It’s common for first-time mothers to have some trouble getting started with breastfeeding. However, no matter what specific problems you’re facing, you can be rest assured that they can be solved by using some of the basic tips and tricks posted in this blog.
Don’t be discouraged by those mothers that make breastfeeding look effortless. Nursing, and all the nuance involved in it, doesn’t come naturally to a lot of women. We understand that all of the different techniques, methods, and tricks can be overwhelming (especially if you’re a first-time mother), which is why we’ve made this blog.
In the following sections, we describe some of the very best ways that you can go from newbie to professional breastfeeder, all by implementing some basic techniques into your breastfeeding routine. We cover how to deal with a baby that won’t “latch,” how long you should breastfeed for, different positions you can try, and some of the signs that signify whether or not a baby is hungry.
Getting Your Baby to “Latch”
This is one of the most prevalent problems among first-time mothers. Not having the baby “latch” can be a source of major discouragement, especially for those mothers who are less experienced when it comes to breastfeeding. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can easily get your little bundle of joy to latch onto your breast.
The first thing that you need to understand is what actually constitutes a good “latch.” Your baby’s mouth needs to be covering your breast’s entire nipple (yes, that also means the areola). The goal with having a good latch, is for the baby’s mouth to be able to effortlessly suck milk from the breast.
A very common issue that many newbie mothers have is that the baby only sucks on the nipple (not on the entire nipple/areola area, which is what’s required to actually produce the milk). Use some of the following tips to get a more solid latch, and you’ll be pumping away in no time.
Another very good tip in regards to latching is to not “force” your breast into the baby’s mouth. What you should try doing instead, is putting the breast in front of your baby, and then having them actually initiate the sucking. If the baby’s head turns away from the breast at the last moment, you can try gently stroking one of its cheeks, which often is exactly what’s needed to get them to latch back on.
How to Tell if Your Baby’s Latch Is Strong
One of the tell-tale signs of your baby having a proper latch is if their nose and chin are touching your breast. Another very common sign of a strong latch is if your baby’s lips are slightly turned outwards (which indicates a strong sucking motion).
If your baby has a good latch and is sucking properly, you should be able to feel the milk coming out of your breast. Once actual milk is being produced, 90% of the work is done. Simply let the baby suck the breast and drink the milk, that’s all there is to it.
How Long Should I Breastfeed For?
It’s common for breastfeeding to take anywhere from 30 minutes down to 20. As far as breastfeeding time per breast, the actual time depends on your baby’s habits and specific feeding technique. All babies are different, and yours might take longer (or less) to finish feeding.
Remember, that it’s important to focus on prioritizing one breast during each session. This means that for each session, you should ideally have one breast that’s “drained” at its conclusion.
There’s something called “hindmilk” that’s very nutritious, and as the name implies it’s stored near the end of the breast’s milk reserves. This is why it’s important to focus on finishing off one breast before moving to another.
Also important is knowing that babies don’t really operate on schedules, which is a mistake that many new parents make (i.e. thinking that they can assign specific times for their breastfeeding). The best way to schedule your breastfeeding sessions is by feeding your baby whenever it shows signs of hunger.
For example, newborn babies require many more feedings per day than older babies. Newborns should be having at least eight sessions per every 24 hours, with many mothers feeding their babies upwards of 12 times (over the course of one day). That means that most mothers should expect to be feeding their newborns once every three hours or so.
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2020
Trackbacks/Pingbacks