How to breastfeed: how to properly apply a newborn baby to the breast

The birth of a baby is the greatest miracle in the world. And most of all, a tiny and defenseless creature needs a mother and her milk. Pediatricians around the world constantly urge women to breastfeed, because the composition of milk is so perfect for the baby that there is no complete analogue to it. But every year more and more women are faced with lactation problems and sometimes it is not possible to save food for the baby at all or the period of breastfeeding barely reaches half a year. Why is this happening? Doctors say that most often the fault is the incorrect behavior of women in childbirth. That is why it is important for young mothers to know how to breastfeed correctly, how to properly attach a baby to their breasts. Here is an article that will surely answer this and some other questions (what is important to pay attention to during breastfeeding, how to better understand the needs of the baby, how to avoid common mistakes and subsequent troubles), will allow you and your baby to receive from breastfeeding only positive emotions.

So, let's figure it out in order.

Proper attachment is the golden rule of continued success.

One of the most important points that determine the course of the entire subsequent process of breastfeeding can be confidently called the first application of the baby. Failure here is fraught with a negative reaction both in the mother and in the baby, who can easily refuse to breast. Most modern maternity hospitals can boast of medical assistance in the issue of first feeding. But, unfortunately, there are reverse cases. Therefore, it is important for every woman herself to know the basic principles of the correct application of crumbs to the breast. How to apply to the chest:

• Choose a comfortable pose, given that feeding can last quite a long time and you should not be tired. It is possible to feed a child in different positions and, as a rule, each woman chooses for herself what she likes. But the baby during the whole process must be on his stomach to his mother, and his face should be turned to the nipple. In addition, the baby’s head should not be rigidly fixed so that he can adjust the position of the nipple in his mouth and can inform his mother about the end of feeding (Material from photo and video about various poses for feeding);
• The newborn's nose should be close enough to the chest, but not drown in it, because if the baby reaches for the nipple, then there is a high probability of its superficial capture. Women with full breasts should be especially careful;
• Remember, the baby must take the nipple on its own. No need to put it in his mouth. Otherwise, all the same wrong seizure will be ensured and the problems following this too. If the baby grabbed only the tip of the nipple, then by softly pressing the chin, the mother can always free herself.

Video: feeding poses:

Breast capture: how to find the truth

But how to understand that the baby took the chest correctly? To do this, just pay attention to the feeding process itself. It should look like this:

• The kid captures both the areola and the nipple, while his lips turn outward;
• The nose of the crumbs is tightly pressed to the mother’s breast, but does not drown in it;
• During sucking no extraneous sounds are heard other than gulps;
• Mom does not experience any discomfort in the process.

Photo gallery

(Clickable Pictures)

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Popular questions

Do I need a schedule

The feeding schedule is another stumbling block for absolutely all young mothers. From the older generation you can hear that you need to feed the baby strictly by the hour. Modern pediatricians have recognized this technique as ineffective and unanimously repeat that feeding a newborn should be on demand! This is because its production depends on the amount of milk eaten by the baby. Therefore, the more babies suck their breasts, the more successful lactation will be with their mother.

How much to feed

But if we talk about the duration of feeding, then there are no clear boundaries here. It all depends on the individual abilities and desires of the baby. But we can say that a healthy newborn should actively suckle at least 30 minutes. The maximum time is determined by the children themselves.

• The amount of time at the chest for each baby is determined individually. Some babies suckle more actively, quickly eat up and let go of their breasts. Other babies suck slowly, they can often be seen sleeping by the chest. But if you try to remove the nipple, they again begin to suck. To wake such a baby, you can slightly remove the nipple, or touch it on the cheek;
• The duration of the entire period of HB is determined by the desire of the mother to breastfeed, as well as the general conditions of the family (nutrition, the need to go to work, and so on);
• Usually at the beginning of lactation, the baby is given a breast up to 10 times / day. Gradually, when the baby grows up, the diet is reduced - up to 7-8 times a day.

Eaten or not

A well-fed baby is a happy baby. This is an undeniable truth. If the baby is full - he either just released his chest, or simply fell asleep. And to understand that a child eats up in general, there are several signs:

• the baby releases the breast itself after eating;
• evenly adds weight and height;
• It is active and sleeps well;

One or two servings

Only one breast should be given per feed. In the subsequent - another and so alternate them. Such tactics will allow the mammary glands to establish the correct supply of milk to the baby. Sucking one breast provides the baby with “front” liquid milk, which serves as a drink, and “back” thick milk, which contains most of the nutrients. However, if the child does not eat up, then you can offer him a second breast.

But it also happens that the production of milk by the mother is not as significant as the baby needs it. Especially this problem can overtake a woman in childbirth along with sharp jumps in the growth of the child (2 months of age). Then, at one feeding, it is advisable for the mother to give the baby both breasts so that the milk would be enough for him. But to think that if the breast is soft means it has no milk or not enough is wrong. If a woman in labor sees that the child is full from one breast, but just in case, offers him a second, then this approach can negatively affect the baby. After all, the baby is easy to overfeed.

How often to feed

How often should a baby be fed if it is still possible to overfeed it? Here it all comes down, again, to the baby’s demand.After all, if he eats well, he simply won’t be able to get hungry faster than after 2-3 hours! But if the baby asks for breasts more often, then his demand in milk should be satisfied. After all, he might just not have eaten up last time. That is why on-demand feeding is the red thread of the entire breastfeeding process these days.

