Breastfeeding: How to Breastfeed a Newborn baby the Correct Way

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Feeding a Baby is the utmost concern of nursing mothers. Breast-feeding can be a lot more challenging task than anticipated particularly the new moms, considering the pain experienced during breast feeding. Breast milk provides babies with nutrients that serve as antibody that boosts a newborn baby’s immune system and it also digests faster than the artificial baby formula. This article you will learn some to breast-feeding techniques, baby nutrition and how to manage problems attached to breastfeeding. Read on

Breastfeeding doesn't always come naturally, rather you desire to and cultivate the habit of breastfeeding your baby when the need arise.

After delivery, you will be given some breastfeeding tips such as how to position your baby correctly before breastfeeding while supporting yourself with a nursing pillow to avoid neck or back pain.

According to world health organization, breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. 

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Basic Breastfeeding Tips

• Breast feeding diet - eating a healthy diet such as plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and multivitamin daily (as recommended)
• Take plenty of fluids
• Clean the breast (nipple area) with a clean wet cloth before breastfeeding
• Sit in a comfortable position
• Hold your baby close to your breast
• Support your baby’s head with your hand
• Use your hand to direct your baby’s mouth to your breast nipple
• Wait to observe if there is a feeling of suction
• To remove the baby’s mouth when you sense your baby is full, insert a finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth the remove your breast
• Rest well and avoid smoking
• Breast feed more often - the less hungry a baby is, the softer his sucking motion.

Breastfeeding Position

Wrong positioning of your baby while breastfeeding is the cause of back pains, cracked or sore nipples. Place the bottom part of your areola underneath your nipple in baby’s mouth.

When the nipple is cracked, chances are that the cracked nipple could be infected and the baby could be infected too. Ensure you treat the crack on the nipple as soon as you notice it to avoid your baby becoming sick; if the back pain persists consult your doctor. 

 

How do I Tell If my Baby is Hungry?

Babies eat as often every 2 to 4 hours, so make sure to feed your baby properly daily, but if you don’t remember or not sure your baby is hungry or not, then you have to look out for the following sign of hunger:

• Restlessness while sleeping or awake
• Baby Stirring at you
• Lip movements and
• Sucking motions.

Nature has done an amazing job of providing you and your baby with the right food for nourishment. You can breastfeed your baby the right way by allowing your baby to suck from the first breast very well for about 20 minutes until you get a feeling at the breast is lighter and not as heavy and full as it was before, burp the baby and turn him or her to the second breast for about 15 minutes insert a finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth remove the breast with and burp your baby.

The first few months of delivery, the constant care and demand of milk from your baby can drain you.  It's common to wonder if your child is getting enough to eat and how often to feed him/her. Though Babies cannot say when they are full, often time when a baby is full he pushes off the nipple from his mouth. 

Baby Burping Techniques

It is important to burp your baby very well in between and after every meal. Babies get uncomfortable when they swallow air during feeding.  This also happens when breastfed but they tend to swallow more air when bottle-fed.

Related: Answers to Questions New Breastfeeding Mothers Ask

Below are Methods of Burping a Baby:

• Place your baby over your shoulder and gently rub his back.
• Place baby’s stomach-down on your lap and rub his back.
• While sitting down, sit your baby on your lap upright, lean her weight forward supporting him with your left or right hand and rub his back gently with the other hand.