Breastfeeding Myth - Pain is Part of Breastfeeding - Truth - You CAN Enjoy Pain Free Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Pain

Many women are led to believe that pain is part of the breastfeeding story and some new mothers experience excruciating pain in their breasts and nipples.

Because even many professionals believe that pain is par for the course when help is sought to support breastfeeding, pumping or just getting on with it is often the advice we get. As a result mothers continue to suffer while being concerned about weight-gain and bonding with their baby.

Breastfeeding Without Pain

The truth is that pain is not part and parcel of breastfeeding. Your body was designed specifically to feed your baby with your breasts. You baby was designed to be able to access your milk with his mouth.

Pain is your body's way of letting you know that something is not quite right. Oftentimes it is the nature of the latch that is off in some way. And establishing a deep latch is a skill that needs to be learned by baby and mom. Or it could be the angle at which you are bringing your baby to the breast.

Even though breastfeeding is natural, it is a skill with many different components. Thankfully we can learn them and teach them to our baby so that joy in breastfeeding becomes our experience.

Breastfeeding Support

In order to experience breastfeeding success without pain, it is necessary to have the support of people who believe this is possible and can show you step by step how to achieve a pain-free latch and a beautiful breastfeeding experience with ease and joy.

Baby, Birth & Breastfeeding - 7 Reasons To Consider Breastfeeding When Your Baby Is Born

Is Breastfeeding For Me?

We tend to engage in the same behaviours as our peers or those with whom we spend most time. So unless others in your family or circle are breastfeeding or open to the idea, you may not even consider it as a possibility.

This has occurred in a climate during which the special and sacred gifts of women, nurturing and the power of love have been perceived as less important than intellect, rationale and logic.

As an empowered woman you may wish to be aware of the following benefits for you and baby of using your breasts to nourish this precious new addition to your family.

Breast-milk is Alive

Unlike formula that has been produced in a factory somewhere, travelled extensively and sat on a shelf for some time, your breast-milk is alive and oozing life force.

Breast-milk is Superior

Plain and simple, your breast-milk provides the very best food you can give to your baby. Your amazing breasts accommodate to the needs of your baby and depending on what has happened in the last feed, will provide exactly what your baby needs for optimum nourishment.

Each meal is tailor made for your baby's requirements. For example, the content of breast-milk for premature babies is different to that for full terms babies because premies have unique needs.

Breastfeeding Bonds

As your baby feeds, your body releases Oxytocin known as the 'love hormone' or the 'bonding hormone'. Oxytocin provides a sense of well being and calm for both mother and baby.

It also facilitates bonding and creates the desire for further contact between you both. So this hormone, produced while breastfeeding actually elicits those feelings of love and deep connection that support you in becoming the mother you really want to be....calm, relaxed, connected and happy.

Breastfeeding Inspires Love

Not only does the breastfeeding and release of oxytocin enhance the bond between mother and baby, it also lays the very foundations for the experience of love for your baby.

In the breastfeeding act, your baby learns to be very comfortable being close to mum. She learns about being fully present with another as she stares into your eyes and you joyfully return her gaze.

She learns that it is safe for her to receive love and that she is worthy of deep connection. Breastfeeding provides her cells with the experience of being cared for physically, emotionally and spiritually in a very intimate, healthy and satisfying way.

These skills not only help her to recognise and choose relationships that are nourishing for her as she develops, they also support her to nourish herself and others in an healthy way.

Breastfeeding Requires Less Work

From a purely practical perspective, breastfeeding is so much handier as you don't need to spend endless time shopping, preparing the bottles or cleaning up afterwards.

You Deserve To Breastfeed

As women in the western world, many of us have been conditioned to deny, conceal or suppress the full expression of our femininity.

Your breasts were designed to feed your baby. You have the right to experience the wonder of breastfeeding. You are worthy of creating and knowing first hand the beauty and magic of breastfeeding and realising the deep wisdom of your body in this process.

Breastfeeding Is Empowering

Breastfeeding allows you to come into your own power and embrace your sacred feminine energy.

