Preparing to breastfeed

Preparing to breastfeed

There’s no doubt that breast is best for your baby. So anything you can do to prepare for breastfeeding while you are pregnant is all to the good. Try these tips to be sure of getting a beautiful breastfeeding relationship started from birth:  Talk to other mums who are breastfeeding, or who have done it before.

Read up as much as you can

Contact local breastfeeding support organisations.

Try to attend a breastfeeding class or a preparation for breastfeeding session, some time during your pregnancy. These classes are offered by many hospitals and NCT as part of their antenatal classes.

The more you know about the how breastfeeding works and its benefits, the more likely you are to succeed at it.  Whether you think about it or not, your pregnant body is preparing itself for breastfeeding. That's one reason your breasts get so much bigger during pregnancy. Your milk ducts and milk-producing cells are developing, and more blood goes to your breasts than before.  Breast size has nothing to do with the ability to breastfeed successfully. Even if you stay small-breasted, you'll still be able to feed your baby all the milk he needs. 

You don’t need to do anything to prepare your breasts, the hormonal changes going on in your breasts during pregnancy are preparation enough. You don't need to use creams to soften your skin beforehand or express colostrum either. In particular, don't rub or scrub your nipples, this will only hurt you and make breastfeeding difficult.  The best preparation for breastfeeding is getting your partner to support you in your decision to breastfeed. This will help you and your baby to get off to a good start. You are more likely to breastfeed for longer if your partner is well-informed and supportive.  It will also help to have plenty of skin-to-skin contact with your baby when she is born. Skin-to-skin contact has been shown to increase the length of time that mums breastfeed for.  Even if you need a caesarean birth, you can still hold your baby against your skin soon after the birth with some help from your midwife. Your baby may wriggle to your breast and feed, or she may only smell, lick or nuzzle your breast. All these things will help you and your baby get breastfeeding off to a good start

Ideally, breastfeeding should begin as soon after birth as the baby is ready to nurse. A full-term healthy newborn's instinct to breastfeed peaks about 20 to 30 minutes after birth if he is not drowsy from drugs or anaesthesia given to his mother during labour and delivery. In the first hour, babies are in a quiet, alert state, and have an innate ability to latch on and suckle effectively. Research has shown that when most newborn infants are placed immediately on the abdomen of their mothers, they will find her breast and initiate suckling in less than 50 minutes. Separating the infant from his mother during this crucial time misses this first window of opportunity. The baby may then become drowsy and lose his natural urge to find the nipple, which may result in more difficulty in the initiation of breastfeeding. Therefore, ensuring that the baby has every opportunity to suckle in the first hour after birth will be one of the most important things that you can do to make sure your baby will have as much milk as possible.

It is important to understand that not being able to nurse the baby right after birth certainly does not doom you to trouble. If the baby has difficulty sucking or latching on when he finally does get to breastfeeding, ask for help from your midwife. 

Mothers who have caesarean births may find that nursing immediately after the baby is born is not possible. If the mother is given general anaesthesia, she will not be alert enough to handle her baby in the first hour after birth. Even if the mother receives an epidural so that she is awake, she will still be in theatre for a major portion of that first-hour window of time, and this may make breastfeeding during that time impractical. Rest assured though, many mothers who deliver via c section go on the breastfeed effectively.

It can be helpful for mothers to understand and appreciate the incredible value of colostrum, the translucent, yellow "pre-milk" that you will produce in the first few days. Colostrum, and the mature milk that follows, nourish and protect the baby much as the placenta did during pregnancy. Colostrum is low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein, which is precisely the nutrient balance that the baby requires in the first days. Colostrum is easy to digest and contains living cells that serve to protect the newborn against bacteria, viruses, and allergens. Colostrum actually coats the intestinal lining and prevents the absorption of substances that trigger allergies. These factors also serve to stimulate and enhance the baby's own immune system, and research suggests the benefits may last his entire life. Furthermore, colostrum acts as an effective laxative, flushing meconium from the intestines, taking bilirubin, the substance that causes jaundice, along with it. And colostrum does not suddenly disappear when the mature milk comes in; rather, the transition to mature milk takes place over the first two weeks. That is why any milk you express during this time will usually appear more golden in color than milk expressed later on.

 Colostrum is produced in very small quantities (an average total of 7.4 teaspoons  per day, approximately 1.4 to 2.8 teaspoons per feeding.

Colostrum is so valuable that even the tiniest bit that you are able to give to your baby will be a priceless gift to him. It truly will be worth any effort you can make to give your baby colostrum.

