Lamaze Magazine 2008 - (Page 24) Elation Parenting Nursing School It may come naturally, but breastfeeding your baby is much more comfortable when you know the facts. available to him. Pacifiers and formula supplements will interfere with this process. Your baby should nurse at least eight to 12 times in 24 hours during the first weeks. He may nurse in clusters, rather than every 2 hours, and he should nurse until he’s satisfied. This ensures that he receives your hind milk, which is rich in fat and calories. Limiting nursing to 5 or 10 minutes on each side deprives your baby of this important and nutritious food. Contrary to what you may have heard, you do not need to drink large amounts of fluid or avoid certain foods when you’re breastfeeding. Eat and drink to satisfy your appetite. You may even find that nursing will help you shed some pregnancy pounds since it uses up calories. Your baby will let you know when he is ready to nurse, not by crying but with a number of early feeding cues: rapid eye movements under the eyelids, an imitation of sucking, hand-to-mouth gestures and small sounds. If you wait until your baby cries, it may be difficult to help him settle down enough to latch on properly. Keep your baby close, and you’ll learn to spot his hunger cues. ursing is a natural and simple way to provide nutrients to your newborn. Nature intended your baby to drink breast milk, and your body is perfectly designed to produce it. During pregnancy your body has been preparing for breastfeeding, and colostrum (early breast milk) will be ready and waiting. Right from birth your baby is able to let you know when he is hungry, to attach to the breast, and to suck, swallow and digest milk that meets his specific nutritional needs. So how does it work? Your baby’s sucking at the breast stimulates milk production, so the more he nurses, the more milk will be N LATCHING ON It’s instinctual for a newborn to attach to the breast. Studies have shown that a baby placed skin-to-skin on his mother’s chest right after birth will crawl to the breast and latch on. If you hold your baby in the traditional cradle position, he’ll be able to latch on properly when his head is level with your breast, aligned with his body, and he is facing you. You should not have to lean toward him, and he should not have to reach toward you to attach. Wait for your baby to open his mouth wide so that he attaches to the areola, not just the nipple. Another option is the football hold, where your baby is tucked by your side. Hold him LAMAZE MAGAZINE 2008 24 LAMAZE.ORG PHOTO: JOHN DOLAN http://LAMAZE.ORG
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