Breastfeeding- Planning to Breastfeed

Getting off to the Right Start

Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to bond with your baby.  It has great health benefits for the mother and the baby and is something that is as age old as delivery itself.  Many women are intimidated by breastfeeding. Some women have been given inacurate advice from previous providers that they cannot produce enough milk or are unable to breastfeed. Except for a very few rare cases, most women should be able to produce enough milk for their infants and breastfeed successfully.

Planning to breastfeed is a great way to ensure success. Some women are natural breastfeeders and other women can have difficulties in the beginning.  Even though, it's hard not to compare ourselves to others, (especially sisters and mothers) each woman is unique. The majority of women who stick with breastfeeding find they are very successful after just after two or three days with their babe.

Some great ways to ensure successful breastfeeding:

• Get the baby to the breast as soon as possible after delivery. Once a baby is born, he will be alert and responsive for the first 60-90 minutes.  This is a great time to get the baby to the breast in a very relaxed way. Because a full-term infant is born with brown fat that they metabolize in the first few hours of life, there is no rush to feed them immediately.  Also, their stomachs are small (like a marble) and they cannot take in a lot of milk in the first few days as it is. This time can be used to get to know your babe and get to know your babe at the breast.
• Skin to skin:  Keeping your baby's skin on your skin as much as possible is a great way to encourage breastfeeding. This helps to decrease stress in the newborn and has been shown to increase breastfeeding success.
• Try, try, again.  Don't be intimidated. Even when unsure, the best thing to do simply get the baby to the breast. Attempt breastfeeding.  It is a very natural thing for both the mother and the baby.  You might be surprised how easily a baby will naturally latch on the breast
• Utilize the resources at your birthing facility. Many hospitals and birthing centers will have lactation specialists that can come and evaluate breastfeeding. Having someone telling you, you are doing it right is one of the biggest confidence boosters. Have someone watch you breastfeed and evaluate your latch before you leave the birthing facility.
• Try to avoid a bottle or pacifier in the first 48 hours.  This will help to avoid nipple confusion and also signal to the body to produce milk.
• Learn how to use a breast pump early on.  A pump is a great ally when milk supply is down.  Production is a supply and demand operation. The more demand there is (stimulation on the nipple) for milk, the more milk the body will make.
• Eat. The first 6 weeks are not a great time for dieting in order to establish a great milk supply. Also excessive exercising during this time may decrease milk production.
• Drink. Water is an essential component to milk production and a decrease in water intake will decrease your milk supply.
• If difficulty still persists after 2-3 days, consider having a lactation consultation or your midwife come to your home to assist with latch.
• Have confidence in yourself and your ability to breastfeed. It's all natural.