Breastfeeding – How to Latch the Baby Onto the Breast

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:37:37 +0000

The information that follows on how to latch a baby onto the breast is perhaps the most important in terms of whether breastfeeding will be successful. It determines whether the baby can get the milk from the breast, whether the mother’s breast is stimulated to supply enough milk for her baby and ultimately whether the baby will thrive and grow. We call this ‘positioning’.

The first thing to note is that I said ‘breastfeeding’ not ‘nipple feeding’. The baby will take the nipple and part of the areola and breast into his mouth, not just the nipple. The areola is the pigmented part behind the nipple, under which lie the ampullae or reservoirs. If the baby only has the nipple in his mouth then he will not be able to milk the breast to obtain the milk and moreover the mother is likely to get very sore and possibly cracked nipples. The following are the main points in getting the baby onto the breast.

Make yourself as comfortable as possible and get everything around you that you are likely to need.

Perhaps have a cushion on your lap on which to place your baby, so that you can bring your baby up to breast height.

Have the baby on his side cradled on your arm, so that you are facing each other, tummy to tummy. His head will be resting on your forearm opposite your breast.

Place your hand against your ribcage, under your breast, and push gently upwards so that the breast is presented ready for baby.

When your baby begins to root using his rooting reflex, and open his mouth, put the baby to the breast with a positive definite movement. You are putting the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby. (If you are putting your breast into your baby’s mouth then your baby will not be able to latch on properly and will just ‘nipple’ feed which could be painful for you).

Your baby will take a good mouthful of your breast. His mouth will be open quite wide around the breast, lower lip curled back and his tongue resting on his lower lip and jaw. His lips will not be pursed nor will his cheeks be sucked in.

Your baby will obtain the milk from your breast by an undulating milking action of his tongue and lower jaw. This proper milking action ensures that your baby gets a good feed and also stimulates your breasts to supply milk appropriate to your baby’s needs.

It is very important that there is no pressure on the back of your baby’s head as he will start to root towards the pressure, which is the opposite direction to that desired and causes confusion, frustration and distress. It is also important not to put the breast into your baby’s mouth as this will cause him to nipple feed. The action is baby to the breast.

So it is ‘Tummy to tummy and baby to the breast’

Knowing how to latch the baby onto the breast is one of the most important aspects of successful breastfeeding, along with an understanding of the principle of supply and demand which will be covered in a later article.

Anne Groom is a Wellness Counsellor and Psychotherapist

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Groom
http://EzineArticles.com/?Breastfeeding—How-to-Latch-the-Baby-Onto-the-Breast&id=3171974

Mail this post

Technorati Tags: breastfeeding, how to, how to breastfeed, latch

When to Use a Breast Pump

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:25:36 +0000

For many years now, the world has been told that one of the best gifts that a mother could give to her baby is to breast-feed (nourish) him or her. Due to this, many people have been actively pushing for parents to choose breast-feeding over formula. However, with providing ones baby with the best food, comes with its own challenges and due to them, a pump can be very useful.

Some of these challenges are:

Engorgement

Breast engorgement (enlargement and overflowing of the breast due to milk) is a common occurrence for women who have just given birth. This painful and at times fever causing issue, can be handled in a few ways and three of them are: breast feeding the baby even more often than you are doing presently, expressing some of the milk with your fingers and of course use a pump.

Medication

There are differences of opinions when it comes to medication transferring from the mother to the baby via nursing. Nevertheless, there are cases where mothers who are on medication will need to stop nursing for at least 12 hours and this is where a pump will come in handy. You can store some of your milk in the refrigerator or freezer before taking the medication so that your child remains well fed.

Away from Baby

If you are a mom who will be working away from home, pumping and storing your milk will also be profitable for you and your baby.

Bonding for Fathers

Breast-feeding is one of the best ways that a mother can bond with her child and bottle-feeding breast milk is an avenue that fathers can use to bond with their child as well. At nights when mummy can hardly open her eyes to attend to the baby, daddy can step in by taking the bottle.

Measurements

“New” mothers are usually anxious about how much milk their babies are getting and therefore desire to know exactly how much they are drinking. Therefore, by pumping the milk into a baby’s bottle will give you the measurement.

Therefore, if you believe that a pump will be helpful to you, you have a choice of three types to choose from and they are electric, battery operated and manual.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Linton
http://EzineArticles.com/?When-to-Use-a-Breast-Pump&id=2374039

Mail this post

Technorati Tags: breast pump, breastfeeding, how to

Breastfeeding Baby Help » how to

Breastfeeding – How to Latch the Baby Onto the Breast

Related Posts

When to Use a Breast Pump

Related Posts