Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

From the benefits of breastfeeding to using a breast pump to weaning your baby, here's a comprehensive collection of breastfeeding tips for new moms.

Nature designed human milk especially for human babies, and it has several advantages over human milk substitutes. Your milk has just the right balance of nutrients, hormones, and antibodies, containing them in a form your baby's immature body systems can easily use.

Because your body produces it for your baby, your milk also is the gentlest food for your baby's systems.

Here’s a list of breastfeeding tips for new moms.

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Breastfeeding

The process of breastfeeding changes as your baby grows and develops. A newborn's feeding routine may be different from that of a breastfeeding six-month-old. As your baby grows, the nutrients in your milk adapt to your growing baby's needs. Your milk also produces antibodies that can protect your baby from infectious disease.

The benefits of breastfeeding

Breastfeeding gives your baby the very best start. It supplies nutrition, comfort, and love. Breastfeeding is also the healthiest nutrition for babies during the first year of life.

Benefits of breastfeeding include developing your baby’s immune system and lowering the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, as well as reducing your risk of some cancers and other health conditions later in life.

How your body makes milk

Many mothers find they can appreciate their baby’s breastfeeding patterns or the need for frequent feedings when they understand how breast milk is produced, called milk expression.

Your baby’s suckling tells your brain to make the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. Prolactin tells the alveoli in your breasts to make milk. Oxytocin tells your muscles to move milk through your milk ducts.

You will have to remove milk from your breasts often to provide enough milk for your baby. After the first one or two weeks, the more you breastfeed the more milk you produce.

Infrequent breastfeeding is the most common reason for a delay in, or insufficient, milk production. It is also a common reason that women may experience a drop in milk production or stop breastfeeding.

Anatomy of breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can seem mysterious at first. What’s going on inside your breast? Where does the milk come from? Can the baby breathe okay? In fact, mothers and babies are naturally designed for breastfeeding.

How babies breastfeed

Babies use their lips, gums, and tongue to suckle (take milk from your breast). Your baby is born with an instinct for suckling. But it takes time for you and your baby to learn how to breastfeed. Give your baby time, and let the baby set the pace.

Ineffective latching or suckling

A baby must be able to latch effectively to remove milk during breastfeeding, so he or she gets enough milk to gain weight and encourage your breasts to increase and maintain milk production. Ineffective breastfeeding can result in poor weight gain because you baby isn’t getting enough milk, which in turn will cause you to produce less.

Holds for breastfeeding

Comfort and position are crucial for successful breastfeeding. Learn how to position your baby correctly at your breast. Choose the hold that works best for both of you. You may need to change holds as your baby grows.

Flat or inverted nipples

An effective breastfeeding baby usually has little trouble breastfeeding even if your nipples appear to be flattened. Your baby may, however, may need some time to figure out how to latch on and draw milk from your nipples.

Sore nipples

Breastfeeding should not hurt, and the skin on your nipples should not break down. Mild tenderness is common for the first week or two of breastfeeding, however. Afterwards, it should go away. Using different positions can help, along with applying some of your milk to your nipples and using Lanolin to soften them.

Using a breast pump

Breast milk is not sterile, but it does protect against infectious disease, hindering the growth of bad bacteria while providing healthy bacteria your baby needs. If you use a breast pump, you will need to keep your breast pump clean and sterile when you store it, use the pump, and store or transport milk, to prevent the introduction of unwanted bacteria.

Adding to your milk

Although your milk is best, it may not always completely meet the nutritional needs of premature babies or some sick newborns. Fortifying your milk does not appear to diminish the nutritional and anti-infective benefits your baby will gain from breastfeeding.

You can pump when you first start breastfeeding and freeze your milk if you need it later because your first feedings produce more of the important substances your newborn needs. If you pump to feed your baby when you aren’t breastfeeding, you can add human milk fortifier to bottles, which can help premature infants, too.

Weaning your baby

If you don't encounter breastfeeding problems, you can nurse your baby for as long as you like. At some point you'll decide to stop, however. Weaning is as natural as breastfeeding.

You can replace one breastfeeding session with a bottle of infant formula or with a cup of cow’s milk as you gradually wean your baby toward eating solid foods.

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