|
 1. Begin preparing during pregnancy.
|
"Breastfeeding is a learned art"
Knowledge is power. Before you even have your baby, take a breastfeeding class, buy a breastfeeding book or watch a breastfeeding video. Better yet, do all three.“Breastfeeding is a learned art.” Give yourself time and space to master this art. Create a nursing station: a comfy chair with a side table for snacks, water, nursing pads and burp cloths. Once you have the baby, put aside other obligations.
|
2. Get referrals for a Lactation Consultant.
| Find a Board Certified Lactation Consultant that seems like a good fit for you during your next pregnancy. Call and interview her ahead of time. If you have any difficulties, seek help early on, and get breastfeeding off to a great start. It's a great gift to give yourself and your baby. |
3. Eat and drink.
| You’ll need even more calories when you are breastfeeding than while pregnant—300 more per day than in the last trimester, even more if you’re exercising. But don’t go overboard; three well-balanced meals a day plus healthful snacks should cover it. Just make sure you’re prepared—fill up your pantry, and ask family members and friends to cook a freezerful of meals before you have the baby. After the baby arrives, prepare a plate of finger foods—sandwich bites, hunks of low-fat cheese, trail mix, vegetables and fruit—for you to nibble on while you nurse. Breast milk is 87.5 percent water, so drink up—a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses a day |
4. Reconsider the use of labor medication.
| Medications used during labor -- including the epidural -- can have an affect on your baby's behavior at the breast. This may last for the first two weeks because these medications may take quite a while to clear from your baby's system. A baby whose mom has had a medicated labor/birth has more chance of being a baby who is sleepy or exhibits sucking difficulties right after birth. Using a labor assistant for your birth may help you to avoid or reduce the amount of medication you use. If you do use medication, the less medication you receive, and the later in labor, the less you will pass on to your baby. |
5. Nurse early and often.
| Breastfeeding should be initiated as soon as possible following your baby's birth. Research has shown that in the two hours following the birth, infants are in a state of alertness, which is accompanied by a strong sucking reflex. It is at this time that your baby, eager for the comfort of your arms, will lick or nuzzle your nipple and may even decide to latch on and take her first taste of your milk (colostrum). These early feeds have an imprinting effect and help to get breastfeeding off to a good start. |
6. Give your baby lots of practice time at your breast.
| This is very important during those first few weeks of your baby's life. In the beginning, she may just nuzzle or lick your nipple. That's okay. Allow her a lot of skin-to-skin contact. She will quickly become accustomed to, and prefer, your smell and your taste to any artificial nipple. Your baby should be fed on cue at least every two to three hours. Nursing your baby early and often helps to keep your breasts soft and graspable, and helps to lessen or even prevent engorgement. Watch your little one for signs of hunger, such as sucking sounds and/or lip movements, rapid eye movement during the light sleep cycle and changes in facial expression. Try to anticipate your baby's hunger by watching for these signs. |
7. Avoid supplements.
| The practice of giving water to a baby in place of breastmilk could be dangerous. It definitely does not "cure" jaundice, or reduce your baby's bilirubin levels. In fact, this practice could complicate the situation in several ways. Supplementation of water reduces the time your baby spends at the breast, in the days your milk supply is developing, decreases your baby's caloric intake, and increases jaundice levels. When a baby is put to the breast for frequent feeds she is less likely to be jaundiced. If supplementation with breastmilk or formula does become necessary, a cup can be used, your baby can be fed at the breast using a nursing supplementer, or can be finger-fed using a syringe. |
8. Feel confident that your baby is getting enough milk.
| Many moms worry whether or not their baby is getting enough milk. In the early weeks, as breastfeeding is getting established, it's a good idea to monitor your baby's output. Your baby should be having at least six to eight wet cloth diapers (five to six disposables) and two bowel movements a day, beginning around day three -- about the time your milk supply increases. This should continue until your baby is about six weeks old, when her wetting and stooling pattern may begin to change. Your baby should have regained her birth weight by the second or third week of life. Average weight gain during the first six months is four to eight ounces per week |
|
