Breast feeding your baby

Breastfeeding your baby

Please remember that amongst the *Mums World* teamthere are NO medical professionals. Information has been collated fromreputable websites which will be listed at the end of the topic. If you are indoubt we recommend talking to your GP, midwife/health visitor or in more urgentcircumstances contact NHS Direct. 

Why breastfeed?

Breast milk is the only natural food designed foryour baby.

Breastfeeding protects your baby from infectionsand diseases.

Breast milk provides health benefits for your baby.

Breastfeeding provides health benefits for mum.

It’s free.

It’s available whenever and wherever your babyneeds a feed.

It’s the right temperature.

It can build a strong physical and emotional bondbetween mother and baby.

It can give you a great sense of achievement.

How to attach your baby to your breast

1. Hold your baby closeto you with their nose level with the nipple.

2. Wait until your baby opens their mouth really wide with the tongue down. Youcan encourage them to do this by gently stroking their top lip.

3. Bring your baby on to your breast.

4. Your baby will tilt their head back and come to your breast chin first. Theyshould take a large mouthful of breast. Your nipple should go towards the roofof their mouth.

Goodattachment

Ifyou see, hearor feel anything that doesn’t seem right, you can gently insert your littlefinger into your baby’s mouth to break the suction and let her come off, thenlet her start  again. It helps you both if you can stay calm and relaxed,so remember to breathe and that you can ask a midwife or breastfeeding counsellorfor help if you need to. 

How to know that your baby is getting enough milk

After the first few daysthey should also pass at least two yellow stools every day.

The nutrition requirements for breastfeeding mums aresimilar to those for pregnant women. It is recommended that mums continue toeat as they were during their pregnancy (hopefully nutritiously), then addapproximately 300 more calories per day.

What you should see:

baby tucked in as close to you aspossible

chin against your breast, rather thantucked down, so head slightly tipped back

wide open mouth

nose not pressed into your breast

deep jaw movements

if some of the areola (the colouredpart around your nipple) is showing, there will be more above the top lip thanbelow the bottom lip.

What youshouldn’t see:

cheekssucked in

lipslooking like sucking on a straw

squashednipple at the end of the feed when your baby comes off.

What you should hear:

soft sounds of milk being swallowed.

What youshouldn’t hear:

clickingnoises

lipsmacking.

What you may feel:

a feeling of being ‘firmly gripped’

the let-down reflex – a tingling,‘drawing’ feeling in your breasts

a fleeting pain at the start of thefeed in the first few days or weeks. (Imagining a relaxing scene, or gettingsomeone to massage your shoulders, may help in these situations.)

What youshouldn’t feel:

pain whileyour baby is actually feeding, or persisting after the feed.

Your baby will appearcontent and satisfied after most feeds.

They should be healthyand gaining weight after the first two weeks.

Your breasts and nipplesshould not be sore.

After the first fewdays, your baby should have at least six wet nappies a day.

The nutrition requirements for breastfeeding mums are similar to thosefor pregnant women. It is recommended that mums continue to eat as they wereduring their pregnancy (hopefully nutritiously), then add approximately 300more calories per day.

Itis important that calories come from nutritious foods, including lean proteins(beef, poultry, seafood*, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, tofu, dried beans);calcium (milk, yogurt cheese); iron (beef, poultry, seafood*, egg yolks, driedbeans); and vitamin C (citrus fruits, cantaloupe, broccoli, potato, tomato,bell pepper.) Eating three meals plus two or three small snacks a day should besufficient in attaining the required calories for breastfeeding.

*The Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) recommends that breastfeeding mothers not eat shark, kingmackerel, tilefish or swordfish due to their high mercury content.

Breastfeeding in public –things to remember

Attitude – you are feedingyour baby as you see fit and have nothing to feel uncomfortable about!

Breastfeeding / Nursing clothing – Make life alittle easier on yourself, wear clothes that won’t expose too much
Baby slings and wraps – another discreet way to help you feel more comfortable.

Did YOU KNOW..,

In England andWales the Equality Act statesthat it is sex discrimination to treat a woman unfavourably because she isbreastfeeding.

DID YOU KNOW... 
In Scotland breastfeeding is protected by the Breastfeeding etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 under which it is an offence to stopsomeone in a public place from feeding their child, if under two, with milk.The legislation allows for fines for preventing breastfeeding in public places.

Information was collected from http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.ukhttp://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby and http://www.nct.org.uk/