The arrival of a new baby is an exciting and busy, with many choices to be made. One of the first of these choices is how to feed.
Breast milk is, without doubt, the best start you can give your baby. It provides natural protection against infection and aids your baby’s ongoing health and development. It can even benefit your own health. Many new mums find breastfeeding comes naturally right from the start.
Like any new skill worth mastering, you may not feel fully confident in the beginning and are likely to have many questions. For lots of mums it can just take a week or two to get over any early hurdles, combining this with the right access to support and advice can really make all the difference.
Most women who want to breastfeed do so very successfully and enjoy what is a really special time with their baby.
Your baby’s instinctive behaviour will kick in when they start to look for food for the first time. Skin to skin contact at this time is known to stimulate these instincts, encouraging your baby to look for the breast and to start feeding, usually within an hour or two of birth.
Take this time to sit quietly with your baby, start getting to know one another, and wait until your baby signals they are ready to feed. You can be confident that your breasts contain just the right amount of milk that your baby will need initially. This first milk is called colostrum and is packed full of immune boosting nutrients. If your baby has a successful breastfeed within an hour or two of being born it is more likely that your baby will go on to breastfeed well.
Here are some useful tips on how to stimulate latch on and begin breastfeeding:
- Your baby’s head and body should be in a straight line
- Hold your baby’s body close to yours, at the right angle to your body
- To stimulate touch your baby’s mouth, lips and chin with your nipple
- The tip of your baby’s nose should be opposite your nipple
- Your baby’s head will naturally tilt back and mouth will open wide
- Aim nipple to the top of baby’s mouth, with the lower lip away from the base of the nipple
- Bring baby to your breast not the other way round
- Your baby will suckle quickly to stimulate the let-down reflex and then slow down as milk begins to flow
Source: Philips AVENT
