skin-to-skin getting a good latch establishing a good supply
Skin-to-skin
In the first hour or two after birth, a newborn baby is often ready and willing to have its first experience of breastfeeding. It is useful to make this a specific request in your birthplan. Being skin to skin with your baby helps initiate the bonding process, is likely to encourage your baby to initiate breastfeeding, and your breasts will actually change temperature to keep your baby warm or cool! This youtube video is an example of how a newborn baby is able to latch on effectively after being placed between its mother's breasts. Don't worry if you are not able to have skin to skin in the first hours. Although ideal, as the baby is likely to be awake and alert, skin to skin can be used to get back to basics with breastfeeding at any time.
Getting a good latch
It's called breastfeeding for a very obvious reason: a baby needs to get a big mouthful of breast, not just the nipple, so they can transfer milk efficiently. The milk sinuses are actually behind the nipple. You can find yours by squeezing the nipple - a little milk may come out, or squeezing well behind it - your might get a squirt! That is what the baby needs to compress with its mouth to get a mouthful of milk. A baby who is able to drink well from the breast will not need to stay on the breast for hours and will get a good amount of milk in a short time. The videos on this website will help you see what a newborn baby looks like when they are breastfeeding effectively. Remember, watch your baby, not the clock. My blog post 'Latching your baby on effectively' explains about latching your baby on well in more detail.
Having said all this, babies need to learn to breastfeed efficiently and if at first your baby seems to be taking long, luxurious feeds that leave you with little time for anything else, this is entirely normal. Lots of babies do this and as they get bigger and stronger, they get more efficient at extracting the milk from the breast and they begin to take shorter feeds. Some babies even like to snack and use the little and often approach. Some are 'power feeders' - they tend to confuse mums by only staying on a few minutes, whereas others like to take their time. They are all different and it is all part of getting to know your baby. As long as your baby is producing plenty of wet and pooey nappies, and is gaining weight, their way of feeding is normal for a very tiny baby who wants to be near mum. In those crucial first weeks, get real life support if you are worried.
Having said all this, babies need to learn to breastfeed efficiently and if at first your baby seems to be taking long, luxurious feeds that leave you with little time for anything else, this is entirely normal. Lots of babies do this and as they get bigger and stronger, they get more efficient at extracting the milk from the breast and they begin to take shorter feeds. Some babies even like to snack and use the little and often approach. Some are 'power feeders' - they tend to confuse mums by only staying on a few minutes, whereas others like to take their time. They are all different and it is all part of getting to know your baby. As long as your baby is producing plenty of wet and pooey nappies, and is gaining weight, their way of feeding is normal for a very tiny baby who wants to be near mum. In those crucial first weeks, get real life support if you are worried.
Establishing a good supply
In the first days and weeks, your baby will be working hard to establish a good milk supply. Your breasts and your brain work together to produce enough milk - the more your baby removes the milk from your breasts, the more milk your breasts make and at a faster rate. The more your baby stimulates your breasts through all the sucking they do (which is good for their jaw development by the way) the more milk you will make.
Milk production is faster in an 'emptier' breast and slower in a 'fuller' breast so it is important that the baby softens and 'drains' the breast well. I use inverted commas because milk breasts don't fill up and empty in the way we would think they do - milk production is ongoing and constant - there is always milk being made and a baby feeding on an 'empty' breast and doing a swallow every now and again instead of gulping will be getting thick, high fat milk that will help with weight gain. Provided you are not in pain, there is no rush to make the baby finish the feed and anyway it is perfectly normal for your baby to want to breastfeed ALOT in the first weeks. Providing your baby has regained, or is regaining steadily, their birthweight, and having lots of wet and pooey nappies, long feeds with short gapsin-between can be just a particular baby's way of doing things. Again, get real life support if you are at all concerned.
Milk production is faster in an 'emptier' breast and slower in a 'fuller' breast so it is important that the baby softens and 'drains' the breast well. I use inverted commas because milk breasts don't fill up and empty in the way we would think they do - milk production is ongoing and constant - there is always milk being made and a baby feeding on an 'empty' breast and doing a swallow every now and again instead of gulping will be getting thick, high fat milk that will help with weight gain. Provided you are not in pain, there is no rush to make the baby finish the feed and anyway it is perfectly normal for your baby to want to breastfeed ALOT in the first weeks. Providing your baby has regained, or is regaining steadily, their birthweight, and having lots of wet and pooey nappies, long feeds with short gaps
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