How to properly feed a newborn with breast milk?

Human milk is the most suitable food for a newborn, which has no analogues. Having decided to breastfeed a newborn baby, the mother gives the baby not food, but much more. The uncertainty at the first attempts to feed the baby soon passes, especially if you learn more about the intricacies of breastfeeding during pregnancy.

Preparation

There is no need to wash your breasts with soap before feeding, as our mothers were once advised to do. For breast hygiene, just a daily shower is enough. It is also not recommended to treat nipples with any antiseptics.

Choose a quiet place for feeding where you feel comfortable. It's good if no one bothers you at this time.

About 15 minutes before you start feeding your baby, drink a glass of liquid. Thanks to this, lactation will increase.

Correct attachment and breast grip

Correct attachment is one of the main factors contributing to a successful breastfeeding experience. For the entire period of feeding the baby with human milk, it is very important how the baby first latched on. In most maternity hospitals, breastfeeding is supported by ensuring that the newborn baby is attached to the mother's breast immediately after birth.

Also, a comfortable position is important for proper attachment. Feedings, especially at first, last quite a long time, Therefore, it is important that mom does not get tired.

The baby should grab the nipple on his own, but if he did it incorrectly (grabbed only the tip), the mother should press a little on the baby’s chin and release the breast.

Stages

After washing your hands, you should express a few drops of milk and wipe the nipple with them. This will make the nipple softer so that your baby can latch onto it easily. Now you need to get comfortable and start feeding:

1. Grasping the breast with your fingers, without touching the areola, direct the nipple towards the baby's face. To help your baby find the nipple, stroke your baby's cheek. If this does not help, you can squeeze a little milk onto the baby’s lips.
2. Make sure your baby is latching onto the nipple correctly. His mouth should be open quite wide, and his chin should be pressed to his mother's chest. In the baby’s mouth there should be not only a nipple, but also part of the areola.
3. If milk begins to flow out of the corner of the baby's mouth, you need to lift the baby's head and place your index finger under the baby's lower lip.
4. When your baby sucks very sluggishly, help your baby become more alert. To do this, you can pat the baby on the head, pat the cheek or ear.
5. When the baby begins to fall asleep at the breast or sucks more slowly, the mother can interrupt the sucking by gently placing her index finger between the breast and the corner of the baby's mouth.
6. Don't rush to get dressed immediately after feeding. Let the milk on the nipple dry a little. Also, do not rush to put the baby in the crib. The baby must burp the air that has entered the stomach with milk. To do this, you should hold the little one in a “column”, carefully placing a napkin on the shoulder, since a small portion of milk may also come out with the air.

Comfortable positions

To feed the baby, the mother selects a lying, sitting or any other position in which it is convenient for both her and the baby. You need to feed your baby in a relaxed state.

If the mother is weakened after childbirth, had a caesarean section or sutures in the perineal area, then it will be more convenient for her to feed lying on her side. Turning your face to the baby, you need to place the baby so that the baby’s head is placed in the elbow bend of the mother’s hand. Supporting the baby under the back, you can gently stroke the baby.

The most common position for breastfeeding at night and after childbirth is in the supine position.

Also, one of the most comfortable positions for feeding is sitting. Mom can sit in an armchair or on a chair, but it is more comfortable if her arm rests on an armrest or pillow, and one leg stands on a small bench. The child should be supported under the back so that his head is located in the crook of his mother's elbow. The baby's belly should touch the mother's belly.

Other Possible Postures and Positions

Feeding the baby can be done from behind the back. For this position, the mother sits on the sofa and places a regular pillow next to her. The mother places the baby on the pillow so that the baby's body is located along her body under her arm. This position is very comfortable for mothers nursing twins. This way the mother can feed both babies at once.

Also, mother can feed while sitting on the floor with her legs crossed “Turkish style”. In this position it is convenient to feed a baby who can already crawl or walk.

Popular feeding positions are presented below. Experiment and choose the most comfortable one for both you and the baby.

How to understand that everything is happening correctly?

If the baby grasps the breast correctly, then:

• Both the nipple and the areola (most of it) will be in the baby's mouth, and the baby's lips will be turned outward.
• The baby's nose will be pressed to the chest, but will not sink into it.
• Mom will not hear any other sounds other than swallowing milk.
• Mom will not experience any unpleasant sensations during sucking.

During feeding, monitor the position of the baby's mouth and nose and listen to your feelings

Outside the home

A breastfeeding mother receives such an important advantage as the ability to give her baby food at any time when the baby gets hungry. You can feed your baby discreetly in many places. To do this, mom should think about her clothes, wearing things that can be easily unbuttoned or lifted up. You can also bring a scarf or shawl to cover yourself while feeding.

