Tips for Successful Breastfeeding
Nursing a baby is wonderful. But
it is not easy. Here are some ideas to
help new moms get a
great start!
1—Make your decision whether to breast feed.
The benefits of nursing are well-proven, and include attachment,
nourishment, and antibodies. When established, nursing is much easier than dealing with
bottles. Breast milk is the right temperature and make up for baby and easier to digest than other types
of milk.
Benefits for mom: “breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of type 2
diabetes, breast cancer,
ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression.”
Benefits for the baby: “Infant
formula cannot match the exact chemical makeup of human milk, especially the cells, hormones, and antibodies that fight disease.
For most babies, breast milk is easier to digest than formula. It takes time for their stomachs to
adjust to digesting proteins in formula because they are made from cow's milk.”
“Many leading health organizations recommend that most infants
breastfeed for at least 12
months, with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. This means
that babies are not given any foods or liquids other than breast milk for the first 6 months.”
Antibodies in breast milk fight ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory
infection, and meningitis. It strengthens the baby’s immune system against bacteria and viruses. In addition, it helps protect against allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, and SIDS! Breastfed babies as a rule, have fewer infections and fewer hospitalizations.
Probably the very best benefit of all it the attachment and bonding
that nursing facilitates
between mother and baby, bringing brain development and social,
emotional, mental, and
physical health. (See Attachment
post in this blog.)
Be firm, and have the Lord’s backing on your decision by getting a
confirmation through prayer.
2—Prepare ahead.
When I was expecting my first baby, my sister-in-law gave me some invaluable advice! To
prepare to nurse your newborn, she told me, you must toughen your nipples to prevent soreness.
This is done in several ways.
--In the shower, grasp your entire breast and massage forward, to
encourage the flow of milk in that direction.
--Then grasp nipples and “twirl” them to prepare them for baby’s
latching on later.
--When you dry off, rub nipples with your towel gently to toughen them.
With these steps, the transition to
comfortable nursing will be easier.
3—Relax
Cari tensed up every time she started to nurse her baby. She was apprehensive about doing it right and afraid of doing something wrong! Surely, she told herself however, this is a
natural thing that mothers have done down through the ages, so I can do it
too. Cari started doing a routine when it was time to nurse:
First, she took a large drink of water.
Second, she told herself firmly, “I love to nurse! My Baby loves to nurse!” (And she didn’t
allow herself to say or think:
“I can’t do this!”)
Next, she picked up her baby and took him to the most relaxing of all
her furniture. For Cari, it was the corner of the sofa where there were soft pillows and a place
for her feet to rest too.
Lastly, Cari took some deep breaths, blowing away all tension! The milk came better with a relaxed Mommy!
In order to relax when she nursed her baby, Hannah had to first deal
with her toddler! She
came up with a plan to keep him occupied and happy while Hannah nursed
his little sister! She took his favorite toys—some large legos in his case—and when he wasn’t
around, put them in a box up high out of sight and out of reach. Then, before a feeding, she got down the bag
and the legos seemed brand new to him!
He was happily playing so she could nurse in peace! After the feeding, she once again stashed them in their place up high. At other feedings, Hannah piled some favorite books next to her to read to him while the baby
nursed.
I had no hands free while I nursed my twin babies! So for my older toddler, I stuck out my
toes!! She then proceeded to do
“This little piggy” with my toes! It worked
to distract her and get us all through the process!
That and lots and lots of songs!
Her older sister loved to set at a desk nearby and “write” and draw, so that’s what she did the whole
time.
Enjoy this time to put your feet up and enjoy your baby. She is tiny for such a short time. The skin to skin touch is wonderful for a baby’s security and growth! The attachment is invaluable for the baby’s brain development!
Don’t forget to talk to your baby too!
4—The Latching On. When you
begin nursing, open the baby’s mouth as wide as possible and place the entire dark part into his mouth, not just the nipple. Sometimes babies are sleepy or reluctant to open wide. If the
baby grabs the nipple only, there is much more chance of soreness.
