowing.
1.      Cabbage leaves! Keep a large head of green cabbage in your refrigerator. When you feel sore, peel off a leaf, stick it in your bra, and voila! An instant breast-shaped ice pack.
2.      Take a warm shower. Heat promotes the flow of milk. You'll lose a little milk in the process, but if you're nursing regularly, there's more where that came from.
3.      Expressing a small amount of milk manually can help soften things up so baby can latch on more easily.

These supplies will help make nursing easier, which will increase your odds of nursing longer.
1.      Several supportive nursing bras. Look for styles without an underwire.
2.      Lanolin ointment designed for nursing moms. It helps soothe sore nipples.
3.      A nursing pillow. These clever, inexpensive pillows save your back and help you position baby more easily.
4.      Nursing pads. You'll have far less laundry to do if you place these absorbent pads in your bra to catch leaks.
5.      A breast pump. There are many kinds, from handheld to electric.

A lactation consultant can help correct your baby's latch through positioning and exercises and she can also offer advice on how to heal your nipples. Sometimes nursing pain is caused by an infection called mastitis, when bacteria enters the breast and multiplies in a milk duct. Nursing, safe antibiotics and warm compresses help heal the infection.

Skin To Skin

Skin-to-skin time is when baby snuggles on mom or dad's bare chest. Skin-to-skin is good for all babies, whether they are breastfeeding or formula feeding.


Babies need lots of skin-to-skin time with mom and dad in the hospital and at home. Skin-to-skin time:
1.      Calms you and baby.
2.      Helps baby cry less.
3.      Boosts baby's immune system and protects against illness and disease.
4.      Helps baby gain weight faster.
5.      Creates connections between mom, dad and baby that last a lifetime.

You should keep doing skin-to-skin time with no interruptions until your baby finishes his first feeding. Make skin-to-skin part of your birth plan, helps mom and baby get off to a good start with breastfeeding.


Ask your hospital if they offer skin-to-skin after cesarean section deliveries if you and the baby are alert and stable.


When you're having skin-to-skin time, you always want to make sure baby can breathe. Save skin-to-skin for those times you won't fall asleep. If you fall asleep, you can easily block baby's airway. Dress baby in a diaper and cap. Don't let the blankets cover baby's nose.


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