Best Breastfeeding Techniques

From the first time baby goes to the breast to the first few weeks after birth, breastfeeding isn't always as easy as it appears.
Breastfeeding seems like the most natural preocess in the world but it can sometimes take practice,encouragement and support for that to happen.
From the moment of birth, your baby comes into world pre-designed to breastfeed.We kind of assume that baby will just know exactly what to do and also that mom will be able to do it all!
Best Breastfeeding Techniques

• Keep baby close to you immediately after birth until she shows you she is ready to feed.This could be sucking on fingers,mouthing or turning toward the nipple "rooting"
• Delay any procedures until sometime after the birth. That means you do not need to rush to weigh baby or give Vitamen K
• Nurse baby as often as possible in the first few hours and days after birth.
• There is no reason to deny baby the oppurtunity to suck. It is almost like "practice". This will also stimulate your body to produce milk. It really is all about "Supply and Demand" Baby demands and your body will supply.
• To latch baby , turn baby toward you, stroke her lower lip slightly with your   nipple and wait until baby has a very wide open mouth
• Allow baby to suck on the one breast as long as she wants to and when she comes off the breast offer the second one.
• Baby led feeding. Allow baby to make the scedule . Do not impose a 3 or 4 hourly schedule. This may have a negative impact on your milk supply.If baby has 6-8 wet nappies a day she is getting enough.
• If your breasts or nipples get sore try look at the way baby latches. Also please seek assistance. The best would be somebody who specialsies in assisting moms. A Lactation consultant or midwife is normally a good idea. Unfortunately more ofter than not the GP may not have the skills to help you.
• Avoid unless medically indicated from giving any formula feeds. It can become a viscious circle as there is no stimulation for your breasts to make milk so they make less.... so you need to give more formula.......

Why Breastfeeding is Best

Why Breastfeeding is best

1. Breastfeeding prevents obesity.
 Since breastfed babies themselves control how much they eat, children who are breastfed learn to trust their bodies' signals about how much they need to eat and when.
2. Better teeth.
Breastfed babies have better jaw alignment and are less likely to need orthodontic work as they get older.Think of all the money you can save on braces!
3. Lowered risk of heart disease.
 All the evidence isn't complete yet, but some researchers believe that breastfeeding during infancy may lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in later life.It may have to do with learning to metabolize cholesterol early on in life via mom's milk
4. Lowered risk of juvenile diabetes.
 Babies who are breastfed are less likely to develop type 1 diabetes mellitus in childhood. Researchers have attributed this lowered risk of diabetes to the delayed introduction of cow milk in breastfed babies. In addition, researchers have shown a lower insulin release in breastfed infants compared to infants fed formula. This is particularly important if you have a family history of diabetes.
5. Lowered risk of multiple sclerosis.
 Multiple sclerosis, a degenerative muscle disease that strikes adults, may be caused in part by myelin breakdown.Human milk's contribution to the myelin formation may help to prevent multiple sclerosis in later life.
6. Lowered risk of asthma and allergy.
Studies have shown that breastfeeding lowers the chances of a child developing allergies and asthma symptoms. Breastmilk's immune components protect babies from allergens in the first months of life.
7. Other diseases. Research suggests that breastfeeding may also play a role in preventing digestive diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, as well as childhood cancers. This makes sense: nourish an infant's body with the unique food designed for it by nature and that body will function in a healthier way, perhaps for the child's entire life.

Breastmilk's influence on health is probably more far-reaching than researchers have even dared to imagine!!!

Breastfeeding Simply