Breastfeeding Basics

With all the preparation that goes into having a baby, it's nice to know that breastfeeding requires very little advance planning. There is nothing you have to do to prepare your body to breastfeed. Your pregnancy does it all for you!

Some people may tell you to begin "toughening up" your nipples to prepare for breastfeeding. This is not only unnecessary, it could send you into premature labor. Breastfeeding, if done correctly, should not hurt. From personal experience, I can tell you I was never sore. For the first week or so, my breasts felt sensitive, but not painful. If breastfeeding becomes painful, check your positioning and make sure baby latches on properly.

When you are still pregnant, you may notice a yellowish or whitish discharge coming form your nipples. This is called colostrum, or first milk. Colostrum is an ultra-concentrated food that your baby will get for the first few days until your milk comes in. It is loaded with calories and antibodies. If it were manufactured, it would cost hundreds of dollars per ounce!

When breastfeeding, do not use any lotions or soaps on your nipples. This could cause them to dry out and crack. Instead, after nursing your baby, squeeze a little breast milk out and rub it on your nipples. This will help them stay lubricated without adding any undesirable tastes that baby may dislike. If you need more lubrication, you can purchase pure lanolin (Medela makes it, as well as other manufacturers). It has no taste and provides excellent protection.

There should be no time restrictions when breastfeeding. Babies nurse until they are full, so limiting the time on each breast may deprive your baby of the calories and nutrition he needs. Besides, it is important for the baby to empty the breast or breasts to help you maintain a good milk supply.

Speaking of milk supply, your body is very much in tune with your baby's needs. It will produce what baby needs. When your milk first comes in, you may notice your breasts get very heavy. This will subside after a day or two, once your body begins to regulate itself.

You may notice that, at certain intervals, your baby will nurse much more often. This often happens at 10-14 days, 4-6 weeks and 3 and 6 months. These are the times that babies generally have growth spurts, and need the additional nutritional intake to accomplish the growth at that stage. Generally, they will nurse more frequently for between 1-3 days. You may notice that after the growth spurt, they may actually nurse less (I did).

For most women, the type of diet they consume does not need to change when breastfeeding. You may notice that baby nurses less vigorously after you have eaten a particularly spicy meal, but many women have no problem. If baby exhibits a lack of interest in nursing, check to see if some food you have eaten may be the cause, and try to avoid that food. (Samantha had colic until I stopped eating dairy products. By process of elimination, we discovered that dairy products in my breast milk caused her problems. I gave up the milk and cheese until after she was 6 months old, and then ate them only rarely. I took a calcium supplement to compensate.)

There is an old wive's tale that says breastfeeding is a good form of birth control. It's not!! While it is true that breastfeeding may suppress ovulation, you cannot be assured of its certainty. Use another form of birth control while you are nursing. Beware of birth control pills or shots, as they may decrease your milk supply. Consider a diaphragm and spermicidal foams, condoms, or another birth control option. Discuss the options available with your doctor.

This page hosted by Get Your Own Free Home Page