Recently, places for feeding babies have begun to appear in stores. If a mother and her newborn are visiting, do not hesitate to ask for privacy with the baby in another room. Any adequate person will meet you halfway.

FAQ

How often and after how many minutes should you put your baby back to the breast?

How many minutes should a newborn breastfeed?

Most babies suckle for about 15 minutes per latch, but there are babies who require longer sucking times (up to 40 minutes). If you wean your baby from the breast before he empties the breast, the baby may not receive enough milk from the rear sections, which contains a large proportion of fat. Due to prolonged sucking, cracked nipples may appear, so it is recommended to feed the baby from 10-15 to 40 minutes.

How can you tell if your child is getting enough?

Is it possible to overfeed a baby?

Indeed, at first the baby eats milk in excess, because he is not familiar with the feeling of fullness, since he received food constantly in utero. But there is no need to worry, the baby will regurgitate all the excess, and overfeeding with breast milk cannot harm his health.

Will the milk have time to be digested if the baby asks for the breast frequently?

You don’t have to worry about this, because mother’s milk is a perfectly balanced food for a newborn, digested without much effort. Breast milk almost immediately enters the baby's intestines and is quickly digested.

How to breastfeed a crying baby?

If a crying baby is unable to latch onto the breast, calm the baby down first. Hold him close, talk tenderly to the child, rock him in your arms. If the baby's crying is due to the fact that he cannot latch on to the breast, touch the nipple to the baby's cheek or lips.

Is it necessary to feed at night?

Night feedings are very important for long and successful lactation, since it is during such feedings that the production of hormones important for milk production is stimulated. In addition, the newborn has not yet established a day-night routine, so the time of day does not affect his hunger in any way.

• Remember that by latching your baby to the breast early, feeding on demand and emptying the breast completely, you will stimulate milk production in the glands. If you feed the baby rarely and limit the feeding time, there is a high probability of a decrease in lactation.
• If the mother is taking any medications, it is important to find out whether such medications pass into the milk and whether they can affect the baby's health.
• If the mother drank alcohol, she should not feed the baby for three hours. Alcohol penetrates very quickly into human milk in the same concentration as it is found in the mother’s blood.
• You should not smoke while breastfeeding, because nicotine passes into milk very easily. Also, nursing mothers should not stay in a smoky room.
• In the first months of lactation, milk often leaks from the breast between feedings, so it is convenient to use inserts in the bra.
• You should not buy a bottle and formula “just in case” and you should not give up if your first feeding experience is unsuccessful. Breastfeeding takes a learning curve like any other skill, but once you master it, you'll reap many more benefits than switching to formula feeding.

Possible problems

At the very beginning of breastfeeding, many problems often arise, but any woman can cope with them.

Irregular nipple shape

The nipples at the mother's breast may be inverted or flat, and the baby can hardly grasp such nipples.

In this case, in the first weeks of feeding, before giving the baby the breast, the mother should pull out the nipple along with the areola (by hand or using a breast pump).

It often helps Hoffman technique: several times a day, make massage movements with your fingers, first squeezing the nipple and then straightening it, stretching it in opposite directions.

You can also resort to using special pads.

If pulling out the nipple and shield does not help, you will have to feed the baby with expressed milk.

Cracked nipples

This is a common problem in the first days of feeding, causing great discomfort to the mother. Cracks are usually caused by the baby sucking at the breast for too long, as well as improper latching. And therefore, to prevent the occurrence of cracks, you need to monitor the latch on the breast, as well as the duration of feeding.

If cracks have already appeared, the baby should start feeding from a healthy gland or use pads. If the pain is severe, you can express your breasts and give your baby expressed milk.

Strong milk flow

If the breast is overly filled with milk and becomes so dense that the baby cannot properly latch onto the nipple and suck out the milk, you should pump the breast a little before feeding (until soft), limit fluid intake, and also apply something to the breast for 5-7 minutes cold (for example, an ice pack).

Lactostasis

With this problem, the breasts become very dense and the mother feels painful swelling in them. There is no need to stop feeding your baby; on the contrary, you should put him to the breast more often. In this case, the mother is advised to limit liquid and lightly massage the hardened areas of the breast, straining the milk until soft.

Mastitis

This inflammatory disease is a common problem in the second to fourth week after childbirth. It is manifested by the appearance of seals that cause pain to the woman. Also, a nursing mother often has a fever. If you suspect that a woman is developing mastitis, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only he will confirm the diagnosis, prescribe treatment and be able to tell whether it is worth continuing to breastfeed.

Hypogalactia

This is the name for producing milk in an amount less than what the baby needs. Counting wet diapers (normally there are more than 10 of them) and monthly weighing (normally, the baby should gain at least 0.5 kg) will help you verify the lack of milk. But there is no need to rush to supplement with formula, because this could be a lactation crisis.