Tips on Breastfeeding?

Question

I'm a new mom and not sure on how to let her latch on. I was shown by the nurse but she didnt show me that well so what do i do?

Answer 1

Is there a local lacation phone number that you can call? Maybe the public health nurse or the WIC line? It is hard at 1st but be patient.

Answer 2

Practice, practice, practice. Lots of people think nursing is natural for both mother and child..it's not always the case. Yes it's nature but not all moms and babies "get it" right away. The number one tip I can give you is bring the baby to your breast not the other way around. When you bend down to bring the breast to the baby you will end up with a terrible backache by the end of the day. My son had a hard time latching on at first I found that if I rubbed some expressed milk on the nipple he would latch on better. Geez nursing is graphic :) Another tip keep a drink near by where you nurse. I used to fill a big 44oz gas station cup with water and leave it by my rocking chair. Every morning I would fill it and I was set for the day.

nursing takes practice and it can be really hard. Remember the best tip is relax. If you are uptight your baby will be too...and that makes it hard for both of you. Good luck

Answer 3

IF you've already given the baby a bottle, it's going to be very difficult for you to do. If you are going to breast feed it's best to start doing it as soon as they come out of the womb. However, if you already have given the baby a bottle and you want to continue to try, I suggest you get yourself as much rest as possible, make sure the babys well nourished for now, and the next time it is time to feed be prepared to sit in the same position for several hours and to be extremely patient while you wait for the baby to latch on. Also, just a tip, I always found that squeezing the breast milk into a bottle by hand worked much better for me than the breasts pumps ever did. Once the baby learns to latch on and gets in the habbit of doing this, it will be much smoother sailing, good luck and congradulations. Also, I always laid my baby on a pillow on my lap so I didn't have to bend as much, caused much less back pain.

Answer 4

The baby will usually figure it out on her own, as long as you keep trying. Both my girls had trouble latching on the right way, which frustrated them and made me sore. I called the lactation specialist at the hospital the day after I went home with my first baby. We were both (the baby and I) in tears! You can try pumping for a couple minutes just before feeding her. It helps give the nipple a better shape and the milk right to the surface. This worked for both my girls. They had it down pat within a day, and then I rarely needed to pump anymore. Keep at it, it is a great experience if it works. If not, do what works best for you and your baby. It is not a crime to formula feed. I supplemented with formula to help meet the families needs. Good luck!

Answer 5

Call the lactation people at the hospital, sometimes they will even have nurses come into your home to help out. Babies need practice latching on, it'll be hard for a little bit but she'll get great at.

Answer 6

Relax and stay calm. Being stressed makes breastfeeding much harder. make sure she gets the areola in her mouth and not just the nipple or you will be sore. You can call your local wic office and they will usually send a lactation specialist to help you. Do you have a boppy I love mine it makes nursing a lot more comfortable, and helps to bring the baby to the breast so your not hunched over.Good luck and don't give up. Breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your baby.

Answer 7

Everyone will tell you that she needs to get your whole areola in her mouth, and that's true. But she also needs to face you dead-on, with her belly against yours and her legs wrapping around your side (if you're nursing with a cradle hold, that is). My first child got the hang of that right away, and I never had to think about it, but my second always wanted to roll away from me and face up, instead of in, which didn't work well for us.

Also, raise her up so that her face is level with your breast. You don't want to have to hunch over to feed her, and she shouldn't have to stretch to reach you. A Boppy or something is great, but regular pillows work fine, too, until your baby is a little bigger and you both have the whole nursing thing figured out.

Don't worry: eventually, you'll be able to walk around while she's nursing, and even do things, like type, with your free hand.

Answer 8

I was told the mouth is supposed to look like a K with the tongue resting on the bottom lip. If you want them to let go if they have not latched on properly stick your little finger in the mouth to remove the suction, this prevents any more pain in the nipple.

Good luck I know this is hard but it is rewarding, easier and cheaper.

Answer 9

Hold her close to you until she turns her head toward your breast. Take the areola around your nipple between your index finger and thumb and compress your breast a little...bringing her closer toward it. She should latch on well then. Make sure she can breath..if necessary you can hold down the top part of your breast. Make sure she gets quite a bit of the areola in her mouth not just the nipple or she wont get anything and you will get sore nipples. Relax and you will feel your milk let down. Good luck...dont give up.

Answer 10

it will come naturally, the baby will cry and your breast will leak milk fast as the baby sucks,
Let her latch on with her mouth, then burp the baby by rubbin bottom of back gently and and a gently pat