Breastfeeding My Baby, Where Do I Start?

Congratulations you have a new baby! Having a new baby is hard enough but when you choose to breastfeed you sometimes feel that you made this experience even harder. Breastfeeding is not as difficult as it looks or as you may have heard from others. It is actually pretty easy and a very fulfilling way to nourish your newborn once you get the hang of it. Remember as with most things practice makes perfect! Breastfeeding is new to you and to your little one but with a little practice you two will become pros in no time!

During the first week of your baby?s life, your breasts will produce colostrum for your baby to drink. Colostrum is rich in antibodies and aids the baby?s immune system. It also helps him pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium. Meconium is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after birth. Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool that is loose and watery. Bottle-fed babies pass firmer, tannish stools than breastfed babies.

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet diapers that will increase to two or three a day.

Your technique and positioning is a very important factor in ensuring that your breastfeeding experience is a great one. There are a few different positions that can be used to make the experience more comfortable for you and baby. Some of these positions include:

? Laying down - Lay down on you side with pillows behind you to support your back. Lay baby facing you with her head on a pillow your breast should be level with baby?s mouth. Bend your legs with a pillow between your knees and then have baby latch on.

? Sitting Up ? Sit up either in bed or a comfortable chair or couch with pillows supporting your back and head. Place a pillow on your lap and put baby on top of the pillow in your arms, you can rest your arms on the pillow to make it easier to bring baby up to your breast. Bend your knees to make this even easier have baby latch on.

? The Clutch Hold ? This is also known as the football hold. This position is also good when nursing twins as it allows mom to have a baby on each side. Sit down and tuck your baby under your arm almost like a handbag. Rest baby?s head on a firm pillow on your lap. Ensure that baby?s feet are behind your back. Your hand is at the back of baby?s neck, not on baby?s head. Your arm will extend down baby?s back , guide baby to latch on

These are just a few of the positions that you can use there is also the cradle hold, clutch hold, and the transition position. Do some research to learn these other positions to nurse your baby if you find the above positions uncomfortable.

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen for a pattern of ?suck, suck, suck, swallow.? This pattern will be rhythmic and there should be no ?clicking? noises. The ?clicking? sound can indicate that your baby is not properly latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you. If you start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach him. If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him several times, then you may want to consult a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each day and at least 3 bowel movements a day. His urine should be clear and he should become more alert with each passing day. Your baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition. If you have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators, then you should call your pediatrician immediately.

Breastfeeding problems, such as milk production difficulties, are not as common when using the PDF feeding method, but they do occur. Even if you are well rested, eating healthy, have a pretty routine life, and your baby is growing and getting enough food, you still may experience a milk production issue. Many things can cause production problems. Here are just a few.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:

? What mom eats
? How much mom rests and sleeps
? Her state of mind
? The age of the mom
? How many children you have
? Your desire to breastfeed
? Your nursing capabilities
? Your nursing techniques
? Baby?s latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take your baby for their check-ups as needed. If you don?t, how will you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct rate? There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.

Melida Cohen is the author of "Baby's First Year: Everything You Should Know but probably don't" Visit www.CareForMyBaby.com to get a free copy of her baby care newsletter or visit her blog at www.CareForMyBabyBlog.blogspot.com to chat with other new moms.

Benefit Of Breastfeeding

<br><p>An estimated 16 percent of U.S. children are overweight and carry a significant risk of developing heart disease and diabetes while young adults.<p>
One study in 2005 by scientists shows that formula fed babies who gained weight rapidly during their first week of life were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later.<p>
"It suggests that there may be a critical period in that first week during which the body's physiology may be programmed to develop chronic disease throughout life," said Dr. Nicolas Stettler, a pediatric nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.<p>
And so he thought that the findings pointed toward ways to prevent the development of long term obesity. More studies need to be done to be sure.<p>
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding during a baby's first six months of life," Stettler said. Breast fed babies are less likely to be overweight.<p>
Some other benefits of breastfeeding for infants are:<p>
* Fewer ear and respiratory infections.
* Less allergies.
* Reduced incidences of cancer.
* Certain immunities are passed from mother to child.
* Reduced incidence of blood infections and meningitis.
* More contact with mother.
* Reduced incidences of insulin-dependent diabetes.
* Acts as first brain food as it helps to set down the proper matrix for humans.<p>
Pretty important benefits, don't you think? So encourage new mothers to breastfeed. It may seem inconvenient, and may take some getting used to, but the benefits to the baby may last a lifetime.
<br><h1>About the Author</h1>
<p><P>Article written by Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. Discover simple health strategies to improve your overall wellness</A> when you subscribe to <A rel="nofollow" href="http://www.health-doc.com/newsletter.html">Healthy
Living Newsletter</A>.

Breastfeeding Questions And Answers

Q. How often should a newborn be nursed?

A. You should nurse a newborn no less than 8 times a day, depending upon how long he sleeps between feedings at night. If he can go four hours between feedings, then you will probably feed him twice between 11pm and 7am. If you feed him right before he goes to bed, then you may only have to get up one time during the night.

Q. How often should an older baby be nursed?

A. Depending upon the age of your child, you should be feeding him every 3-4 hours during the day. As your child gets older, they will nurse less, but they will be eating more during each nursing. If you are going to nurse after your child is over 6 months old, you should not nurse less than 5 times a day. If your milk supply is decreasing, then you may need to add a nursing or two to your day to help increase your milk supply.

Q. How do I go about dropping a feeding as my baby gets older?

A. The most common change that moms need to make is going from a every 3 hour to every 4 hour routine, dropping a feeding in the middle of the night, or dropping a late-night feeding.

Most of the time you will know when your baby is ready to change their eating habits by a change in their sleep patterns. A baby that has been on an every 3 hour routine normally takes 3 naps a day and if they eat every 3 ? to 4 hours then they may drop the last nap of the nap or shorten one of the other naps considerably. Babies are usually ready to do this at around 3 months of age.

Most babies drop the feeding in the middle of night by themselves at around 6-14 weeks old. You will know that they are ready when you awake in a panic in the morning wondering why your baby did not get you for a feeding. The baby will require more food during the day though, and if you are breastfeeding, your breasts may feel full for a few days, but it is well worth it!

The late night feeding is usually the hardest to let go of. Some parents think that if they do not feed the baby right before bed that the baby will awake in the middle of the night. If you don't think your child can do without the late night feeding, then push it back in 15-minute increments until you are feeding him at the time you would like to. If the last two feedings of the day seem too close

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