Breastfeeding is a natural phenomenon that your body prepares for throughout pregnancy. Lack of milk and breastfeeding difficulties are the main reasons mothers give for stopping breastfeeding before the age of 6 months. Here are 10 tips for breastfeeding success.
1. Prepare your breasts for breastfeeding
No breast preparation is necessary for successful breastfeeding. Breasts prepare themselves naturally during pregnancy. However, this will not guarantee that there will be no pain during the first feedings or crevices when sucking. Use a fatty soap to avoid drying out your nipple. Regularly massage your areola and nipple with fatty cream or oil to hydrate and soften them.
2. Breastfeed immediately after birth
Skin-to-skin contact between you and your baby triggers your lactation and your baby's suckling reflex. This also helps him stay warm and will reduce stress. This will help your baby to start looking for the breast that will produce more milk faster. Babies are often more alert and interested in drinking within the first hour of birth. In a cesarean birth, the mother or father may hold the baby skin to skin until the baby can enjoy his first feed.
> A complete guide to breastfeeding practice.
3. Master the technique
Carry your baby to your breast rather than your breast to your baby. Support your baby's neck and shoulders firmly without pushing the back of his head, as the baby often responds to this pressure by pulling away from the breast. You can squeeze a few drops of your milk out to stimulate your baby's senses of taste and smell. When your baby lets go of your breast or doesn't suck vigorously, burp him and offer the other breast. If you need to remove your baby from the breast, gently insert a finger in the corner of her mouth until the seal is broken.
4. Find the position that's right for YOU
There are many positions for breastfeeding. Find the one in which you and your baby are most comfortable. If you gave birth by cesarean section, you may need help finding a comfortable position for you and your baby. Get help from nurses, your doctor, midwife or a consultant.
5. Relieve your chest
For the first few days, expose your nipples to air or light after each feed. Leave some dried milk on your nipples. It has lubricating and anti-infectious properties. If your breasts are swollen and sore (engorged), cold compresses will decrease the swelling, then a light massage and heat (warm towel or hot shower) will help the milk flow. You will feel more comfortable if you pump out some milk before breastfeeding to relieve pressure and if you breastfeed more often.
Some tips :
In addition to this, you need to know more about it.
- Breastfeed on the less painful side first.
- Gently massage your breasts while feeding. This promotes the flow of milk.
- Wear a cotton bra and use only nursing pads without plastic liner.
- Avoid wearing too tight a bra.
- Change your position with each feed. The baby's mouth will put pressure on different places on the nipple. Sit down for one feed, lie down for the next.
6. Stimulate your baby
Learn how to hand express your milk to stimulate your baby by placing a few drops of milk on your nipple. This helps your newborn baby to start sucking and makes your breast more flexible. At the end of a feed, you can also squeeze out a few more drops of milk to lubricate your nipples by massaging gently to help prevent chapped and cracked. Breastfeeding your baby often will also help increase your milk supply. The more you breastfeed your baby, the more milk you will produce.
7. Watch the baby, not the clock!
Watch for signs of hunger that indicate your baby wants to drink, such as nosing, licking his lips, or putting his hands to his mouth. Crying is a late sign of hunger. Instead of scheduling feedings according to the clock, watch for such signs instead. Some babies prefer multiple "courses" while others prefer a long meal. Don't rush your baby, take your time.
8. Find out if your baby is nursing well
There are several signs that your newborn baby is latching on well. First, he should take the nipple and a good part of the areola (the dark part of the breast) in his mouth. Her chin should touch the breast, her lips are curved outward. At the start of the feed, your baby swallows milk with each sucking motion, sometimes taking short breaks. During breastfeeding, the rhythm of the sucking movements slows down. If all is well, the breastfeeding is not painful!
9. Take care of yourself
Remember to breastfeed and remember to rest, relax. This will benefit you and your milk supply. For the first few days, try to rest when your baby is sleeping. Eat full, healthy meals and drink when you are thirsty. When you are breastfeeding your baby, you might want to have a snack and drink something.
10. Listen to yourself!
Breastfeeding is not for all moms. You have to know when to let go. Yes, okay, "mum's" milk would be better for the infant, but if breastfeeding is not a source of happiness, there is no question of feeling guilty! We simply go to the bottle. After all, blood ties are stronger than breast ties!
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