We have been downloaded with the idea to aspire to a more male expression of ourselves. And while manhood and maleness is beautiful and sacred, so too is womanhood and matters uniquely female.

It is time for us to allow ourselves to rejoice in who we are, in the perfection of being a woman and give ourselves permission to experience that fully. In doing so, we also free men to be themselves fully and pave the way for a generation of babies comfortable in their own skin and honouring both the masculine and feminine within.

So just ask yourself what you truly desire. What would you love for your baby? If you thought that you could do it and felt supported around breastfeeding would you try? Because there is support available.

Stop Breastfeeding Gradually

Opinions vary throughout the world regarding when to stop breastfeeding. Different cultures and customs fix different times for weaning away the babies from breastfeeding and even different women have their own ideas regarding this matter. WHO advises mothers worldwide to keep on nursing their babies for at least two years but it should really be the decision of the mother and her ability to feed.
Babies Might Resist Weaning
According to experts, some babies would not like to get weaned away from breastfeeding till the age of 7 years but the average age for weaning is between 2 ½ and 7 years. If you attempt to wean the baby against its wishes, it will naturally retaliate as it enjoys the taste of mother's milk and it likes the warmth and emotional closeness of its mother. While drinking breast milk, your baby's blood pressure comes down, its heart rate reduces and its stress level drops. This is good for the baby's health.
Go Slow In Weaning Away Your Baby
There are far too many advantages of breastfeeding than attempting to stop breastfeeding unless you experience some problems that can also be tackled easily. At the end of the day, breast milk provides the much-needed immunity to a baby and until the baby acquires enough immunity towards all sorts of diseases, especially family allergies it is advisable not to stop breastfeeding. Moreover, the low cost of breastfeeding is also a big factor that must be considered. In any case, it is advisable to wean off your baby gradually. Slow weaning will also enable you to look out for any indications of allergic reactions to formula milk and it will enable you to avoid engorgement of the breasts.
How To Start Weaning Away Your Baby
The best way is to start slowly and give one formula feed either in the day or in the night and if you find that there is no reaction either to the baby or to your breasts, you can replace another nursing in a few days and so on. In the process of weaning, you should take care of your breasts, wear a supportive bra, and use ice packs to reduce swelling or engorgement of the breasts. You should allow your breasts to remain full and as such, you should express only the necessary amount of milk so that the suppressor peptides in the milk will act as inhibitors of further milk production. Drinking three cups of sage tea a day for three weeks will also inhibit milk supply.
You should watch the reactions of your baby when you start feeding formula milk exclusively and in the meantime, you should keep on expressing your milk. The common reactions of a baby who can't get used to formula milk are: spitting, vomiting, gas, crying sessions, rash on the body, redness on rectum, watery stools, wheezing and runny nose.
Although the breasts might feel full for a few days after full weaning, you need not be worried and some experts suggest that you should start taking birth control pills, which will reduce the milk supply and help to stop breastfeeding. However, please consult your doctor or lactation consultant before taking such pills.
Irrespective of what you do to stop breastfeeding, it is important to go slowly and gradually wean away your baby from your milk.

How to stop breastfeeding and the time to wean your baby away from breast milk is one question which most of the breastfeeding mothers ask. Visit the free online resource Breastfeeding for more information on this and other issues such as, cost of breastfeeding, tips to increase breast milk supply, engorgement, use of birth control pills and much more.

Breastfeeding - Helpful Tips

Benefits

Breastfeeding has many benefits for your baby. If your baby can be breast-fed for at least 6 months then the risk of allergies, such as eczema, are reduced, ear infections and stomach upsets are also reduced. Mother's milk seems to boost your baby's immune system generally.

How does breast milk do this?

Well breast-milk, unlike formula milk, contains antibodies designed to prevent an immature immune system from becoming overwhelmed with the foreign proteins that challenge it. Research has shown that exclusive breastfeeding for six months is associated with a reduced incidence of allergy and reduced risk of gastro-intestinal illness, respiratory illness, ear infections, diabetes, obesity and respiratory wheeze. So there are lots of benefits for your baby if you breast-feed.

