Breastfeeding My Baby, Where Do I Start?

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Article Title:

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Breastfeeding My Baby, Where Do I Start?

Article Description:

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Congratulations you have a new baby! Having a new baby is hard

enough but when you choose to breastfeed you sometimes feel as

though you made this experience even harder.

Additional Article Information:

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856 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: Thu Jan 19 00:23:10 EST 2006

Written By: Melida Cohen

Copyright: 2006

Contact Email: mailto:melida.cohen@...

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Breastfeeding My Baby, Where Do I Start?

Copyright © 2006 Melida Cohen

Author of " Baby's First Year: Everything You Should Know but Probably Don't "

http://www.careformybaby.com/

Congratulations you have a new baby! Having a new baby is hard

enough but when you choose to breastfeed you sometimes feel as

though you made this experience even harder. Breastfeeding is not

as difficult as it looks or as you may have heard from others. It

is actually pretty easy and a very fulfilling way to nourish your

newborn once you get the hang of it. Remember as with most things

practice makes perfect! Breastfeeding is new to you and to your

little one but with a little practice you two will become pros

in no time!

During the first week of your baby's life, your breasts will

produce colostrum for your baby to drink. Colostrum is rich in

antibodies and aids the baby's immune system. It also helps him

pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium. Meconium

is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after

birth. Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and

after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool

that is loose and watery. Bottle-fed babies pass firmer, tannish

stools than breastfed babies.

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet

diapers that will increase to two or three a day.

Your technique and positioning is a very important factor in

ensuring that your breastfeeding experience is a great one.

There are a few different positions that can be used to make

the experience more comfortable for you and baby. Some of these

positions include:

* Laying down - Lay down on you side with pillows behind you

to support your back. Lay baby facing you with her head on

a pillow your breast should be level with baby's mouth.

Bend your legs with a pillow between your knees and then

have baby latch on.

* Sitting Up - Sit up either in bed or a comfortable chair

or couch with pillows supporting your back and head. Place

a pillow on your lap and put baby on top of the pillow in

your arms, you can rest your arms on the pillow to make it

easier to bring baby up to your breast. Bend your knees to

make this even easier have baby latch on.

* The Clutch Hold - This is also known as the football hold.

This position is also good when nursing twins as it allows

mom to have a baby on each side. Sit down and tuck your

baby under your arm almost like a handbag. Rest baby's

head on a firm pillow on your lap. Ensure that baby's feet

are behind your back. Your hand is at the back of baby's

neck, not on baby's head. Your arm will extend down baby's

back, guide baby to latch on.

These are just a few of the positions that you can use there is

also the cradle hold, clutch hold, and the transition position.

Do some research to learn these other positions to nurse your

baby if you find the above positions uncomfortable.

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen

for a pattern of " suck, suck, suck, swallow. " This pattern will

be rhythmic and there should be no " clicking " noises. The

" clicking " sound can indicate that your baby is not properly

latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you. If you

start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach

him. If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him

several times, then you may want to consult a lactation

consultant or your pediatrician.

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each

day and at least 3 bowel movements a day. His urine should be

clear and he should become more alert with each passing day. Your

baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the

surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition. If you

have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators,

then you should call your pediatrician immediately.

Breastfeeding problems, such as milk production difficulties,

are not as common when using the PDF feeding method, but they do

occur. Even if you are well rested, eating healthy, have a pretty

routine life, and your baby is growing and getting enough food,

you still may experience a milk production issue. Many things can

cause production problems. Here are just a few.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:

* What mom eats

* How much mom rests and sleeps

* Her state of mind

* The age of the mom

* How many children you have

* Your desire to breastfeed

* Your nursing capabilities

* Your nursing techniques

* Baby's latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take

your baby for their check-ups as needed. If you don't, how will

you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct

rate? There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting

enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.

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Melida Cohen is the author of " Baby's First Year: Everything You

Should Know but probably don't " . She is a wife and mother to

3 children ages 1, 7, and 8. Her goal is to empower new mothers

and mothers to be. Visit http://www.CareForMyBaby.com to get

a free copy of her baby care newsletter or visit her blog at

http://www.CareForMyBabyBlog.blogspot.com to chat with her and

other new moms.