It looks so natural, a baby at the breast, but you might have learned that positioning your own little one is not as easy as it appears. Don’t worry, it gets easier.
Positioning Pointers: First, find a comfortable place to feed your little one. If you’ll be nursing sitting up, choose a supportive chair with arm rests. Have several pillows handy. Undress your baby, down to her diaper. Skin-to-skin contact stimulates babies, helping them to remain awake and alert during a feed. For this reason, it’s best not to swaddle your baby while nursing.
No matter what position you choose, tuck your baby in close, make sure her whole body is well supported and her head, neck, and back are in a straight line. You shouldn’t be leaning back or forward as you get ready to bring your baby to your breast.
During your baby’s first weeks, try a few of these common nursing positions to see what works best for you and your baby.
Clutch (Football) Hold
When this works best: This can be one of the easiest positions to use with a newborn. It works well if you have large breasts, if your baby has latch-on or sucking problems, if you’ve had a cesarean, if your baby arches at the breast, if you have a rapid milk ejection reflex, if your baby is small, or if you have twins. This position allows you to see your baby latch on, giving you better control.
How to do it: Sit in a comfortable chair. Use pillows, if needed, under your baby to bring her to breast level, and for support under your arm. In this position, your baby is lying alongside you, upper back resting on your forearm with her neck supported by your hand. Her head faces your breast. Your hips are flexed, bottom rests against the chair back, and feet point to the ceiling. Your opposite hand will support your breast. Your baby should not be so far forward that she has to bend her neck to latch on.
Cradle Hold
When this works best: Experienced breastfeeding moms will be most comfortable with this common position. New moms often find it difficult to control the baby’s head and watch latch-on in this position.
How to do it: Sit in a comfortable chair. Use pillows, if needed, under your baby to bring her to breast level and for support under your forearm. Your baby will be on her side, her chest facing your chest. Make sure her lower arm is comfortably placed along her side. When nursing from the left breast, cradle your baby’s head in the crook of the left arm, and her back will be along your inner arm and palm. If you look down at your little one, you will see her side. Use the opposite hand to support your breast.
Cross-Cradle (Transition) Hold
When this works best: This position works well for feeding a newborn, for babies with difficulty latching (and staying) on, and for small or premature babies. This position allows you to see your baby latch on, giving you better control.
How to do it: Sit in a comfortable chair. Support your baby with a pillow on your lap to raise her to breast level, and use pillows as needed to support your arms and hands. Your baby will be lying on her side, facing you. Support your breast with the hand on the side that you will feed your baby (left breast, left hand). Use your other arm to support your baby’s body. Guide her to your breast, placing your hand on her neck, the palm of your hand between her shoulder blades.
Lying Down (Lying on Side or Flat on Back)
When this works best: Lying down can be very helpful when a baby is having trouble nursing. It is also a good choice when you want to get rest while your baby nurses, if you have a very abundant milk supply, and if you must remain flat after a cesarean. This position may take a little practice, but it’s well worth the effort.
How to do it: Lie on your side on the bed with your baby facing you. Tuck pillows behind your back and your baby’s back, and under your head and upper knee, as needed for comfort and support. Your bottom arm can be up or held slightly below shoulder level, cradling your baby’s head. Her ear, shoulder, and hip should be in a straight line, with her knees pulled in close. You can feed from both breasts, leaning over your baby to offer the other side, or hold your baby to your chest and roll to the other side. If you want to lie on your back and nurse, drape your baby across your body and allow her to latch on. You can also sit on the side of the bed and get your baby latched on and then lie back.
Safety Notes
Pain is an indication that something is wrong. Though passing nipple tenderness is normal in the first few days, if nursing hurts or you have trouble positioning your baby, get help. Breastfeeding should be comfortable, even in the early weeks. Schedule a visit with a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who can observe a complete feed and offer recommendations.
Pillows can pose a suffocation hazard for babies, so remove any pillows under your baby when it’s time to sleep.
