Breast Feeding Tips no one told you about !

While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby. ~Amy Spangler

When a new baby arrives .. our lives our transformed literally just from the word GO ...

so many things happen at the same time, while you are still coping with the joy of having a child to fighting the constant body pains or your changing body , the overwhelming feeling of the new responsibility , the rush of relatives constantly coming and going - and the endless free advise you keep getting -- rest assured you are learning everything at a rapid speed.

I come across many posts - where new mothers are really worried about their bodies not making enough breast milk. So here are a few pointers i would like to share from my experience as a mother for 2 beautiful children. 

• When a baby is born, your body starts producing milk. You will only get 2-3 drops initially, but do not worry, that is how your body is designed. In the first few days - it is very important that you have maximum skin to skin contact with your baby. 

• Your breasts work on simple technique of demand and supply. The more the demand the better the supply. When you give bottle to your child that reduces your supply. WHY ? because formula is heavier than breast milk and it fills up baby fast and easily - so baby remains full for a longer duration of time and does not ask for the next feed, and the next feed is missed. The body gets the signal - that baby does not need milk and so the supply adjusts itself accordingly.

• Feed as much possible again and again. the more you feed, better your supply. U will feel empty like you are not making enough milk...But that is absolutely normal. Feed for at least 15-20 min per side, burp the baby and change side, repeat the process. the feeling of fullness goes away, once your breasts understand the demand and supply. 

• There is nothing called low supply; unless you had a major surgery in the past or have a hormonal imbalance and you were / are undergoing treatment for the same. Supply depends upon a child's feeding pattern. Our breasts have been designed in such a manner that it understands the regulation very well. After initial 2-3 weeks the pattern is set n your body works in perfect tandem to feed your baby.

• Nipple size has nothing to do with milk production. There is no milk in nipples. Its the aerola that contains the milk. The better the child latches the better flow of milk. Make sure your baby is close to you. Look at his mouth and under chin. His mouth should be cupping the aerola and the chin must be moving. This means the baby is sucking properly. It usually takes 10-15 days for mother and baby to get used to the latching process. If your baby sleeps while taking a feed,tickle his ear lobs or under feet. Wake him up and he will start sucking again. 

• If you have Inverted, Flat Nipples, Sore Nipples or Cracked nipples - there is help and solution available. Do not panic. Talk to your doctor and you will get help.

• Have plenty of liquids - One liter of milk and 3 liters of juice, soup, water. Have healthy nutritious home cooked food. Avoid any junk, oily and extreme sugar. try and walk after every meal - may be for 15-20 minutes. this will help you remain active. If you has a C-section, then this helps bowl movements and helps heal your stitches better.

• Feed feed feed more feed. As much as you can. First 15 minutes your baby gets water based milk which has all good things required for baby health. After 15 -20 minutes the thicker milk starts coming which helps in weight gain of the child. So if your child is not gaining weight may be u would like to prolong the time of latching on. 

• You can try various feeding positions. Lying down will help u sleep and take rest. Do make sure you check with your pediatrician and gynecologist once before u start feeding lying down. Since i had a C-section, i could not get up and sit up straight, and hence i fed my baby lying down on one side. 

Extra pointers ---

• feeding between 12 am - 4 am helps release hormones that regulate a baby's sleeping pattern. This will help child sleep peacefully, also a great way for you to catch up on any missed sleep.

• do not stop taking iron, calcium, multivitamin supplements till at least  6 months-1 year as per your doctor advise. Many new mothers face extreme lethargy, back ache, body ache and severe hair fall. Keep taking care of yourself all through this. 

• u lose up to 600 calories a day by just feeding your baby per session. Great way to bond with your newborn and lose the gained weight during pregnancy !!! :)

• if u tried all the above n you still think there is something wrong meet a lactation consultant  who can guide you well and pin point the exact solution for low supply. 

Happy Feeding !!

Do leave your feedback about the post - In case if you have questions - you can comment and I'll surely get back to you :)