According to the NCT nine out of ten mothers did not know that breastfeeding for just one month has a lasting impact on health during the first 14 years of a baby's life. All the authoritative expert bodies that advise on parenting are still right behind the message they've always endorsed: breastfeeding is definitely still the best. The longer the breastfeeding continues, the greater the health gains for both mother and baby.

Benefits for mums too?

Mothers are encouraged to breast-feed, though some women find that it can be embarrassing to do so in public places. Embarrassment aside there are benefits to mothers as well. Breastfeeding can lead to a more rapid return to your pre-pregnancy weight and also reduces the risk to mothers of pre-menopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

For some people breastfeeding can be a painful and upsetting experience.

Breastfeeding is a skill that both mothers and babies have to learn and it's not always easy to pick up. In fact, many women stop breastfeeding before they intended because it proves too difficult or because they are worried that their baby is not getting enough milk. New mums, in particular, can struggle with breastfeeding if they are not given the help and support they need.

The following are some of the common problems in breastfeeding and suggestions of how to help:

Painful breasts

There are three main causes of painful breasts.

1. A blocked milk tube can cause swelling and acute pain of the breast. It usually feels like a bruised lump and a red streak may radiate out from it.

2. Mastitis, an infection in the breast which causes pain and is usually accompanied by a fever and acute tenderness and redness of the breast. The infected breast may become hard, lumpy and swollen.

3. An oversupply of milk engorges the breast and usually causes some pain.

What can help these problems?

1. Blocked tube - If you have a blocked tube continue nursing as stopping can increase the discomfort and endanger the milk supply. Go carefully though and nurse or pump every hour - just enough to empty the breast. Get plenty of rest and the blockage will usually clear within a few hours or overnight.

2. Mastitis - Breast infections are almost always a sign of too little rest. It is important to nurse often, keeping the breasts empty to promote prompt healing. The infection itself will not make your baby sick. Take Echinacea to clear the infection.

3. Oversupply of milk - Drink sage tea. Sage is an anti-galactagogue which means that it decreases the supply of milk.

Sore nipples

The most common cause of sore nipples is of course from your baby tugging at the nipple.

If however your nipples are persistently or suddenly sore you might have a thrush infection. Other symptoms of thrush are pink, flaky skin and itchy nipples. Stopping breast-feeding will not help the infection or sore nipples, in fact they are more likely to be helped by frequent nursing.

What helps?

Try not to wear a bra day and night. Wear your nursing bra with flaps down whenever possible - expose your breasts to the air, this helps.

Rub sweet almond oil or lanolin into the nipples during the latter part of the pregnancy and the first few weeks of breastfeeding.

Also rubbing calendula cream on the nipple will soothe and heal, just be sure to wipe off before breastfeeding. Pure vitamin E oil applied after nursing is very helpful - use pure Vitamin E. Avoid washing your nipples in soap as soap removes natural oils and can cause cracking.

Eat healthily. Remember whatever you are eating and drinking will have an immediate effect on your milk and therefore your baby.

Feed often so your baby doesn't get hungry and tear at the breast.

Relax! Soothing music played while you are breastfeeding will relax both yourself and your baby. By relaxing the flow of milk is better and obviously if your baby is calm rather than stressed the whole process is going to be gentler.

The right position

When your baby is feeding make sure that the entire areola (dark area) is in your baby's mouth and that the nipple is centred. Hold your baby in such a position that his or her nose is roughly opposite your nipple, before the feed begins. If you support your baby across the shoulders with your forearm or the heel of your hand, so that his/her head is free to extend backwards slightly then your baby can approach the underside of the breast, rather than coming straight at it.

You want your baby to open as wide as possible - try not to push the breast into your baby's mouth, it needs to be the other way around. Your baby's mouth will widen as it brushes the breast, just make sure that the lower lip is latched around the aerola. You might need to support your breast slightly, so that the position remains the same.

