What is Breastfeeding?
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It contains exactly what the baby needs for nutrition, energy, and antibodies against the illness. The body will prepare the body for breast-feeding. Staying healthy is as much as you can do to prepare your body for breastfeeding. Breast-feeding is an unequaled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants. During breast-feeding mothers face various difficulties. Breast-feeding difficulties are very common; some tips will help beginners to overcome those problems.
Tips for Successful Breastfeeding and Pumping:
Following these tips can help ensure that your breastfeeding and nursing attempts progress as smoothly as possible.
- Start breastfeeding your baby as soon as possible after birth. this will kick-start the release of hormones, that encourage milk production.
- Wash your hands before breastfeeding or expressing milk.
- Keep your breast clean and wash your nipples daily with warm water. Don’t use soap or lotion that may contain alcohol, which can dry the skin.
- Do not rough up nipples by scrubbing them roughly with a towel.
- To prevent sensitive nipples at the beginning of the breastfeeding relationship, you can avoid non-nutritive sucking while your baby is asleep.
- Stimulate your nipples to make them erect before feeding. Massage them between your thumb and forefinger until they protrude.
- The massage should be gentle and not painful. Start at the above of the breast and stroke with a circular motion while towards the nipple. Then move again to the outside of the breast in a different and repeat, moving towards the nipple. Do this until move around the entire breast.
- For inverted or flat nipples, pinch the breast between the thumb and forefinger on the dark area about an inch above and below the nipple.
- Do not worry if you have inverted nipples. Many women with inverted nipples can successfully breastfeed without a problem. There have available different types of devices to pull out nipples and help in breastfeeding such as breast shells, breast pumps, Evert-It Nipple Enhancer, etc.
- Use the Hoffman Technique to stretch your nipple and make it easier to pop out. Put both thumbs on either side of your nipple and press into your breast while also spreading your thumbs apart.
- Sit in a relaxed atmosphere. Relaxing will help your milk flow better.
- Positioning with pillow yourself and your baby. Pillow can be used for comfort. no matter which position you are breast-feeding.
- Eat well, drink well, and rest well.
- Your baby’s body should be facing towards you while breast-feeding and it is best if there is the skin on skin contact.
- You should keep your baby at the level of your breast and should not be stretching /bending downward. This is to prevent backache.
- All of your nipple and a large amount of your areola should be found in your baby’s mouth while breast-feeding. If your baby only latches onto the nipple, you may develop severe nipple pain.
- If you feel discouraged and your baby continues to cry, put your baby down and take a five-minute break before trying again.
- You should breastfeed your newborn baby, at least every two hours.
- You do not need to use creams to soften skin beforehand or express colostrums.
- Use a breast pump to induce lactation if you are an adoptive mother.
- Stimulate your breasts by pumping every 2-3 hours around the clock before the baby comes.
- Do not rub your nipples with a nail brush or even a washcloth to toughen them.
- Lovemaking with gentle oral or manual stimulation of the nipples.
- Getting involved in a group where other mothers are also breastfeeding, will be a great help and source of motivation.
Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “maria.mona023@gmail.com”
I’m not due for a few months, but the idea of breastfeeding is a little scary for me. This provided some great suggestions for things I can do to help ensure that nursing attempts progress smoothly. I wasn’t aware that even sitting in a relaxing atmosphere could help.