Breastfeeding for first time mothers is very important. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to ensure child health . However, nearly 2 out of 3 infants are not exclusively breastfed for the recommended 6 months—a rate that has not improved in 2 decades. Let us know how to feed your baby step by step:
- On days one and two, recover from birth and learn how to properly latch, feed and understand your baby’s hunger cues.
- On days three and four, relieve breast engorgement from increased milk production by breastfeeding frequently. If your milk production is delayed, or if you notice your baby has increased jaundice or is losing weight, call your doctor.
- On day five, expect changes in your breasts and your infant’s bowel movements.
- On days six through 10, observe your baby’s growth, diaper output and eat-sleep-wake patterns.
- On days 11 through 14, prepare for an increase in breastfeeding due to your baby’s upcoming growth spurt. Prioritize your own sleep and nourishment.
- Above all, be flexible. All mothers and babies are different, so being able to modify your breastfeeding plan while keeping everyone healthy is more important than following a rigid set of rules.
According to doctors while breastfeeding helps in a baby’s transition from the womb to the outside world, your baby will receive immunoglobulins from colostrum, which is a nutrient-filled fluid that comes out before milk is released. He explained, “It builds your baby’s immunity and helps fight diseases and prevents many other health issues that could have impacted in the long run. Once breastfeeding is established, it is important to stay positive and continue to breastfeed every two hours even if you feel that milk production is less or not enough as this process will stimulate the brain to release oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that are responsible for lactation. Another important tip to keep in mind is that the milk ducts are situated around the areola hence the baby has to cover the entire portion while sucking and not the nipple alone. This also prevents nipples from getting sore.”
Also, As soon as baby latches on the breast and baby starts suckling, the breast starts producing more and more amount of milk. This baby suckling is a strong stimuli for milk production. Production of milk then is a continuous process. The production is way more than the baby’s requirement. Hence, it is always advised to extract the remaining milk from breast either by breast pump or manually. If the remaining milk is not expressed and goes on collecting in both the breasts, breast becomes full, enlarged. The swelling then gives you painful feeling, it becomes tender and also sometimes if it gets infected, it results into abscess.”
To avoid the engorgement, first thing you should start is expressing out the remaining milk after each feed with breast massage, hot water fomentation, using proper breast support and maintain hygiene to avoid infection and abscess formation.
