Congratulations! Such exciting and life changing news! I want to make this easier and straight forward for you, so that you can enjoy the newness of your little one and not have to worry or stress about things that are actually quite straight forward when you have the ‘KNOW HOW’.
PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE! Too many first time moms are told that breastfeeding is so natural and that the baby instinctively knows exactly how to feed. So I have one question – If breastfeeding is SO NATURAL, why does it not come NATURALLY?
Here are a few breastfeeding tips to get you started!
Get comfortable, make sure you have some water, that the phone is in reaching distance, that you have a muslin and something to eat in case you feel light headed (banana)
Hold your baby with the opposite arm to the breast you are feeding from – so if feeding from right breast, support with left arm. This will help you line baby up ‘NOSE TO NIPPLE’.
Line your baby up NOSE to YOUR NIPPLE, so if your nipple is pointing forward, baby will come straight onto the breast. If you are larger busted, your nipples may point downward, so baby will be underneath the breast slightly.
As you have lined your baby nose to nipple, he or she will be able to access the areola close his or her lower lip. We are not concerned about the areola close to baby’s upper lip – so don’t try to get baby to take in the entire areola…this will only happen if your areola are tiny!
When baby does a big wide mouth, bring him or her quickly onto the breast, applying pressure to the upper back and shoulder area with the heal of your hand.
Make sure that both baby’s cheeks are touching the breast throughout the feed, so that baby can drain the top and lower half of the breast.
Tuck baby’s bottom close to you so that the nose is free.
If your nipple is round or dome like when baby comes off the breast at the end of a feed, your positioning and attachment was good.
If your nipple is pinched like a new lipstick at the end of a feed, your positioning and attachment needs attention as you will quickly become sore and baby will not be getting any milk.
You know where to find help if you need it!
Geraldine
