Breastfeeding is the best gift you can give to your baby. Your breast milk contains enough nutrients that keep your baby healthy and immune. Till he is 6 months old, it is important that you exclusively breastfeed him. Here are some important points that you should note so that you can smoothly pass through the breastfeeding phase.
The positioning of the baby
Your baby should latch on to your breast properly so that you can nurse him properly. Take proper care of this because, otherwise, it might lead to nipple soreness. If you experience pain during feeding, the reason might be that your baby is not latching on properly. To avoid this, keep changing positions and find a comfortable position for you and your baby. How do you know your baby is latched on to your breast properly?
His whole body should be faced towards you during feeding. If properly latched, their lower lip will be curled back and above your baby’s top lip will be the dark skin around your nipples. If you have problems with holding your baby or making him latch on to your breast, you should have an open discussion with the lactation consultant at the hospital immediately after your delivery.
This professional will train you on various aspects such as maintaining skin-skin contact with the baby while nursing, sitting or lying down in a comfortable position while feeding, placing the baby in a position where it is easy for him to swallow the milk as he nurses and more.
Is your baby getting enough?
As a new mother, this is a question that keeps coming in your mind always – Am I feeding enough milk to my baby? You want to know if he is feeling full. Though there is no hard and fast rule to know these, you can make out if your baby is well-fed or not, by observing his actions. If their cheeks look rounded and well while you feed, it is a good sign. Also, if you observe a movement around his ears, it indicates he is swallowing.
Breast milk is very easy to digest and your baby may require to be fed once every 1.5 hours. So do not worry if your baby needs milk frequently. It is recommended that you feed him for 20 minutes at a time, from one breast. And if he falls asleep while feeding, try to gently wake him up.
Increasing milk production in your breast
Apart from holding your baby properly and making him latch on to your breast properly, you can also increase the milk production in your breast. You can give cold compresses or warm compresses to your breasts often to improve the milk secretion This is especially fruitful for small babies or slow feeders.
An important tip that you have to remember is to offer both your breasts for nursing per feed. This will ensure that there is uniform milk production in both the breasts. As your baby grows, he will start teething. So when you nurse him, you may experience sore nipples. However, compressions and frequent feeds should help you get rid of this soreness easily.
In short, you should position your baby well so that he can latch on to your breasts well. This is the first step to ensure that you get comfortable with your breastfeeding procedure.