Breastfeeding for Beginners

So you want to breastfeed your baby. You’ve read the studies, you’ve heard the advice, the statistics are there for all to see: Breastfed babies are smarter, healthier and leaner, and so are their mothers! Breast is best.

So, despite the persistence of discouraging advice from well-meaning relatives (“My kids all had formula and they turned out fine”), you’ve decided to give it a shot. What do you need to do to make your breastfeeding relationship a success?

Before the Baby Arrives

Talk to you OB-GYN, Midwife or Family Doctor, as well as your birth partner. They need to know what your feeding intentions are before you deliver. Immediately post-delivery, you are not in the best position to advocate for yourself, and not all hospitals (unfortunately) automatically follow pro-breastfeeding procedures, so get your birth team on board well before the baby arrives.

You can also study up on feeding positions and latching techniques, in case your baby needs a little coaching when she arrives. Other things to find out about:

• Techniques for latching on
• Baby-led latch
• Common breastfeeding problems  (just in case)
• Breastfeeding resources
• Community support for breastfeeding moms

• Hold him on your chest, skin-to-skin. This calms the baby down (he already knows your scent and the sound of your heartbeat) and keeps him warm, and also gives him the chance to root for the breast and find it on his own.
• Allow the baby to spend time at the breast as soon as possible after birth, even if he only nuzzles a bit then goes to sleep.
• Use what you’ve learned about latching on to encourage your baby to feed as soon as possible.

The First Few Days

The best thing you can do to maximize your milk supply is to feed early and feed often. Your body decides how much milk is needed not by how much your baby drinks at each feeding, but by how often your baby feeds. So don’t hesitate! She cries? Offer the breast. She turns her head toward you? Offer the breast. She opens her mouth? Offer the breast. She’s awake? You got it.

Some doctors and midwives will give you guidelines about how often to feed – up to every 2 hours for a small baby. But if your baby looks hungry, and it’s only been an hour and a half…well, she can’t tell time. Listen to your baby, not the clock.

Am I Doing It Right?

You can tell your baby is getting enough milk if she’s filling diapers and gaining weight. It makes sense – you can tell there’s plenty going in if there’s plenty coming out, and plenty staying on!

Your feeding should also be pain-free. Now, there may be some fairly strong discomfort in the first few days. Don’t panic – it usually works itself out quickly. Soldier on, and keep offering the breast as often as possible. If the pain persists, you develop cracks, or you’ve moved from “strong discomfort” to “intense pain”, something’s not right. Work on latch and positioning, and get some help.

Where To Get Help

• http://www.breastfeedinginpeel.ca : A website maintained by the Region of Peel, near Toronto.  It includes information, troubleshooting and helpful videos.
• http://www.drjacknewman.com : The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute.
• http://www.lllc.ca/ : La Leche League: A group of expert volunteers passionate about promoting breastfeeding.
• http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html : A breastfeeding blog full of great tips and techniques and answers to a lot of common breastfeeding questions.

Community breastfeeding support varies widely by region and province, so be sure to ask your doctor, midwife, CLSC nurse or other health care support person what services you can access in your area. Breastfeeding does carry some challenges, and if you marshall your forces before you need them, you give yourself the best possible chance at succeeding.