How to Breastfeed a Newborn – Latch on, Duration & Tips

“A baby is born!” – is the greatest miracle in the world. And this tiny and defenseless creature needs a mother badly. Pediatricians all over the world advise women to breastfeed because the elements of milk are essential for a child. But today more and more women deal with lactation problems. Why is this happening?

The specialists say that it happens due to the common mistakes women make during the breastfeeding process. That is why it is important for young mothers to know how to breastfeed correctly. This article will answer your questions and allow both the mother and the baby to get the most from breastfeeding.

A Good Breastfeeding Latch on is the Golden Rule

The first latch is the most important thing that determines the whole lactation process. Most modern maternity hospitals provide medical assistance on the first breastfeeding. But, unfortunately, there are opposite cases. Therefore, every woman must know the basic principles of a good latch-on.

And here they are:

• You should start to breastfeed your baby within some hours after birth; it provides better milk production.
• It is better not to latch a child to two breasts in one feeding, because, in this case, the child will receive only the front milk which is not so useful. The child must finish one breast first.
• Choose a comfortable position, considering that breastfeeding can last for a long time. You can feed the baby in different positions. But the baby must be tummy to tummy with his mother during the whole process and his face should be turned to the nipple. In addition, make sure that your baby is able to adjust the position of the nipple.
• The nose of a newborn should be close to the chest, but not pressed.
• Remember, the baby must take the nipple by himself. You do not need to put it in his mouth.

Otherwise, there will be the wrong capture that can lead to many problems. If the kid grabbed only the tip of the nipple, you can free it by touching the chin.

But how do you know that the baby is latched on correctly? It’s enough just to draw attention to the breastfeeding process. It should look like this:

• The kid captures the areola and the nipple and his lips are turned out
• The nose is touching the mother’s chest
• During breastfeeding, there are no noises except sips
• You do not feel any discomfort during the process

How Long to Breastfeed?

It all depends on the individual abilities and desires of a child. But we can say that a healthy newborn should be fed for at least 30 minutes.

The time of breastfeeding is determined individually.

Some babies get breastfed more actively. Other children do it slowly, often they can fall asleep. But if you try to remove the nipple, they start again. To wake up the baby, you can gently pull the nipple, or touch his cheek;

The whole breastfeeding period is determined by your own desire to breastfeed. Also, we need to take into account some peculiarities of your family life (health, milk production, the need to go to work, and so on);

Typically, in early lactation, an infant is breastfed up to10 times/day. Gradually, when the baby grows up, the diet is reduced – up to 7-8 times per day.

Is the Baby Full or Not?

If the kid is done – he falls asleep or just stops eating. And there are several factors that help to reveal if your baby eats well:

• The kid releases the breast by himself
• He evenly gains weight and grows
• He is active and sleeps well

The Most Important Thing is Common Sense

Very often young mothers make the following mistakes; learn them to protect themselves and their baby from irreversible consequences:

• To wash breasts before each feeding. In fact, it is enough to do it twice a day. Otherwise, you can wash off the protective oil that protects the chest from bacteria breeding.
• To hold your chest while feeding. It can cause the stagnation of milk.
• Feeding the baby with tea or water. Only mother’s milk is allowed!
• Refusal from breastfeeding if there are problems with nipples. You should use special silicone nipple pads to make the process of breastfeeding painless.

This is an incomplete list of potential mistakes of young mothers. And it is better to ask your doctor if something bothers you.

What Should You Take into Account?

Nutrition: for the first few days you should eat foods rich in fiber; alcohol and smoking are prohibited. It is better to exclude or limit allergenic foods such as nuts, eggs, citrus fruits, etc.

During the breastfeeding process, you should watch TV or do anything else, otherwise, the bond between the mother and her infant will be destroyed; it is necessary to give the baby spit up periodically (up to 3 times) and to hold him vertically after breastfeeding to avoid colic.

You can not breastfeed in the case of serious illness (tuberculosis, kidney failure, AIDS, various infectious diseases) or if the child is sick (Rh incompatibility, prematurity with the lack of suck reflex, central nervous system diseases).

In conclusion, we can say one thing – if a nursing mother does everything right, she will bring huge benefits and a sense of security to her baby!