Breastfeeding Tips

When your baby is in your womb it derives its nourishment from your diet but once the child is born it solely depends on breast milk for all the nutrients the baby needs. It is a food that is easily digested and relished by the baby.

In fact breastfeeding is recommended by doctors to be the only food given to the child for at least for the first 6 months post birth. It is also found that babies who were breast fed were less prone to sicknesses than those who were deprived for breast milk.

Some breastfeeding tips would help you to successfully nurse your baby and also not hurt yourself. First of all make sure that your baby is properly positioned for breastfeeding and that the mouth of the child is properly latched on to the breast while breastfeeding.

This would prevent sore and cracked nipples. It is found that within a couple of minutes after the baby is born they automatically find their way from the mother’s stomach to the breast. This is also known as ‘self-attachment’. Such babies may suffer from lesser problems whilst breastfeeding.

Make sure you breastfeed your child within minutes of giving birth. You could even breastfeed your child right there in the delivery room. The milk that initially comes off the breast is yellowish in color, it is also known as colostrum. It contains a whole lot of nutrients which is essential for the health of the baby and hence has to be administered to the child.

Sometimes you may find your breast getting extremely painful and swollen. This would be due to the engorgement of breasts. In such cases, make it a point to breastfeed your child frequently. You could even pump the milk from your breast if feeding your child so much is not possible. If you don’t find your situation improving it would be important to consult a doctor.

Feed your child after every two hours especially in the first month since birth. A child, who consumes adequate milk urinates approximately 6 to 8 times in a day and would also gain enough weight all the same. Do not get your child in the habit of drinking from the bottle at least for the first 6 months.