Learn how to give a proper breastfeeding session to your newborn baby with our breastfeeding tips and get rid of all your worries.
Even if you have been nursing for only a few weeks or days, the colostrum (that early mil) is an essential provider of antibodies to the little one.
He needs them to protect him against diseases. Besides having the best nursing tanks, antibodies are a crucial factor as well because the immune system is developed in the first year of a baby’s life.
Let’s go through some of the best breastfeeding tips for you to take in.
12 Best Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms
Find a Lactation Group
You wouldn’t believe how much science is behind the breastfeeding and pumping tips that you see out there.
The lactation group is a perfect source for you to get your information and what are the best practices. Taking a class will make all the difference.
You can learn things like: If you leave the baby latched on for too long, they will get hindmilk instead of foremilk.
For a more natural understanding, let’s think about foremilk as skin milk, and the hindmilk is a thick cream.
Among other breastfeeding tips and tricks that you can learn, there is about proper latch and breast compressions.
You can always take your partner with you on these sessions, as you must be both up to date with what you need to know about lactation and breastfeeding.
Anticipate the Baby’s Desires
One of the breastfeeding tips for new moms that proved to be helpful is to know what your baby wants before he starts crying.
All you have to do is catch some of the signs that indicate the baby is hungry, such as:
- Raise or turn their head more and more in a short period.
- When they mimic the gesture of eating by opening and closing their mouth repeatedly.
- They stick out their tongue.
- They start sucking on what is in their near vicinity.
If you happen to notice these moves on your baby, you should offer your breast immediately.
Your baby will be more than happy because they didn’t have to get your attention by struggling.
It will help you develop a deep baby-mother relationship.
Let the Baby Decide When to Nurse
You would be surprised to find out, but your baby knows better than you what he needs and when he needs it.
It should be they who decide how often you should nurse. It might be the best newborn breastfeeding tips that most will just ignore and set up a nursing schedule.
Do not deny nursing your baby just because not enough time has passed since the last breastfeeding.
On the other hand, neither should you wake up the baby just because you noticed three hours have passed since the last time you nursed them.
Similarly, we will recommend you to also allow your baby to determine how long the breastfeeding session should last.
Keep in mind that the baby knows exactly how much nutrients they need. Don’t worry if the session will end in only ten minutes or if it will stretch for an hour, as some babies are slow eaters, and some are fast eaters.
Be Comfortable While Breastfeeding
One of the essential tips for successful breastfeeding is to do it in a comfortable position, as you will be doing this A LOT.
If you do it uncomfortably, you will get sore and tired. Not to mention that you risk getting shoulder, neck, and back pains after a while.
A couple of the most recommended positions are:
- Lying on your side while the baby is facing you.
- Get a unique baby recliner so that you can sit back in it with your baby in your arms.
An ideal setup would also be a large couch or a bed that has several pillows for your supporting your back and your arms.
Once you find the right one for you, don’t be afraid to change your setup following your needs.
A key takeaway here is that the more comfortable you make it, the more pleasant it will be for both you and your baby.
Relax
Moving on with our breastfeeding tips, we have to recommend you get relaxed when nursing your baby.
There is a special bond between the mother and the baby, and they tend to feel if you are not relaxed all the way, and in consequence, they won’t latch properly.
If you feel that you are not in a comfortable environment for nursing your baby, then you should consider changing the scenery.
It is supposed to be a bonding activity between you two. Maybe just visualize a happy place and go there, make it as enjoyable as possible for both of you.
In case you are interested in buying a baby crib; you can read our review on Best Baby Cribs here.
Find the Right Position for the Baby
Your baby is most likely to find a comfortable spot throughout the breastfeeding process.
You are to pay attention to this position so that you can help him get into it more quickly.
Although every baby can be different, some best practices or breastfeeding tips will help you achieve the right position:
- Position your baby so that their mouth is aligned with your nipple.
- Ideally, they wouldn’t have to turn their head almost at all.
- Make sure their head is slightly tilted backward.
- Preferably, they should latch to your entire areola, not only to the nipple.
- Position them in such a way that their chin is right against your breasts just so you are sure that their nose is clear and they can properly breathe.
Leaking is Natural
After you have read the breastfeeding tips for producing more milk, it is most likely that you will be leaking milk in the first two or three weeks.
Leaking milk is an entirely natural reaction of your body. It can even happen when you hear other babies cry or when there have been several hours since your last nursing session.
It can also occur when you feel strong emotions or think about your little one.
Take Care of Your Skin
Although you might have read some useful weight loss tips while breastfeeding, we recommend you don’t forget to take care of your skin also, as it can quickly become irritated, dry, chapped, or even cracked because of the regular nursing.
Let’s help you with several right precautions you can take to prevent this or at least keep it to a minimum level:
- Don’t take more than one or two showers a day, and use a gentle cleanser if it’s possible.
- Make sure you pat your breasts dry after feeding and use a soft cloth at it.
- It is essential to take your breasts out from time to time, as an effective way of avoiding any possible irritation that you might get from clothes.
Taking good care of your skin with an excellent healing product is recommended as the best way to keep the process of nursing as enjoyable as possible for both of you.
You Have Enough Milk, Don’t Worry
Putting it simply, your body will produce milk based on the needs of your baby, as the sucking will stimulate the release of prolactin and oxytocin hormones.
Know that your breasts have been preparing for this process ever since the beginning of your pregnancy.
To figure out how much you should eat to lose baby fat and keep your milk supply healthy read this helpful guide at HealthyEater.com.
Work with Inverted Nipples
It happens that many women that have inverted or flat nipples are told it will be close to impossible to have a successful breastfeeding process.
Well, we are happy to know that it is not true in today’s age, as there are nipple shields that can fit, and that helps stimulate the sucking reflex in a baby.
Breastfeeding weaning tips say the nipple shields are a solution that needs to be consulted with a lactation specialist.
Don’t worry about the time when you will have to put an end to nursing, as there are several professional tips on how to stop breastfeeding that can be easily applied.
Avoid Engorgement
Engorgement is basically a pretty painful swelling that will harden your breasts, and it usually occurs when you are producing too much milk, more than your baby needs, and consumes.
It mostly happens at the beginning of the nursing period, soon after the baby is born.
According to several breastfeeding tips, the best way to avoid this is to nurse your baby as often as it’s possible.
If this persists, you might want to slowly and gently massage the areola with your fingers, preferably under the shower as warm water help the milk flow easily.
If you don’t have success with this method, you can always try a breast pump until your breasts are again soft.
To avoid some other potential problems peachymama made an awesome infographic that will help you a lot.
Credit: peachymama.com.au
Stay Hydrated
All the breastfeeding tips will say this, and we want also to mention it. Hydration is one of the most essential processes that you can keep going while you are breastfeeding.
After all, don’t forget that you have to drink and eat for two! A good practice is to drink a tall glass of water every time you nurse your baby.
This way, you will make sure that your body can produce enough milk while also keeping yourself hydrated.
Conclusion
We hope that you found our breastfeeding tips useful, as nursing is a very special thing that you make your bond stronger and, like everything that involved nursing a newborn, has to be treated with the utmost importance.
Just follow these tips and consult your lactation doctor whenever you have doubts or are worried. What breastfeeding tips did you use when nursing your baby?
We would love to read your stories and experiences, as well as the other fresh moms in the comments section.
This is a Guest Post by Rachel Burns from top-mom.com.
Author’ Bio:
Rachel Burns is a content creator and a single mother of two girls, Martha and Isabel. She loves to spend as much time as possible with her kids whenever she finds an open weekend. Another hobby of hers is reading tough science fiction novels at night, before going to bedtime.