Breastfeeding Basics Tips, Everything You Need to Know

Entering the new phase of motherhood may get you a lot of questions. Among this the one that is often a basic question or a problem among all our new mothers can be the breastfeeding tips or how to breastfeed? Thus, today we get you few tips to help you learn to breastfeed and make it simple for you and even your little one.

Breastfeeding Basics Tips

1. Frequency of Breastfeeding

During the start of breastfeeding days, it is vital to nurse frequently like for every two to three hours. This helps to establish a good milk supply, but sometimes the schedule of your baby can be a little different like she may want to get nursed 3-4 times in every 3hours and then go to sleep for4 hours. Thus, you need to respond to your baby’s cues and even the milk supply properly to adjust and meet the needs.

Some babies get satisfied by getting nursed for five minutes at each breast, while some wants 30 minutes on each side. Your baby will start setting his own pace. You can Nurse on just the first side till he is comfortable or sleeps. Then, you can burp him or even change the diaper, and also give him the second breast till he sleeps again. If the breasts feel uncomfortably full, you can try to switch the sides after some minutes to nurse from both breasts. Try to make skin-to-skin contact that stimulates him to keep getting nursed.

2. Holding Properly

Cross-cradle holds: in this hold, you start with the right breast. Lay your baby on the side with the left arm. Ensure that tummy to tummy touches the hand and supports your baby’s back neck and his shoulders. Your arm must provide support to your baby’s weight and tuck the legs with your body. You can use the right hand to give support to your breast. This is the best position for any premature or small toddler.

Cradle hold: in this position you have to hold the baby with his neck and even shoulders on the forearm and the hand. Ensure that you support the bottom or his legs, when he is lying on his side. You have to tuck the bottom arm with your waist. You can also make use of a pillow to provide support to your baby to bring him at the breasts level.

If both the positions don’t seem to work, you can take help of the nurses or even midwife too help you learn positions.

3. The Good Hold (Latch)

Getting a good hold to the breast can be little difficult and requires some patience that is very essential. Your baby must take the entire nipple and just the part of your breast in the mouth. This helps to keep the nipple very back, near the throat. To ensure that it is done effectively, keep his mouth open and very wide with the tongue down and even forward, which helps it to lie under your nipple.

Normally fast and short sucks means that your baby is trying to get milk to let it down or the latch is improper. If he opens and closes his mouth in good pace and sucks slowly with the pauses, it means that he is getting milk.

4. Introducing Bottles to Your Baby

Sucking with bottles or even pacifiers need various techniques from nursing. This may be confusing for some babies to switch from one technique to another. If you are planning to give the baby and bottle, you can wait till he is 6 weeks old and learns nursing well.

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Did you know about these breastfeeding basics?