Suddenly overfeed

Many mothers are afraid to feed the baby to irreversible consequences. The main thing is not to panic. Although overfeeding a child is not difficult, but he will definitely burp all the excess. Therefore, health will not be affected in any way.

Will it be able to digest

If the baby eats too often, will the milk have time to digest? There is no reason for concern here at all. Mother's milk is so perfectly balanced for the baby that it is not necessary for the tiny body to spend special forces on its digestion. Milk almost immediately enters the intestines, where it is digested very quickly.

Crying and feeding

In the practice of young mother, there are always cases. Including the crying baby at the chest. And the question "How to give a baby a breast if he cries a lot" arises by itself. In this case, you need to try to somehow reassure the baby: hug it, shake it on the handles, gently talk. If the baby is crying because he cannot take the breast, then you can squeeze a drop of milk into his mouth or touch the nipple to his lips or cheek. Breast - the best sedative for any crumbs. Therefore, for a long time mom does not have to force her to take it.

How to take away

For many references to how to properly and often apply the baby for feeding, it is important to remember the recommendations on how to properly remove the breast from the baby. In order for the process not to cause unpleasant sensations in the mother and not to provoke further problems (nipple crack, for example), the breast should be removed only after the baby has let it go. To do this, gently press the chin (as mentioned above), or you can insert the little finger into the corner of the baby’s mouth and rotate it half a turn. This simple manipulation will force the child to open his mouth. Then the chest can be safely removed.

Milk stagnation - what to do

All women know that the process of breastfeeding is not always smooth. It happens that the baby does not have time to eat everything and milk stagnates. The chest at the same time becomes just “stone”. If you do not pay attention to it, then you can earn mastitis and subsequent surgery. How to react if the problem is still detected? If there are lumps in the chest, or in addition to this, the temperature also rises, then you need to urgently act. At this point, help: massage under a warm shower, decantation or offering a breast to a baby (he, by the way, is the best doctor in such situations) and compresses from a cabbage leaf with honey. Massage is important to do carefully, without risk of breast damage. And compresses should be applied after each meal of the baby. If these manipulations do not bring an obvious effect, and the temperature does not drop for several days, then it is tedious to consult a doctor.

Common sense is the main thing

Very often, young mothers, nevertheless, so literally perceive absolutely all the information that can only be heard that they commit typical mistakes. For example, such:

• Wash your breast before each feeding. In fact, the morning and evening toilet for this part of the body is more than enough. Otherwise, you can wash off the protective lubricant that protects the breast from the growth of bacteria.
• Holding breasts with hands while breastfeeding. Such behavior can provoke stagnation of milk in places of contact with the hand of the mother, which must be strictly avoided.
• Doping the baby with baby tea or water. Both drinking and eating for the baby are mom's milk!
• Refusal of breastfeeding and the transition to artificial if there are cracks in the nipples or colds. For painless feeding, it is worth using special silicone pads for nipples. And in order not to be afraid to catch a baby, it’s enough to wear a mask.

This is not a complete list of possible mistakes of young mothers. And every question that worries a woman in labor is better to ask a doctor right away.

Video instruction: rules for applying to the chest:

Having completed the feeding process (its end means that the baby often began to release the nipple, twirl its head, or even fell asleep), you need to decant the remaining milk. It is recommended to strain in a small clean container with clean, dry hands. Today there are many different breast pumpsHowever, they should be used with caution, as they can injure the tender nipple.

• Breastfeeding should be started from birth (in the first hours after childbirth), this is how milk production is stimulated;
• If the child is hungry, then he searches for the chest, opens his mouth and smack. But if he does not do this, the mother herself can put the nipple to the baby’s lips, then he will immediately take the nipple;
• It is necessary that the baby grasps the nipple and paranasal part of the chest in the mouth;
• When giving a breast to a child, you need to pay attention to the fact that the cheeks and nose should fit snugly to the chest;
• It is better not to apply the baby in one feeding to two breasts, because in this case the baby will receive only front milk, not as useful as the back. The baby should suck out one breast completely to the end.

In order to properly start the mechanism of milk production, it is necessary to attach the newborn to the breast as soon as possible. To date, the time interval from birth to first meal in a newborn baby is about two hours. The first attachment to the breast is very important for subsequent feedings, as it is at this moment that the baby’s habits and the correct grip of the nipple are laid down, which ensures comfortable sucking.

What features should be considered

1. Maternal nutrition: the first days you need to include foods rich in fiber; do not abuse sugar. It is forbidden to drink alcohol and smoke. It is better to exclude or limit the menu allergenic foods such as nuts, eggs, citrus fruits and so on. (We read that it is possible and that it is impossible for the nursing mother).
2. During feeding, you can not be distracted by TV and other extraneous irritants, so the connection between the mother and the baby is broken; periodically (up to 3 times) you need to give the baby to spit up, and after feeding hold it upright to avoid colic.
3. You can’t breast-feed in case of serious illnesses of the mother (open tuberculosis, kidney failure, AIDS, various infectious diseases) or the baby (Rh incompatibility, prematurity with no sucking reflex, central nervous system disease, breathing).

To summarize all of the above, one thing can be said - if a nursing mother does everything right, then at the same time with her own pleasant sensations, she will give great benefit and a sense of security to the baby!

Recommended publications on breastfeeding:

• Tips for Nursing Mothers;
• Basic rules for breastfeeding;
• Breast pain when feeding a baby;

GV Video Guide

Watch a video on the topic of proper breastfeeding: