Location: Home
»
Baby Information
11/5/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
Breastfeeding
BREASTFEEDING
Breastfeeding does more than just providing nutrition for your
baby… it also gives comfort and nurturing to your little one.
Nursing helps you slow down and take the time to cuddle your
baby and gaze into their eyes. It is also healthy for baby and
helps the brain continue to develop. A perk for you is
breastfeeding moms tend to lose their pregnancy weight faster
than moms who don't breastfeed. Breastfeeding is also easy on
the pocketbook. It's free, you don't need to refrigerate it or
mix it up in the middle of the night.
Breastfeeding takes a little practice, but in the long run it
is practical and pretty easy for most women. You can nurse
sitting up, lying down or even walking around the store if your
baby is in a wrap. Whatever position you choose, make sure you
are comfortable. If you need pillows for support, use them.
They can make the difference between tired, aching shoulders
and a happy nursing experience. Keep the baby positioned close
to you, tummy to tummy so he doesn't need to turn his head to
nurse. Support your breast as needed to keep baby nursing well.
Latch the baby on correctly to prevent sore nipples.
HOW TO START BREASTFEEDING
The first time you hold your baby, position him near your
breast. It is amazing, but even newborns can wriggle around and
attach themselves to nurse. It may take a few practice sessions
for both you and baby to get it right. When the baby latches
on, his mouth should be wide open, and the nipple should go
well back into the mouth along the soft palate. His tongue
should cover his lower gums. You'll really appreciate this when
his teeth come in! Baby will get colostrum for the first few
days until your milk comes in. Colostrum is thick, yellow and
sweet. It contains antibodies and all sorts of good stuff for
your baby.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR MILK COMES IN
In a couple of days, your milk will come in. Some women feel
engorged at this point as they fill up with milk. Letting the
shower run on your breasts can help trigger letdown and relieve
some of the pressure, or you can use a breast pump or manually
express some milk out to make it easier for baby to latch on.
Engorgement can be uncomfortable, but it only lasts a short
time. Feed your baby often to help establish a good milk
supply. It also helps relieve the fullness.
When your baby feeds, first he gets foremilk. This milk is thin
and watery to quench baby's thirst. After nursing for awhile,
in comes the hindmilk, which is thick and creamy. It contains
lots of calories to help baby grow. Each feeding is slightly
different than the one before, depending on what baby
needs.
It takes about two months to get your milk supply firmly
established. Your baby will nurse more frequently during growth
spurts to increase your milk supply. Even though it may seem
like baby nurses 24 hours a day during these growth spurts,
they only last a few days, and afterwards you will be able to
provide the increased amounts of milk your baby
needs.
At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try
to provide you with all of the latest information about going
through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first
years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest
quality books and products to help you through that time.
Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/Breastfeeding.html
| 
