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Breast Feeding For The First Time
Breast milk is a complete food made especially for your baby. It carries all the proteins, minerals and antibodies to help your newborn grow strong and build up their immune system
Nearly every woman who starts breast feeding for the first time can feel quite uncoordinated, when they are trying to hold, balance and breast feed their babies. This is perfectly normal. You may also find you get a lot of conflicting advice on how to hold your baby, how they should latch on to the nipple and how long you should breastfeed for. Most babies have a natural instinct for latching on to the breast but some may need a bit of help. It may take a few goes to get it right. Don’t worry or get upset if it takes some time to get baby to latch on. Give yourself a good few weeks of breastfeeding to get into the swing of things. It also helps to have the loving support of friends and family around to cheer you on.
How To Breast Feed For The First Time
- Make sure you are comfortable. Propping a pillow under one arm while you are sitting on a chair or sitting upright on a bed can make you feel more comfortable and also make it easier for holding your baby in the right position.
- Nurse your baby as soon as possible after birth. The first feed can take any where up to an hour. If you are in hospital or a birth care unit your midwife or nurse will help you with breast feeding and holding your baby.
- Once you are comfortable hold your breast with your thumb and forefinger behind the areola (the dark area around your nipple), make sure your baby's mouth is open and quickly put the nipple in her mouth before your infant shuts it. Hold your baby with their tummy to your tummy this will ensure that your newborn doesn't pull your breast or break away from it. Most women find holding their baby in their arms as you would a rugby ball is the easiest position. It won’t take long to find a holding position that suits you.
What Nursing Mothers Should Know
Many mothers may feel they don’t have an adequate supply of milk. Just know your body is also learning what your baby needs the more they feed the more milk your body produces. It takes approximately 3 days for your milk to come through properly. Around the 3 day mark of breastfeeding many women also experience the “blues”. This is generally caused by a rush of post-partum hormones and the fact that the colostrum in your breast is transitioning to milk or in other words, your milk has “come in”. Your breast may feel heavier and may also be a little uncomfortable. You can relieve the discomfort by giving your baby more frequent feeds.
Make sure you eat a healthy well balanced diet, drink plenty of water and look after yourself. If you need a break or a catch up on some sleep you can invest in a breast pump and hand your beautiful baby off to their father, your mum or your best friend to watch and feed them.
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