How will you know when it's right?

Your baby's sucking changes to a longer, slower, more rhythmic pattern with lots of long pauses. He or she may even doze off sometimes. Your baby will be relaxed throughout the feed and remain so for some minutes afterwards. You can be lying down as well as sitting for this process. A feed should not last more than 40 minutes at a time.

Breastfeeding Techniques - Get Started the Right Way

How and when do you get started for ultimate breastfeeding success? There are a few breastfeeding techniques that can help you and your baby set the foundation for a positive breastfeeding experience.

When do you start?

The optimal time to start breastfeeding is immediately after birth. Newborns have a period of time after delivery when they are alert and eager to nurse. This is when their sucking reflex is the greatest, so it is the easiest time to get your baby to latch on and begin the nursing process. After the initial wakeful period, your baby will be very sleepy for the next 12 to 24 hours, during which time it will be more difficult to rouse him and get a successful latch.

In the beginning, skin-to-skin nursing is a wonderful way to bond with your baby while providing some great benefits. Request to hold your baby for a few minutes, skin-to-skin, immediately after delivery. This enforces the first bond between mom and baby. Studies also show that immediate skin-to-skin contact helps regulate baby's temperature and helps baby attain a more stable heart rate and breathing rate. Then after the baby has been evaluated and cleaned, you can nurse for the first time. Babies who are placed skin to skin to nurse immediately after birth are more likely to latch on properly, which is absolutely crucial to breastfeeding success. The successful latch will help baby get more milk and prevent soreness for you.

Breastfeeding Techniques for the Critical First Week

The first week after baby is born is a critical time for success at breastfeeding. By following a few simple tips, this initial time can go more smoothly and help set the stage for a great breastfeeding experience.

During the first few days you may only produce colostrum - a thick, sticky, yellow-ish liquid - in a small amount, but this is exactly what your baby needs, so be persistent about nursing without worrying that your baby is not getting enough. Colostrum is the perfect first food for your baby. It is high in nutrients, low in fat, and very easy for baby to digest. It works as a laxative for your baby, helping her pass the early stools that aid in expelling bilirubin to help prevent jaundice.

During the first week after you and baby go home, get as much help as you can with household duties, other children, and the baby since fatigue can make it more difficult to get breastfeeding established. If you can remain as well rested as possible, you will have more of the energy and patience required to help your baby nurse properly.

Set up a relaxing place to nurse your baby. A comfortable chair is essential and a footrest will help. Use something to support baby's weight while you are nursing - a nursing pillow is a great option, but regular pillows and throw pillows will also do the trick. If your baby is easily over-stimulated, try choosing a quiet, dim corner of a room away from distractions. Playing soft music may help you and baby both relax. A relaxed baby will latch on easier and if you are relaxed your milk will let down quicker.

If baby isn't already awake and hungry when it is time to feed, rouse him by changing is diaper, unwrapping him if he is swaddled, or by changing his clothes. Once baby is awake, bring him to your breast to latch on. Newborns may want to nurse often when they are awake - as often as every hour or two - but should not be allowed to go more than three hours between feedings. After the first week, your baby should be allowed to nurse on demand, which is typically every one to three hours.

While there are many other breastfeeding techniques that can assist you along the way, hopefully these few simple tips will help guide you through the often difficult first stages of breastfeeding and provide a good foundation for the nursing journey.

Tips on Breastfeeding

When I learned that I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby and I am very blessed that I did, can and still am! My daughter is almost two years old, she is thriving and yes, I'm still breastfeeding!

I have compiled some tips on breastfeeding that I have learned along 'our breastfeeding relationship'. I say, 'our' breastfeeding relationship because it is a relationship between you and your baby...BOTH parties need to be comfortable with the situation!

Luckily, being only two hours old and in the NICU, my daughter latched right on and we haven't looked back since. I really didn't know what I was doing, initially, but WE figured it out!

