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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 colostrum, 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 * 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 * 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 * 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,
* 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. About the Author: Susan Tanner is a wife and mother of three. She is also the editor of pregnancy-guide.net. Pregnancy-Guide is an online community for mothers to find support and valuable information. Please visit Pregnancy-Guide for valuable http://www.pregnancy-guide.net pregnancy information. |
