Proper breastfeeding – tips for a nursing mother, video

Breastfeeding is the process of feeding a newborn baby with mother’s milk. Lasts until the child begins to fully feed on his own. Pediatricians recommend breastfeeding your baby for at least a year, as breastfeeding is very beneficial for babies. Usually, after the first year, the parents begin to feed the child a little, usually as the child develops an interest in food.

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How does the process of breastfeeding work?

On the first day after giving birth, the mother of the newborn usually feeds him while lying in bed.

Before feeding, the mother washes her hands with soap and treats the area of ​​the nipple and areola with a sterile swab moistened with a solution of potassium permanganate or furacilin. Then the child is placed on a sterile napkin so that it would be convenient for him to grab the nipple later, the head should not be thrown back too much.

A quick guide to correct breastfeeding

• Mom supports the breast with her index and middle fingers, pulling it slightly so that nasal breathing is not greatly hampered by pressing the mammary gland.
• The nipple, which the mother holds with her fingers, must be put into the child’s mouth so that he can capture the areola of the nipple with his lips.
• It is best to express the first drops of milk before breastfeeding.
• After feeding, the breast should be washed with running water and soap.
• Then lubricate the nipple with petroleum jelly and cover it with a piece of sterile gauze.

Correct position of mom while breastfeeding

During feeding mom should be in a comfortable position. This position should allow her to hold the baby at the breast without any problems during feeding.

It can be absolutely any position of the mother’s choice: lying, sitting, reclining, half-sitting, standing.

Correct position of the child

Before feeding your baby, he should be turned with his chest towards his chest. The child himself should be located close to the chest so that he does not need to reach for it. The child should be gently pressed against the body, the child’s head and torso should be in one straight line.

During feeding it is worth holding the child himself, and not just the shoulders and head. The baby’s nose should be flush with the nipple, the baby’s head should be turned slightly to the side.

After feeding you should hold the child in a horizontal position for 10-15 minutes. This will allow air that has entered the baby’s stomach during feeding to escape. Then you should put the child on its side. This position will allow him to spit up and avoid aspiration (ingestion of milk in the respiratory tract).

How to properly latch a baby to the breast?

• Take your chest so that four fingers are on the bottom and your thumb is on top of your chest. It is advisable to keep the fingers as far away from the nipple as possible.
• In order for the child to open his mouth, the nipple should touch his lips. It is better that the child’s mouth is wide open, the lips are extended into a tube, and the tongue is in the back of the mouth.
• Make sure that the baby has a mouth on the nipple and the areola of the nipple. The baby’s lower lip should be below the nipple and the chin should touch the breast.

What if breastfeeding is not possible? If, due to circumstances, your child still needs supplementation, you should choose the right mixture. In such cases, experts recommend a mixture as close as possible to breast milk, so that the child does not have metabolic disorders, allergic reactions, skin and digestive problems. Closer to the composition of human milk, adapted formulas on goat milk with beta-casein protein, for example, the gold standard for baby food – MD Mil SP “Kozochka”. Thanks to this mixture, the baby receives all the necessary substances that help the child’s body to form and develop correctly.

When the baby is properly attached to the breast, his lips and gums will put pressure on the areola of the nipple, and not on the nipple itself. This makes feeding painless and enjoyable.

Video instruction: how to breastfeed properly

Breastfeeding Specialist Recommendations

To make latching on to your baby’s breast a simple and easy process, follow these tips:

• Reassure the baby before feeding if he is restless or crying. When a baby behaves in this way, he lifts his tongue up, which can make it difficult to feed.
• Remember to bring the baby closer to the breast, not vice versa.

• Put the baby to the breast lightly, without pressure, otherwise he will try to twist and fight in every possible way, which will make feeding very difficult;
• Avoid moving the breast during breastfeeding as when feeding from a bottle, this may prevent the baby from holding the breast;
• If you feel pain while feeding, this indicates that the baby is not properly attached to the breast. Place your finger on the baby’s lips to open his mouth. And apply it to your chest again.
• When feeding, the baby is applied to one breast, and the next time the breast is changed. If milk from one breast is not enough, then you should feed the baby from the other. On the next feeding, it is applied to the breast that was fed last.

How often should you breastfeed your baby?

The baby should be fed as requested. But a nursing mother needs to learn to distinguish when the baby is crying from the desire to eat, and when for some other reason.

In the first days of life, a child can eat 10-14 times a day. And after about two weeks, the child begins to develop his own individual nutritional rhythm. On average, a child eats every 2-3 hours.

• In the first month, the number of feedings balances around 8-12 times a day.
• And already in the second and third months, somewhere about 6-8 times.
• From four months, the number of feedings is reduced to 6-8 times a day.

You should not take night breaks. Feeding your baby at night is very important and necessary.

10 principles of successful breastfeeding

Formed by WHO and UNICEF in Geneva and 1989.

1. Strictly adhere to the basic principles of breastfeeding and regularly communicate these rules to medical personnel and women in labor.
2. Train health-care personnel in essential breastfeeding skills.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and techniques of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers start breastfeeding during the first time after giving birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed properly and how to maintain lactation even when mothers are temporarily separated from their babies.
6. Give newborn babies no food other than milk. An exception is made for cases due to medical indications.
7. To practice around the clock finding a mother with a newborn in the same ward.
8. Encourage breastfeeding as requested by the newborn, rather than on a schedule.
9. Avoid breastfeeding sedatives such as a nipple during early breastfeeding.
10. Encourage and guide mothers to breastfeeding groups.

Tips for a nursing mom

• For added comfort, use special nursing clothing. It is specially made so that the baby can be easily applied to the breast as and when the need arises.
• Frequent feeding, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting plenty of rest help milk production.
• Breast milk leaks are common enough, so use breast pads.
• In order not to be very tired during the day, try to sleep yourself while the baby is sleeping.

Be sure to accept modern vitamin and mineral complexes… Only choose proven and high-quality ones – the emphasis should be on a balanced and rich composition, as well as on the reputation of the manufacturer.

As a rule, such preparations without fail contain folic acid, iron. But not everyone has a large amount of magnesium and iodine. But in Finnish “Minisan Mama”, which can be purchased in pharmacies in the Russian Federation, is.

In addition, taking “Mom” does not take much time – the small tablet is easy to swallow, and just one tablet a day is enough…

This informational article is not intended to be medical or diagnostic advice.
At the first sign of disease, consult a doctor.
Do not self-medicate!