You will need to nurse your baby as often as he is interested in feeding. At the very least, this should be every two to three hours during the day and every four to five hours at night for a total of eight to 12 feedings every 24 hours. Calculate the time between feedings from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next. Most feedings usually last 20 to 40 minutes, but do not watch the clock during the feeding. When your baby is a newborn, especially during the first week, nursing sessions can sometimes seem to last so long that you barely have any time to get anything done before the next session begins. Before the mature milk comes in, some babies will nurse most of the day because they are hungry.

 Frequent feedings are normal and they are essential to ensure production of the greatest milk supply possible. The first month is a learning time for your new baby. During this month, he will perfect his nursing skills so that near the end of it, he will need less time to consume the same amount of milk. Keeping him near you at all times will help you to be aware of his early hunger cues (rooting, fussing, etc.) so that you can feed him without allowing him to work up into a hungry, stressful cry. Minimizing your baby's crying in this way will also be less stressful on you and the other members of your household.

Even though it can seem like it at first, you will not always spend all of your time nursing. Remember that you are recovering from giving birth at this point and you need to rest. Breastfeeding is nature's way of ensuring that you do so. The time between feedings will eventually stretch out and feedings will become more manageable. Your baby will establish more of a feeding pattern, which will make life more predictable. The patterns that he establishes, however, will be his patterns and will be appropriate to his unique emotional and physiological needs. And these patterns will change as he grows and matures.

This is a very sensitive time in your life. You are physically and emotionally vulnerable. The last thing you need as you begin breastfeeding is to be near anyone who undermines your efforts by expressing doubts or criticism. Breastfeeding may be the biological norm, but in our society there are still people who are not comfortable being around a breastfeeding mother and baby, and these people may be even more likely to be critical if there are any questions about your milk supply. This lack of ease with breastfeeding stems from a lack of understanding and sometimes a mistaken view of the breast as sexual. You deserve to have only positive support and encouragement now. You do not need any negativity that would undermine your confidence.

It can be difficult to distance yourself from unsupportive people during this otherwise exciting postnatal time, but remember that you have the right to structure your environment so that it is most conducive to successful breastfeeding, which is essential to the well-being of your b aby. Ultimately, the needs of your baby are far more important than the opinions of others. If you have difficulty fending off critical people, ask your partner or another support person to "run interference" for you

During the first weeks of breastfeeding, nurturing your child, breastfeeding, and caring for yourself will be your most important responsibilities. Other obligations do not matter nearly as much. If you have older children, you will certainly need to focus on them, too, but your new baby's needs and your own needs are paramount right now. Your partner or another caregiver can help you tend to your older children's basic needs during this time.

Although it is natural for your friends and family to want to visit to see the new baby and congratulate you, entertaining them can be a drain on you, and you may not feel free to nurse your baby with visitors present. Try to gently and politely discourage as many visits as possible.

To have enough energy for nursing and baby care, you need nutritious meals, sufficient fluids, and a lot of sleep. Never skip a meal. In fact, try to have several nutritious snacks throughout the day in addition to regular meals. In general, the quantity and quality of your diet is more important for you than it is for your milk supply. Your body will make good milk for your baby even if your diet is less than ideal. Eating foods that you enjoy and that are good for you will nourish both your body and your soul.

Drinking properly is every bit as important as eating properly. It is important to stay hydrated by drinking to thirst. Do not, however, drink large amounts of fluids with the idea that this will increase your milk supply. It does not work that way and ingesting too much liquid can actually reduce your supply.

Mothers have sometimes been told that they must drink milk to make milk. This is not true; milk is made from the nutrients we take in from many sources, not from drinking the milk of another species. Adult cows certainly do not drink milk and are able to lactate quite sufficiently.

Next to food and water, sleep is your most critical necessity. You need as much of it as you can get. Take at least one nap a day—preferably when the baby does. The baby will be awake during portions of what would otherwise be your normal sleeping time, so you will need to make up for this lost sleep. The best way to do this is to sleep when the baby does. When the baby falls asleep for a nap during the day, it may be tempting to use that time to catch up on, housework, and phone calls. But this is precious time that can be much better spent resting. It may be hard to simply drop off to sleep—you may be on edge wondering if the baby will suddenly wake up again. But it is important to learn not to worry about that and fall asleep as quickly as possible. If the baby wakes, you will, too, and you can try to nap again later. But if baby sleeps for a long time, you will get some valuable rest..