Breastfeeding which is also known as nursing, is the process of feeding a mother’s breast milk to her infant, either directly from the breast or by expressing (pumping out) the milk from the breast and bottle-feeding it to the infant. The world Health Organization(WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby’s life and continue as often and ask much as the baby wants. During the first few weeks of life babies may nurse roughly every two to three hours or often.
*Breastmilk contains all the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months
*It also satisfies the baby’s thirst
*It helps develop the eyes and brain and other body systems
*The act of breastfeeding helps with jaw development
*It helps the baby resist infection and disease, even later in life
*It reduces the risk of obesity in childhood and later in life
*It contains a range of factors that protect your baby while their immune system is still developing
Breastfeeding also has many benefits for mothers. Not only is it convenient, cheap, and always available.
It also reduces the risk of haemorrhage immediately after delivery
It reduces your risk of breast and ovarian cancer
It is convenient and cheap
can soothe your baby
prolongs the amount of time before you get your period again
Getting started
You can usually start breastfeeding within the first hour or so of your baby’s birth.
The first milk in your breasts is called colostrum. This milk is quite thick and may be yellowish in colour. It’s very rich in protein and antibodies that will help give your baby a great start in life. Mature breast milk gradually replaces the colostrum in the first few days after birth.
Ideally, you should try to maintain close skin-to-skin contact with your baby immediately after the delivery. If you hold your baby against your chest and between your breasts for a while, there’s a good chance he or she will find your nipple and begin feeding without any help. Your midwife or a lactation consultant can also help guide you and your baby into position.
Good positioning and attachment
The key to successful breastfeeding is comfortable positioning and good attachment.
If your baby is well-attached to your breast you are less likely to experience breastfeeding problems like cracked nipples, and your baby will get the most amount of milk out of your breast.
There are lots of different ways to position and attach your baby for breastfeeding, but here are some general tips:
Sit comfortably with your back and feet supported – you can be fully upright or you might prefer to be laying back a little bit.
Unwrap your baby and hold him or her close against you.
Turn your baby on his or her side so they are wrapped around you with their nose level with your nipple.
Make sure you support your baby’s neck and shoulders with your hand, but don’t hold your baby’s head — allow him or her to find the best position for attaching to your breast.
Bring your baby to your breast, not your breast to your baby.
Gently brush your baby’s mouth with the underside of your areola (the area around the nipple) — this will usually cause your baby to open their mouth very wide.
When your baby opens their mouth, bring him or her quickly to your breast so they take a good mouthful of breast tissue.
As you bring your baby to your breast it can help to hold your breast like you would a sandwich, with your nipple aimed at the roof of your baby’s mouth.
Signs that your baby is well-attached include:
Your baby’s chin should be tucked into your breast, and his or her mouth should be wide open with the bottom lip curled back.
Your baby’s nose will be clear or only just be touching your breast.More of your areola will be visible above your baby’s top lip than below it.
Your baby’s cheeks should not be sucking in and there should be no clicking noise during sucking.
There should be No nipple pain ,you might feel a stretching sensation As ur nipple adjust To breastfeeding…
How often will my baby feed?
During the first week of life most babies will gradually develop a pattern of feeding eight to twelve times in a 24-hour period. You should feed your baby whenever he or she shows signs of hunger.
You will know your baby is getting enough breast milk if he or she:
is feeding at least 8 times a day (with some of those feeds occurring overnight)has at least 5 wet disposable nappies or 6 to 8 wet cloth nappies per day
has 2 or more soft or runny bowel movements per day for around the first 6 weeks of life (babies have fewer bowel movements once they reach about 6 weeks)is gaining weight and growing as expected
is alert when awake, and reasonably contented