Breastfeeding

Is it important to start breastfeeding right after the infant’s birth?

Yes. Breastfeeding immediately (within one hour) after the infant’s birth can help expel the placenta and reduce blood loss. Breastfeeding soon after the infant’s birth also keeps the infant warmer and sets the stage for healthy breastfeeding in the coming weeks and months. Colostrum, the yellowish fluid produced by the mother’s breasts during the first days after childbirth, provides the infant with essential immunities and acts as a natural laxative to help the infant with the first bowel movements. Early breastfeeding helps milk come in more rapidly, too.

How often should a woman breastfeed her baby?

A woman should breastfeed her baby on demand, day and night. Normally, healthy babies breastfeed about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. An infant’s stomach is small and needs to be refilled often—sometimes more often than every two hours in the early days and weeks of life. A woman should watch for signs that her baby is hungry. When hungry, the baby will turn towards the mother with an open mouth as if to start nursing. Other signs are that the baby is more alert or chews and sucks on hands or fingers. It is normal for baby’s breastfeeding patterns to vary. Feedings can be closer together at certain times of the day and further apart at othertimes. When the baby has a growth spurt, demand for feeding will increase. Growth spurts usually occur when the baby is about three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months old.

How long should each breastfeeding session last?

During the first month or two of an infant’s life, as the baby develops feeding skills, most breastfeeding sessions take from 20 to 45 minutes. A woman should feed on one breast until the baby stops suckling, the baby’s hands are no longer in fists, and the woman does not hear any swallowing. When these signs occur, the woman should burp the baby and offer the baby her other breast. Generally, a woman should feed from both breasts during each session, allowing the baby to finish one breast first, and then switching to the other (unless the baby does not want to feed from the second breast).

How can a woman know if her baby is latching on correctly?

A baby is latching on correctly when the baby’s mouth is wide open, the nose is nearly touching the mother’s breast, more of the dark skin around the mother’s nipple can be seen above the baby’s mouth than below, and the baby takes long, deep sucks. The woman will also hear her baby swallowing, quickly at first and then more slowly as appetite is satisfied. If the latch is uncomfortable or painful, the woman should gently place her finger in the baby’s mouth, between the gums, to detach the baby and try again. Her nipple should be directed towards the upper back of the baby’s mouth. Using pillows to raise the baby to breast height makes proper latching on easier. A woman also can help her baby latch on correctly by positioning the baby so that:

• She holds the baby’s body close to her body;
• The baby’s whole body is supported, not just the neck and shoulders;
• The baby’s head and body are in a straight line;
• The baby faces the breast and the baby’s nose is opposite the nipple.

When should a baby be given water, cereal, or other liquids and foods?

When a baby is six months old, breastmilk alone no longer satisfies all of the baby’s nutritional needs. At this time parents should begin complementary feeding by gradually giving their baby other foods in addition to breastmilk—starting with such foods as ground meat or milk products and then adding a variety of foods from the basic food groups, including fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, and eggs. Complementary feeding—giving breastmilk and other foods—should be practiced from the time the baby is six months old through two years or beyond. As a child grows, the types of nonbreastmilk foods can change from semi-solid to solid foods, and the variety can increase. A mother should continue frequent, ondemand breastfeeding and give her baby additional foods in increasing amounts after a breastfeeding session.

Posted by : Dara Febriana, taken from http://www.momjournal.multiply.com