Getting Started With Breast Feeding
Breastfeeding Pillow
The first time you hold your baby in the delivery room, take him and hold him to your breast. Although your mature breast milk hasn’t developed yet, your breasts are still producing a substance known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby from infections.
If your baby has trouble finding or staying on your nipple, don’t panic. Breast feeding is an art that will require a lot of patience and a lot of practice. No one expects you to be an expert when you first start, so you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what you need to do.
Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn’t be painful. When your baby latches on, pay attention to how your breasts feel. If the latching on hurts, break the suction then try again.
You should nurse quite frequently; the more you nurse, the faster your mature milk will come in and you will produce more milk. Breast feeding for 10 – 15 minutes per breast 8 – 10 times every 24 hours is an ideal target. Crying is a sign of hunger; of course you can’t read the baby’s mind, but you should try feeding him before he starts crying.
During the first few days, you may have to wake your baby to begin breast feeding, and he may end up falling asleep during feeding. To ensure that your baby is eating often enough, you should wake him up if it has been four hours since the last time he has been fed.
Feedings can take 40 minutes or longer, therefore you want to make sure that you are comfortable. Stay away from places where you may be bothered, being distracted while breastfeeding can make the process difficult prolonging feeding time.
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