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Intimate Apparel New mothers may find breastfeeding your baby confusing at
first. You may not know exactly what to do or how to do
it. Hopefully these breastfeeding tips will help to get
you started.
* Start Early - It is good to begin breastfeeding
within an hour after birth if possible, when the baby is
alert and the instinct to suck is strong. Although you
will not yet be producing milk, your breasts contain
colostrum, a thin milky fluid that contains important
antibodies to disease.
* Feed Frequently - You should try breastfeeding your
baby at least every two to three hours. This will help
to keep your breasts soft and lessen or even prevent
engorgement. Watch for signs that your baby is hungry,
such as changes in facial expressions, sucking sounds or
lip movements, and rapid eye movement or restlessness
during light naps. If you keep an eye out for these
signs, you can learn to anticipate your baby's hunger.
Breastfeeding on cue will help stimulate your breasts to
produce more milk.
* Good Positioning - Having the right positioning for
breastfeeding will play a major role in reducing nipple
soreness. Use you hand to support the baby's neck. The
baby's mouth should be open wide with the lips puckered
out like "fish lips", not folded in. The nipple should
go back as far into his or her mouth as possible. If you
need help finding the proper positioning, ask a nurse,
midwife, or other experienced mother for some help
breastfeeding.
* Nipple Upkeep - When you first begin breastfeeding
your nipples may become very sore. After each
breastfeeding session rub a small amount of breast milk
on and around each nipple and allow it to air dry. This
will help to prevent cracking which can lead to
infection. In cases where your nipples do crack, coat
them with breast milk, vitamin E oil, or lanolin to help
them heal. Be aware that some babies may have an
allergic reaction to certain moisturizing agents. Proper
positioning while breastfeeding is very important to
avoid sore nipples.
* Look Out for Breast Infection - If you experience a
fever or painful lumps and redness in your breasts, you
should seek medical attention immediately.
* Postpone Using Artificial Nipples - If you are
going to be breastfeeding your baby, avoid introducing
pacifiers or other artificial nipples too early.
Artificial nipples require a different sucking action
than the real thing and it can be easy for the baby to
become confused. Try to wait until after a couple weeks
of breastfeeding before introducing any sort of fake
nipples.
* No Supplements Needed - There is no need to
supplement breastfeeding with sugar water or formula.
Neither of these come close to comparing with the
nutritional complexity of your breast milk, and they may
interfere with the baby's appetite for breastfeeding and
lead to a diminished milk supply. Breastfeeding your
baby more often will in turn cause you to produce more
milk.
* Engorgement - When you first begin breastfeeding,
you will be producing a lot of milk, which can make you
breasts big, hard, and painful. You can help to ease
this engorgement by breastfeeding frequently until your
body adjusts to produce only as much as the baby needs.
While your body adjusts, you can help to relieve the
pain by applying warm, wet compresses or taking warm
baths. Some over-the-counter pain relievers will help,
but consult your doctor before taking any sort of drug,
since it may be passed through your milk to the baby.
* Stay Healthy - A mother who is breastfeeding needs
to eat a healthy diet in order to produce enough good
milk. You should try and get an extra 500 calories a
day, drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluids, and avoid drugs,
alcohol, caffeine, and smoke. You should also rest as
much as possible while breastfeeding, since breast
infections are aggravated by fatigue.
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