In my opinion, breastfeeding is the single best thing you can do for your baby. I am not a LC, Lactation Consultant or an RN, Registered Nurse, but I am a successful breastfeeding mom and proud of it!

In fact, the WHO, World Health Organization recommends you exclusively breastfeed your baby up to 6 months old, then compliment with solid food after that for at least two years of age.

The benefits of breastfeeding your baby will also last a lifetime!

Listed below are "some' of the tips that I have encountered during our breastfeeding journey:

1. The Latch! This, I believe, is one of the most important skills to master to become successful with breastfeeding and reduce the stress. If you have a 'good' latch, your baby will receive the right amount of milk and your body will continue to produce milk on an as needed basis. If you do not have a 'good' latch, your baby may not be getting quite enough milk, you may have pain, your baby may get frustrated as well as yourself and your body may not produce enough milk to fulfill your baby's needs.
** An empty breast will produce more milk than a breast that has not been emptied! **

2. Position. Good position for yourself and your baby will also account for your reduced stress level. Both of you need to be comfortable or you may find yourself in an uncomfortable position trying to get your baby to latch on...thus, creating a stressful situation.

3. Decrease stimulus. Your baby may be too distracted by touch, noise or movement. You need to tune in to what works for you and your baby. Some babies don't like the back of their head touched while breastfeeding, some don't like a lot of background noise and some may want to be still while breastfeeding. Finding out what works for you and your baby will help reduce the stress level.

There are 'many' more tips on breastfeeding available to you.

Four Ways to Ensure Breastfeeding Success

Step One: Prepare Yourself Before the Birth

While there's nothing you can do to physically prepare yourself for breastfeeding (harshly rub those nipples all you want-it won't help!), you'll want to learn all you can about nursing before you try it. You don't have to become an expert, but it will help to know a few things.

Attend a La Leche League (LLL) meeting to learn breastfeeding tips from moms who've been there, done that. LLL meetings are fantastic ways to network with other nursing moms and learn about breastfeeding resources in your area.

Read about ways to ensure breastfeeding success and watch videos of how to properly latch your baby. Popular books include LLL's "The Woman Art of Breastfeeding," and "The Nursing Mother's Companion." Keep many of these how-to reference books on hand because they contain invaluable advice you can access any time.

Bookmark a few Internet websites like Kellymom.com and read over tips for a successful start. Be a sponge--learn all you can.

Find out the number of a certified lactation consultant near you. Whether you give birth at a hospital or your home, you'll want to have easy access to professional breastfeeding help.

Even though breastfeeding is natural, it's a learned process. You'll want to have an idea of what a proper latch looks like before you have a hungry baby in your arms. Trust me, this research will pay off.

Step Two: Ensure a Proper Latch

When women experience cracked, sore nipples, it's usually because they haven't perfected their latch. The sooner you get the right latch, the less time you'll be in pain.

You'll know when your baby has a proper latch. It'll feel comfortable and you'll feel relieved of milk. A proper latch is crucial to successful breastfeeding. Without it, your baby won't take in enough milk, and since breastfeeding is based on supply-and-demand, you'll make less of it.

Have a lactation consultant (LC) or doula help with the initial latch-on. Baby should have a wide open mouth when put on the breast. If her mouth is only slightly open, touch her top lip against the nipple until she opens wide. Then pop her on. Baby should take in most of the areola-not just the nipple. You should see the pink of baby's lips and see her ears wiggling, an indication of a good suck. Listen to hear your baby swallow.

During these early weeks, it's a good idea to frequently have your baby weighed to assess progress. New moms often worry if their baby is eating enough, but if she's gaining weight and you're feeding her on demand (without letting her sleep too long without nursing), then you're doing fine.

Keep your LC close by if you need a helping hand. Breastfeeding will get much easier. Never underestimate the importance of a good latch.

Step Three: Arm Yourself with Supplies

Baby? Check. Breasts? Check. That's all you need to breastfeed, right? Right. But there are many products that, while not completely necessary, can make breastfeeding a whole lot easier.