--Use a Yawn! Or even a hunger
cry! Right when your baby’s is opened
the largest, place his
mouth in place.
Ginette's baby would often drift off to sleep when she tried to nurse her. She found that if she would always have the baby "play" for awhile on her tummy or back, after the feeding and before sleeping, it helped the baby sleep better--having gotten up any burps and gotten out any bowel movements--so that when she did wake up, she was hungry! And therefore, she would stay awake to eat!
5—Change positions. Alternate
sides. Each position a mother places her
baby in for nursing
puts pressure on different areas.
So it is important to trade positions to avoid soreness. This alternates the areas that get the most pressure.
--The Cradle hold places the baby across your tummy, her body turned
toward yours, and your arm is cradling her. The babies
hand can be carefully tucked behind you, and if the other hand is in the way, you can grasp her little hand around your thumb.
--The Football hold involves placing the baby’s feet back behind your
side, with your hand
cradling her head.
--Lying down to feed the baby.
You lie down on your side and the baby lies beside you facing
you.
Marta realized that one breast gave more milk than the other. She also learned that the first
breast a baby drinks at gets emptied faster and better than the second
one. So she made sure to trade sides each time she nursed.
If both breast are regularly emptied well, there is less chance of breast infection. She
kept a safety pin on her bra to help her remember which side to start with next.
6—Fight soreness.
Air drying your nipples after a feeding helps fight soreness. Simply leave your bra down for a few minutes under your clothes to allow drying.
Use a balm or cream on sore nipples.
Find one that does not contain alcohol and does not
require washing off before the next feeding.
Nursing pads may be necessary for a while when milk is abundant and has
not leveled out to
the baby’s needed amount yet.
7—Give it Two Weeks!
Elyse successfully nursed all of her babies, but it was not easy. Each time, she knew she must “Give it two weeks!” for everything to balance out for both mama and
baby. Elyse told herself she was going to be patient and not discouraged. She planned to not get anything else done—to get help for the other kids and meals as best as she could—in
order to relax and let nature take its course.
Terri would find herself getting anxious and impatient about nursing
her baby until she realized how worth it is was to stick it out.
No formula to prepare or bottles to sterilize. No equipment to pack up for each outing, but only a blanket to grab.
8—Deal patiently with Obstacles.
When a baby is born premature, she may be not strong enough to suck. Such was the case with my own preemie twins. During their time
in the hospital incubators, my milk supply dwindled down to almost none. But with lots and lots of
patience and perseverance and pumping, I was able to build up a supply, enough to feed both babies for six months. It was a chore and took so much time, but I
cut out other things for a season, such as visiting teaching and a calling. It felt so good to be able to give my babies that great start.
My cousin Miranda adopted a little baby, and so wanted to nurse
him. She was able to find an apparatus that sent formula through a tiny tube that went over her
shoulder and ended right at her nipple. The baby was rewarded
with milk when he sucked on her nipple!
And gradually her milk supply came in!! It was truly amazing!
Some find themselves with little or no support from family
members. A firm belief can help. And the Lord will direct you the right course of action for your particular
circumstances. He wants to help. I believe he has angels—perhaps even our very own Grandmas--available to
come and help in this great effort. But heaven never
forces—they wait for us to ask!
"Be firm, and have the Lord’s
backing on your decision by getting a confirmation through prayer. This
firmness of mind, coupled with the understanding of how beneficial
breastfeeding is to mother and baby, will help strengthen you through any
painful, exhausting, or frustrating times that may accompany
breastfeeding."
Anything worthwhile is usually not easy. It takes time and effort, and prayer. But if we believe in it and are diligent in our efforts, the Lord will magnify them and send
blessings, comfort, help and peace. Heavenly Father gave moms a built chance several times a day to stop
and rest, not only to recuperate from childbirth but also to put aside other things and focus on
enjoying and nurturing our precious babies.
Labels: Babies--Breastfeeding Success Tips
