How to breastfeed your baby? Tips for new moms

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Everyone knows that the best food for a baby is mother's milk. It will not be replaced by any, even the most expensive and vitamin-rich mixture. But often a young mother has a question about how to properly feed a baby with breast milk. After all, conflicting information comes from all sides: in the maternity hospital, it is advised to put the little one to the chest by the hour with a mandatory night break, while consultants recommend giving the baby a breast on demand. And a new mother often finds herself at a crossroads…

How to breastfeed your baby? If we talk about a newborn baby and a baby in the first months of life, then the best option is feeding on demand.

Moreover, both the toddler himself and the mother can demand (especially in cases where the baby was born small and weakened). Breastfeeding consultants advise not to count the number of attachments, butsimply offering breasts to a daughter or son at the slightest disturbance. However, such a regime, or rather, its complete absence, can tire the mother very quickly. Breastfeeding should be a pleasure for both parties, so you should try to find the option that will satisfy everyone as much as possible. It may not be a good idea to breastfeed your baby on the first whine, but you shouldn't strictly stick to the schedule and keep the 3-hour interval either.

By the way, it should be said that night feedings are very important not only for the baby, but also for the mother, because it is at night that the body produces the most prolactin, a special hormone responsible for milk production.

Many mothers ask how to breastfeed their baby - sitting or lying down? It doesn’t matter at all, the position can be any, the main thing is that mom and little one are comfortable. What really matters is whether the baby takes the breast correctly. It should be remembered that not only the nipple, but also most of the circle around it (areola) should be in his mouth. This will reduce the risk of cracks and abrasions. In addition, you need to make sure that the baby's nose is free so that he can breathe normally.

How to feed a baby with breast milk when he has already grown a little? Much depends on the regimen established from a very early age. But in any case, the number of feedings will be gradually reduced. However, if the baby is accustomed to receiving breasts on the firstdemand, he can apply to it very often (sometimes just for a couple of seconds).

If the mother is satisfied with this option - great, because the breast for a child is not only and not so much food, but a means to calm down. Otherwise, you can gradually transfer the little one to a certain mode, teaching him to calm down in other ways.

Also, many people are interested in the answer to the question of how much to breastfeed a baby. However, there is no single correct answer to it. Some doctors say that after a year it is almost pointless to feed the baby with breast milk, because there are no useful substances left in it. But in fact, this is not entirely true, and mother's milk remains useful for a toddler even after a year, and even after two. Again, remember that feeding should not cause irritation. Therefore, if a mother, having fed the baby for a year (one and a half, two, etc.), feels that she is already tired of this process, you can start curtailing it without a twinge of conscience. And if you have the strength, then it is quite possible to feed until self-weaning (3-4 years).