Lamaze Magazine 2008 - (Page 25) By Judith A. Lothian, RN, PHD, LCCE, FACCE PHOTOS (FROM TOP): STEWART COHEN/AGEFOTOSTOCK; JAMES RODERICK (3) on his side, his nose to your nipple. Place your arm along his back, supporting his shoulders and neck. Don’t hold the back of his head; he will instinctively throw it back as he latches on. Be patient and let your baby lead you; don’t rush him or pressure yourself. Remember, he knows how to do this. As he sucks, watch and listen for his swallowing. This is the ultimate assurance that he is getting milk. Your baby will let you know when he is finished by unlatching or falling asleep; he may not want to nurse on the other breast. If he doesn’t, it will feel full when he is ready to nurse again, so start with that side. If you pay attention to your baby’s feeding cues, nurse him often and allow him to nurse until he is finished, you can be sure he is getting enough milk. Look for these signs: | You will notice the change in his sucking: bursts of sucking will be followed by a pause as he swallows. You can also see the neck muscles move as he swallows milk. | The color of his stool will change from the dark meconium to mustard yellow by day four if he’s getting milk. By day six, your baby should have at least six to eight wet diapers and three or more bowel movements in a 24-hour period. | Your baby should be gaining weight, although it may take 2 to 3 weeks for him to regain his birth weight. Some babies take a few days or even weeks to breastfeed effortlessly. If yours is not nursing frequently, you are unable to identify swallowing or he is not producing enough wet diapers and bowel movements, contact your health-care provider or lactation consultant immediately. Your nipples shouldn’t hurt when you breastfeed. If they do, it’s likely that your baby isn’t latching on properly (see box at right). Most breastfeeding problems have simple solutions, but it’s important to address them with professional help. You and your baby were made to breastfeed. Have confidence in yourself and your baby’s ability, and treasure this natural bonding time. | Online: Read more at lamaze.org/magazine. Nature intended your baby to drink breast milk, and your body is perfectly designed to produce it. Breastfeeding Basics How exactly do you get started? First, remember to relax. Then follow these steps to help your baby latch on. The key to successful breastfeeding is getting the baby to latch on well. If your baby has a good latch, you’ll feel comfortable and she’ll feel satisfied. Start by positioning yourself well: Sit up in bed or on a chair and use a bed pillow or nursing pillow to support your arm as you feed your baby. Then choose a comfortable position for both of you and follow these steps. ■ To begin, gently tickle your baby’s lips with your nipple until she opens her mouth very wide (as if she’s yawning). ■ When her mouth is open, quickly hug her to your breast. This is more effective than pushing your breast into her mouth. ■ Your baby’s mouth should cover your areola and nipple, and her lips should flare out as she sucks. Don’t worry if you don’t succeed right away. Keep trying. LAMAZE MAGAZINE 2008 25 LAMAZE.ORG http://lamaze.org/magazine http://LAMAZE.ORG
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.