Besides for having breastfeeding books, you may want to purchase a nursing pillow. These pillows come in all shapes and patterns and can be an invaluable tool in the early days of nursing. These pillows prop baby to the level of your breasts, with no strain on your end. Newborns love to fall asleep on these pillows while nursing to their hearts' content.

Purified lanolin nipple ointment (or a botanical lanolin-free one) can be a lifesaver when you have cracked, sore or bleeding nipples.

A few nursing bras coupled with breast pads make for convenient and discreet nursing. Breast pads keep you from leaking milk all over your clothes, which is a common experience in the early days. It's much easier to change a few soaked breast pads then to keep going through laundry.

You'll probably want a breast-pump for times you may be away from baby. Decide how much time you'll be apart when figuring out which type to buy.

Since nurslings like staying near their all-you-can-eat buffet (aka Mom), you may want to pick up a good sling so you can keep baby close while being able to walk around.

Step Four: Surround Yourself with Supportive People

Know those people in your life who aren't so enamored with the act of breastfeeding? You know, those people who are offended by babies eating nature's perfect food? Well, push their presence aside for a few months.

Instead, surround yourself with people who support your decision to breastfeed. There will be times when nursing gets difficult and you'll have many self-doubts. The last thing you need is negativity. Negative people can sabotage a breastfeeding relationship with their misguided "advice."

Support yourself. Attend more La Leche League meetings and make sure your baby's pediatrician is supportive of your decision to breastfeed. If your doctor gives you grief, go see someone else.

A supportive spouse can do wonders for your nursing relationship. If your partner isn't thrilled about the idea of breastfeeding, hand out research on how beneficial it is (and how much money you'll save by not buying formula).

Now is the time to live in a pro-breastfeeding bubble. Don't let anyone pop it.

How to Prepare For Breastfeeding

Every mother wants to know what items they need to buy in preparation for the arrival of their newborn baby, and breastfeeding requirements should be included in this list!

With so many items for sale on the market and never having any previous experience, where does an expectant mum start? These are some of the areas that need to be considered: -

1) A BREASTFEEDING VIDEO, DVD, OR BOOK. This should provide adequate educational advice and information to make a pregnant mother feel equipped to breastfeed. It should be comprehensive and include all aspects of lactation, benefits of breastfeeding, risks of not breastfeeding, breastfeeding techniques such as correct positioning, latch on, suckling reflex, and let-down technique. Explanations about how long to feed, how often, having enough milk, fore milk and hind milk, pumping, storage of breast milk,returning to work, breastfeeding multiples, special needs, and premature babies, and safe medications. There are a wide range of these on the market and they all vary in the length, depth of teaching and content, so look for one that meets your requirements. They can be found on the internet.

2) SEVERAL GOOD BREASTFEEDING BRAS. These can be purchased at a good mother and baby store or online. Make sure you are measured and have the correct size. It is important to put the bra on and then lay down to adjust the straps. This gives the correct 'lift' to the breasts and helps to prevent engorgement. If the breasts are allowed to sag, gravity takes its course and the breast milk does not distribute evenly. The milk tends to collect underneath and causes pain and engorgement which could in turn lead to mastitis.

3) BREASTFEEDING COVER (also called Nursing cover). These provide freedom to feed in privacy outside the home without the worry of having to find somewhere discreet to breastfeed. They simply hook over the mother's head and cover her front completely. A curved wired border at the top, provides space for the baby to feed easily and gives eye-to-eye contact between mother and baby. They come in a wide choice of attractive designs and can be purchased online. Failing this a shawl or pashmino scarf could be draped over the baby and mother's shoulder to provide privacy.

4) BREAST PADS. These provide protection from any leakage on your clothes. They are available as disposable pads or washable/re-usable pads. They can be purchased at a pharmacy, supermarket or online.

5) NIPPLE SHIELD. These are useful when the mother has sore, sensitive, or cracked nipples, to allow the nipples time to heal. They are shaped like a teat, and are made of ultra-thin flexible silicone. They are positioned over the nipple for baby to suck on. Make a note of a shop that stocks these in case you need to purchase a pack at short notice!

