Answer
Apr 27, 2018 - 08:21 AM
Learn to recognize hunger cues:
Your baby may first display some hunger cues, signaling that he/she is ready to feed.
Your baby may first begin to suck on his/her lip, tongue, finger, or fist.
Fidgeting and fussing at this time are also indicators that your baby is hungry.
Crying is a late hunger cue and it may make it more difficult to begin breastfeeding as your baby is now agitated and may refuse feeding for a period of time.
Be patient and try to pay attention and learn those earlier hunger cues.
Keep in mind that swaddling, pacifiers, and mittens can inhibit the hunger cues, as the baby’s mouth and hands are restricted.
The breastfeeding process:
The most important part of successful breastfeeding is the latch technique.
If your baby is not properly latched on to your breast, feedings could be painful causing soreness in the nipple area.
There are specific techniques that can be used when latching your baby to your breast.
The position in which you hold your baby is also crucial.
When a good position and latch is obtained, breastfeeding can be a satisfying experience for both mother and child.
1. Get into a comfortable chair with great back support to feed your baby.
Using a stool to rest your feet, will help with good posture and prevent you from straining your neck and shoulders while feeding.
Use a breastfeeding support pillow if you have one. (If you do not own one, use whatever kind of pillows you have to help support you and your baby.)
Itzy Ritzy Milk Boss Infant Feeding Support Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding Pillow, Platinum Helix
A good breastfeeding pillow can make a huge difference in getting the baby in a proper position to latch on well.
2. Make sure your baby is at close range to you at all times using the popular cradle position.
3. Make sure you bring your baby close enough so that he or she gets the maximum benefit of feeding and avoid leaning into the baby.
Leaning can cause severe strain on your neck and shoulders, and it can affect the baby’s feeding position.
4. Remember to keep your baby’s ear, shoulder, and hip in alignment, which will make swallowing easier.
The baby’s nose should be opposite the nipple.
5. You may need to hold your breast to help guide the nipple to your baby’s mouth.
Grasp the breast on the sides, using either a “C” hold or “U” hold.
6. Make sure to keep fingers far from the nipple so you don’t affect how baby latches on.
7. Aim the nipple toward the baby’s upper lip/nose, not the middle of the mouth.
You might need to rub the nipple across the top lip to get your baby to open his/her mouth.
8. The baby’s head should be tilted slightly back. You do not want his or her chin planted in their chest.
When he or she opens their mouth wide with the chin dropped and tongue down, he or she can properly latch on to the nipple.
If he does not open wide, do not try to shove the nipple in and wiggle the mouth open.
It is best to move back, tickle the lip again with the nipple and wait for a wide open mouth.
9. Try to get as much of the lower portion of the areola (the area around the nipple ) in the baby’s mouth.
The baby’s chin should indent the lower portion of your breast.
10. Look to see if the baby’s bottom and top lip are flanged out (like fish lips.)
If they are not, you may use your finger to pull the bottom one down and open up the top portion one more for proper feeding.
Your baby may first display some hunger cues, signaling that he/she is ready to feed.
Your baby may first begin to suck on his/her lip, tongue, finger, or fist.
Fidgeting and fussing at this time are also indicators that your baby is hungry.
Crying is a late hunger cue and it may make it more difficult to begin breastfeeding as your baby is now agitated and may refuse feeding for a period of time.
Be patient and try to pay attention and learn those earlier hunger cues.
Keep in mind that swaddling, pacifiers, and mittens can inhibit the hunger cues, as the baby’s mouth and hands are restricted.
The breastfeeding process:
The most important part of successful breastfeeding is the latch technique.
If your baby is not properly latched on to your breast, feedings could be painful causing soreness in the nipple area.
There are specific techniques that can be used when latching your baby to your breast.
The position in which you hold your baby is also crucial.
When a good position and latch is obtained, breastfeeding can be a satisfying experience for both mother and child.
1. Get into a comfortable chair with great back support to feed your baby.
Using a stool to rest your feet, will help with good posture and prevent you from straining your neck and shoulders while feeding.
Use a breastfeeding support pillow if you have one. (If you do not own one, use whatever kind of pillows you have to help support you and your baby.)
Itzy Ritzy Milk Boss Infant Feeding Support Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding Pillow, Platinum Helix
A good breastfeeding pillow can make a huge difference in getting the baby in a proper position to latch on well.
2. Make sure your baby is at close range to you at all times using the popular cradle position.
3. Make sure you bring your baby close enough so that he or she gets the maximum benefit of feeding and avoid leaning into the baby.
Leaning can cause severe strain on your neck and shoulders, and it can affect the baby’s feeding position.
4. Remember to keep your baby’s ear, shoulder, and hip in alignment, which will make swallowing easier.
The baby’s nose should be opposite the nipple.
5. You may need to hold your breast to help guide the nipple to your baby’s mouth.
Grasp the breast on the sides, using either a “C” hold or “U” hold.
6. Make sure to keep fingers far from the nipple so you don’t affect how baby latches on.
7. Aim the nipple toward the baby’s upper lip/nose, not the middle of the mouth.
You might need to rub the nipple across the top lip to get your baby to open his/her mouth.
8. The baby’s head should be tilted slightly back. You do not want his or her chin planted in their chest.
When he or she opens their mouth wide with the chin dropped and tongue down, he or she can properly latch on to the nipple.
If he does not open wide, do not try to shove the nipple in and wiggle the mouth open.
It is best to move back, tickle the lip again with the nipple and wait for a wide open mouth.
9. Try to get as much of the lower portion of the areola (the area around the nipple ) in the baby’s mouth.
The baby’s chin should indent the lower portion of your breast.
10. Look to see if the baby’s bottom and top lip are flanged out (like fish lips.)
If they are not, you may use your finger to pull the bottom one down and open up the top portion one more for proper feeding.
Add New Comment