Breastfeeding Benefits And Tips All New Moms Need To Know

Benefits of Breastfeeding

• Nothing is more nutritious and healthy for your baby than the breast milk a mother smothers own body produces. If one eats healthy and avoids harmful substances, breast milk can provide all the sustenance a nutritional baby needs for at least 6 months.

• A mother smothers milk is made just for her baby. It has just the right amount of nutrients to help the baby grow. It is easy to digest and contains substances that help prevent infections and improve the baby’s health in the present and adulthood.

• Breastfeeding is conveniently available. When the baby is hungry, breast milk is ready to serve. It is always clean, the right temperature, and the perfect quantity.

• Breastfeeding is economical! It is much less expensive than having to buy formula and bottles. Besides, there there’s minimal clean up and no hassles heating bottles.

• Breastfeeding provides a physical closeness and emotional satisfaction for both baby and mother, which is irreplaceable. It is a delightful and rewarding experience for many women when they are educated and have mastered the skills.

• Breastfeeding helps the mother lose pregnancy weight and aids in reforming a woman’s body to its pre-pregnancy state. It assists the uterus is contracting back down to approximately its original size and helps to burn the extra fat in a woman’s body stored during pregnancy.

Answers to Most Commonly Asked Questions

I want to breastfeed my infant, but I’m concerned about people staring at me and feeling embarrassed.

Fear of public disapproval and harassment of breastfeeding one’s infant has contributed to a lower breastfeeding rate. Breastfeeding is, in fact, a usual, healthy way of nourishing infants. Nursing promotes maternal/infant bonding while reducing health care costs for children. New legislation in some states protecting a woman’s right to breastfeed in public will hopefully begin to make people feel more comfortable. Besides, nursing clothes, which make nursing a little more convenient, may help you nurse in public with more confidence.

I’m concerned that I don’t have enough milk for my baby. All of a sudden, he/she wants to nurse frequently and never seems satisfied.

Often when a baby is fussier and wants to nurse more frequently, he/she is going through a growth spurt. One typically sees this at around 10-14 days, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months, but it may be as frequent as every 2 weeks. Follow the baby’s signals – he/she will increase breastfeeding for a day or two until the increased suckling produces more milk. The more stimulation you get, the more milk you will produce. Remember, the breast fullness that you feel will naturally subside at your baby’s 6-week spurt. You haven’t lost your milk as long as you see signs that the baby is getting enough through wet and soiled diapers and weight gain. If this is the case, you can rest assured that your milk meets all your baby’s needs.

Breastfeeding Tips

• Breastfeeding is a wonderful and beautiful experience for you and your baby, but it isn’t as instinctive as some belief. It does take practice and time to learn breastfeeding skills, as you may have already experienced. Knowing the correct positioning is imperative for successful breastfeeding to prevent sore nipples and insufficient milk intake. Make sure the entire nipple and a large portion of the areola are in baby’s mouth. It helps to hold your breast, keeping your fingers well back from the areola.

• Try to get comfortable and relaxed, either lying or sitting. Footstools and pillows often make positioning yourself and the baby more comfortable. Learn the 4 essential and popular nursing positions.
• The cuddle hold
• The cross cuddle hold
• The football hold, 
• The side-lying position.

Use what works best for you and your baby.

• Set up a support network, including experienced friends and family, support groups such or other experts and professionals.

• Don’t forget to eat an adequate diet and get plenty to drink.

• Clean your nipples only with water and use either a little expressed breast milk or USP Modified Lanolin (Lansinoh) if they get tender.

• Ensure baby has at least 6-8 wet diapers and 2-5 bowel movements per day and has constant weight gain.

• Get plenty of rest. Nap during the day if possible.

• Remember, patience is a virtue! Anything worthwhile, like breastfeeding, demands persistence to get you through the early trying times. Once you’re past that, the rewards are indescribable.