It is clear that breastfeeding is the best food for your baby and the best gift you can give both. It is a wonderful experience for both the mother and the baby, but at the same time it is one of the issues that most worries the woman when she becomes a mother. Will I be able to breastfeed my baby? Will I have enough milk? Will it hurt? These are the most frequently asked questions.
If you have decided to breastfeed your baby, the most valuable tool to get it is the information, so we tell you all you need to know to have a happy breastfeeding.
The first hour of life is fundamental
The establishment of breastfeeding should occur as soon as possible, if possible should put the child to the chest immediately after birth. The baby's instinct is so strong at that moment that it is able to crawl into the mother's breast guided by the smell and suck on its own, a phenomenon known as Breast Crawl.
Early breastfeeding, initiated in the first hour of life, is the key to successful breastfeeding. In the hours after delivery there is a very strong imprint between the mother and the baby, a sensitive period that favors the emotional bond and the establishment of breastfeeding.
That is why the no separation of mother and baby after childbirth, to facilitate early contact between the two, a biological need that should not be prevented, even after a C-section, except in cases of serious pathology, which are the least.
It is also recommended avoid using pacifiers or teats during the first weeks, not to confuse the baby until breastfeeding is well established.
The rise of milk
It is one of the issues that most worries mothers after childbirth. Will the milk go up? Milk rises if or if the rise in milk is the consequence of a hormonal process that is triggered after delivery, whether it was vaginal delivery or caesarean section. And in both cases, the time it takes to raise the milk is the same, between the first and third day after delivery, it is a myth that with a caesarean section the rise in breast milk takes longer
Until the rise in milk occurs, the mother's breasts produce colostrum, a yellowish and thick liquid that contains everything the newborn needs. Among other benefits, it facilitates the elimination of meconium, the first feces of the baby, favors the bacterial flora of the baby, and due to its consistency it is ideal as training, practicing the exercise of sucking-swallowing-breathing.
Colostrum is not bad or fake milk, much less, It is essential for the baby. It is composed of immunoglobulins, water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other components, forming a serous liquid. Gradually, colostrum becomes lighter and whitish, giving rise to milk. So until the milk rises, the baby does not need any other food.
Breastfeeding on demand
The baby should not have feeding schedules, he is the boss. Even if you have recently breastfed, you may have been hungry or need chest comfort. The baby's stomach is not like a glass that is filled and should be waited 3 hours for it to empty and offer again.
The self-regulation ability of the baby that breastfeeds is incredible. Logically, we cannot know the amount of milk the baby takes from the breast, in addition to the consistency of the milk of each take, and even that of each breast and each breast lobe, is different.
When you need, ask, therefore the key to good nutrition is to offer the breast on demand, that is, whenever you ask. Also during the night, that is why colecho is a recommended practice because the baby can breastfeed when he needs it, even if he is sleeping.
On the other hand, there is a golden law in breastfeeding: the sucking reflex. When the baby sucks the nipple, a stimulus is produced that sends the brain the order to produce prolactin, a hormone responsible for milk production. It is like a bomb. Therefore, at Offering breast on demand improves milk production.
It is also important respect the rhythm of the baby taking, forget about the clock. The consistency of the milk is not the same at the beginning as the end of the shot, therefore it must be he who decides when to stop drinking. He will do it when he is satiated.
A good posture
A good posture facilitates a correct grip of the baby to the chest, a fundamental aspect so that you receive the amount of milk you need and avoid problems in the mother such as the appearance of cracks.
For a good grip during suction, the baby's mouth must cover a large part of the breast areola and the nipple must be completely inside the baby's mouth, on the soft palate, on the back of the mouth.
There are four basic positions for breastfeeding, among which you should look for the most comfortable for both, the classic one being the most widespread, to hold the baby with the forearm (if you prefer you can use a nursing cushion). Little by little, with practice you will discover new positions of breastfeeding, as if it were a Mama Sutra.
Many mothers wonder why my son does not take his chest well and the posture is usually caused most of the time, fortunately something that can be corrected.
How long to breastfeed
That you and your baby decide. There is no stipulated time. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life and then supplement it with solid feeding up to two years or more.
Breast milk has a protective effect against gastrointestinal infections, as well as against other types of infections and diseases such as colds, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, otitis, meningitis, urine infections, allergies, asthma, childhood obesity, necrotizing enterocolitis and even death syndrome Sudden infant (SIDS).
After the first months, milk production is self-regulating. You will no longer feel your breasts overflowing, nor will they drip as at the beginning, but that does not mean that you no longer have milk.
There are children who are breastfed throughout their childhood, even up to five, six, seven or more years. Prolonged breastfeeding has no contraindications, beyond the social difficulties it poses, against which one can deal with if the mother and the child so desire.
As I said at the beginning, information is a fundamental tool for get a successful breastfeeding. Problems that can occur such as flat or inverted nipples, nipple cracks, breastfeeding pain, breast engorgement or congestion, mastitis, are possible to overcome if the information is adequate.
If you decide to breastfeed your baby, review all the recommendations we have given and Happy breastfeeding!
Photos | c r z, sebribeiro and moppet65535 on Flickr
In Babies and more | Keys to successful breastfeeding
