How do you teach someone to breastfeed?
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The best way to learn to breastfeed is to have a midwife, lactation consultant or even another person who has breastfed, help you with your position and attaching the baby to your breast. Your position
How often to feedYour baby needs a minimum of seven to eight feeds in 24 hours, especially in the early weeks after birth. You know your baby is feeding well when they:
Your baby should be back to birth weight by two weeks of age. Normal weight gain is between 20 and 30 grams per day, or between 150 and 210 grams per week. You know your baby is feeding correctly when:
You may develop problems breastfeeding if you:
DisclaimerThe Women’s does not accept any liability to any person for the information or advice (or use of such information or advice) which is provided on the Website or incorporated into it by reference. The Women’s provide this information on the understanding that all persons accessing it take responsibility for assessing its relevance and accuracy. Women are encouraged to discuss their health needs with a health practitioner. If you have concerns about your health, you should seek advice from your health care provider or if you require urgent care you should go to the nearest Emergency Dept. Learning how to breast feed can be intimidating, but we’re here to give you support on your journey. Let’s start with the basics. Welcome to breastfeeding! Ask any parents who has breastfed, and they will tell you: They were overwhelmed by breastfeeding at some point in their journey. Maybe it was getting their baby latched correctly in the beginning. Perhaps it was the middle-of-the-night feedings. Or perhaps it was an agonizing round of mastitis. We all have stories to tell. But we also have stories about the time(s) you calmed your inconsolable babe with a quick nursing session, the satisfaction of seeing your baby grow and thrive, and those sweet, sleepy milk-drunk grins after a feed. Breastfeeding is amazing, but in between those highs and lows, there are also a million routine, run-of-the-mill nursing sessions over the course of months or years. And one day, you’ll be done nursing, and you can look back and say, “Wow, I did that!” But before that, it starts with learning how to breastfeed. What to know before beginning breastfeedingThere’s no right or wrong way to approach breastfeeding. What’s more, some parts of breastfeeding success are entirely out of your control. You can’t predict whether your baby will have a tongue tie or whether you’ll be a prolific milk producer. You also can’t predict whether your baby will be an enthusiastic nurser or shun nursing the second you offer them a bottle. So the first thing to know when starting breastfeeding is this: Go easy on yourself! You and your baby are doing the best you can. Breastfeeding is a skill that you’ll perfect the more you practice itNo one is perfect at something the first time they do it. Or even the first ten times! That goes for breastfeeding as well. With breastfeeding, there are a multitude of opportunities to practice getting things right. A newborn feeds so often throughout the day that each nursing session is a chance to improve. Support is importantWhether you breastfeed for 4 months or 4 years, support plays an essential role in breastfeeding success. It’s an opportunity to talk openly about challenges and concerns, to celebrate milestones both big and small. And most importantly, it’s a place to learn. Although the pandemic has changed how people come together, there are still options for finding support and community. Virtual support groups, Facebook communities, and breastfeeding courses are all hubs of digital breastfeeding conversations that allow parents to find their perfect fit in the breastfeeding community. Your goals are importantFeed your baby only breast milk for the first 6 months. A year is better. Really, you should do 2 years. Or longer. There’s a lot of input coming at you about what you should be doing. For a new parent who is breastfeeding for the first time, those numbers can sound like an impossible goal. After all, getting through the first sleepless week is a tall order to fulfill. So, take those “milestones” as well-meaning suggestions. Think about what works for you. Moreover, what goals are meaningful—and manageable—for you? How does returning to work fit? What is your family dynamic? Do you have local support? Set your goals based on the most important factors to you, not what others are telling you to do. No matter what goals you set, take small steps. It’s the whole run-before-you-walk approach. Little successes are no less worth celebrating and will give you the confidence to take on bigger goals. (If that’s what you choose to do, that is.) Some short-term goals we help parents work towards include:
Once you’ve reached a goal, set a new one. Breastfeeding skillsRemember how we said that breastfeeding was a skill! Here are the main skills that go into a successful breastfeeding journey. LatchingA good latch won’t guarantee a bump-free breastfeeding journey, but boy, it sure helps. Why? Your baby’s latch is what allows them to transfer breast milk during a feed. A good latch is comfortable for the breastfeeding parent and doesn’t create extra work for the baby. It also helps them effectively remove milk from your breasts. All in all, it helps them gain weight and thrive, and you establish a strong milk supply and avoid a whole range of breastfeeding problems. A good latch is comfortable for the parent, but what else characterizes it?
You’ll also hear sounds of swallowing or gulping. Once your baby is done feeding, they’ll appear satisfied, relaxed, or even sleepy. How to
get a good latch, step by step
But what if your baby isn’t latching correctly? You’ll likely recognize this because bad latches are frequently, if not always, accompanied by significant discomfort or nipple pain. This is because their latch doesn’t include enough of the areola, putting too much pressure on the nipple. Other signs of latch issues include:
Recognize signs of a bad latch? Immediately unlatch your baby and try again. It’s okay if it takes several times to figure out your baby’s latch—this is one of those things that’s absolutely worth the effort to get correct. The more you nurse with a bad latch, the harder it can be to correct. IBCLC pro tip: Getting the unlatch
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