6) BREAST SHELLS. These are helpful if you have flat or inverted nipples. They are worn in the bra before and after birth to help nipples become more erect and prominent. This prepares the nipples and makes it easier for the baby to latch on. They can also serve to collect any excess leakage of breast milk.

7) THERMAL GEL BREAST PACKS. These are useful for 2 purposes. If they are used as a cold pack, they can relieve painful breasts such as in mastitis. If they are warmed, they help with blocked milk ducts and engorged breasts by improving the flow of milk and congestion. If they are difficult to obtain, a cold or warm flannel can be applied to the breast to offer some relief, but the temperature will obviously change a lot quicker.

8) BREAST PUMP. This is a useful aid if you wish to express milk. If you plan to return to work or need your baby to be bottle fed breast milk in your absence. It is recommended that this is preferably commenced after the baby is 6 weeks old to allow your milk supply to be well established. There are manual or electric pumps on the market at various prices to suit most budgets. Alternatively you can learn to express by hand.

9) NIPPLE CREAM. This keeps the nipples supple and helps the healing process when they are sore or cracked. Special creams are now on the market that are not harmful to the baby.

10) BREASTFEEDING PILLOW. There are many of these on the market that either strap around the mother or rest on her lap. It is crucial that the breastfeeding mother has good posture and she needs to sit in a comfortable low chair, or in bed with her back well supported by pillows. A comfortable pillow positioned on her lap for the baby to lie on , bridges the gap between lap and breast to stop her 'hunching up' and getting backache. In my opinion an ordinary pillow is adequate, so this does not need to be prioritised. It is essential to be relaxed and comfortable when breastfeeding.

Research these items and then you will be well informed and prepared for breastfeeding your baby. This is the first step to successful breastfeeding - have fun!

12 Helpful Tips For Breastfeeding Your Baby

Breastfeeding gives your baby the best start in life and is supposed a natural thing for a mother and newborn child to do. But, if you're having a few problems in breastfeeding your child, here are 12 helpful hints to help you and your child to enjoy that special bond between mother and child.

1. Commence breastfeeding your child as soon as possible after you give birth - preferably within the first two hours.

2. Always ensure that you and your baby are in a comfortable position when breastfeeding

3. It is not necessary to feed your baby from both breasts at every feed but do alternate which breast you start off with at each feed. Let your baby finish a feed at each breast. This will give your baby hind milk (later hind milk can be more satisfying for your baby).

4. Unless you are aware of a special problem there is no need to keep track of when you feed your baby. Nor should there be a need to wake up your baby for feeding because your baby will always let you know when it is feeding time. The more feeding your baby demands, the more milk you will produce.

5. Breastfeeding your baby at night when your baby needs it is as important as daytime feeds.

6. Successful breastfeeding normally means your baby does not need additional fluids.

7. Successful breastfeeding will satisfy all your baby's nutritional needs.

8. Breastfeeding involves a different sucking action to bottle feeding so the use of bottles should be avoided if at all possible, at least until breastfeeding is established.

9. Your success with breastfeeding is linked to your own healthy intake of food and drink. Look after your own diet by eating healthy foods and drinks. Make sure your thirst and hunger are satisfied.

10. Your midwife and/or health visitor will always be pleased to show you how to overcome any breastfeeding problems that you may experience.

11. When out with baby at feed time, look out for shops and restaurants with the 'parent friendly' sign. This means they welcome parents with babies and make special provision for nursing mothers.

12. Breastfeeding is not always easy but with practice, difficulties can be overcome.

Remember, breastfeeding is best for baby but does not always come natural to either the mother or child. Perseverance is often needed by both mother and baby. Millions of women experiences problems of one sort or another, at some stage of breastfeeding so, if you are having problems, you aren't alone.

There is no need to go it alone. Don't delay in seeking help. Hopefully, the 12 breastfeeding tips above will help make breastfeeding a pleasurable experience for both you and your baby.