Duration : 0:9:48
I just stopped breastfeeding my 10 month old son about 2 weeks ago, and still no period. How long after you stopped breastfeeding did you begin to get a normal period? Also, I am on birth control for breastfeeding mothers, does this mean I should switch to a different birth control?
the birth control question is too important to leave to this board. Call your doctor and ask, you'll probably need a change.
I breastfed two children. I started my period while breastfeeding one and the other I had a month delay.
Shy about breastfeeding in public? Here’s everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. And if you have any of your own tips or stories, please share them!
Duration : 0:3:1
Nestle Good Start Supreme If you are a new mother and if breastfeeding is not chosen, is discontinued or if a supplement is desired, you can feel good about choosing Nestle Good Start Supreme with Comfort Proteins for your baby’s first years. Good Start Supreme is the only formula that starts with 100% gentle whey protein. The proteins are then broken down into smaller pieces to be easy to digest. They’re called Comfort Proteins and only Good Start Supreme has them. Good Start Supreme offers complete nutrition plus an extra measure of comfort, which makes feeding time a gentle, joyful experience for both moms and babies. Clinical evidence has shown that formula made with 100% whey protein empties from babies’ tummies faster than other routine formulas, which may help reduce the potential for spitting up. Nestle Good Start Supreme Features: This is the original Good Start Supreme milk-based formula made with easy-to-digest Comfort Proteins Milk-based infant formula for babies 0-12 month Made with easy to digest Comfort Proteins Concentrated formula is ideal for traveling; patented two-step process starts with gentle 100% whey protein, the highest quality protein used in infant formula Nestle Good Start Supreme Specifications: A20008 01 is a case of 6 12-ounce cans of powder based concentrated infant formula A20008 02 is a case of 12 13-ounce cans of liquid concentrated, easy-to-digest infant formula Powder Concentrate Instructions: Your babys health depends on carefully following the preparation, use, and storage instructions below. Ask your babys doctor about infant formula feeding* including how much to feed and the need to sterilize (boil) water and preparation utensils before mixing formula. 1. Pour desired amount of water into bottle. See chart below. 2. Add 1 unpacked level scoop (8.7g) of powder for each 2 fl oz water. (Only use enclosed scoop. Separate it from frame.) 3. Cap bottle, SHAKE WELL. Feed baby
I have a seven year old son and a three year old daughter and I would like some advice on how to explain to them about breastfeeding their six day old brother. They have both been asking questions about what I am doing when I feed him and why I am doing it that way rather then like their aunts (who booth have three month old babies that get formula). I didn't breasfeed either one of them because I had to go back to work right away, which I know now is a stupid reason, but I am now a stay at home mom who is breastfeeding and I don't want to hide in my room or whatever every time I need to feed my youngest but I don't know what to tell them other then that when mommy's have baby's they make milk and that the milk that they make is the best food for the new baby. I know that they are at different levels of comprehension, I just want them to be comfortable with the way that mommy feeds their little brother.
You know, that's a good explanation. I mean, if you want to be technical you could explain how humans are mammals and point out all sorts of things, but I don't think a three year old and seven year old would get that.
To be honest, if you don't feel like you're being inappropriate about such things, you might simply show them how a baby feeds. I'm not going so far as to suggest letting them try now that they're too old, but this is a perfectly natural process you are supposed to go through. Get a bottle and their little brother, while he's in a good mood, and have them spend a little time playing with him, and talk to them as you cuddle and play with baby, and ask them if they see how he doesn't have teeth to chew things like they do, and can't pick himself up or anything, and needs other people to be very gentle and hold him and take care of him because he's so little.
Then, tell them that in nature, a lot of mommies, like doggie and cat mommies (and you don't have to go far to find one of those in the middle of nursing, either in a nature special or in real life), have special parts on them to make food for little babies so mommies can feed them when they're that small, made just for babies… and that people are just like that, too. Show them the bottle and explain to them how we have to take milk and put it in a bottle that's made to imitate the natural way mommies feed babies, so we can make sure babies can eat when mommies might not be able to feed them, but since you're here, you don't need a bottle to feed him because you can do it yourself just like mommies are supposed to do for little babies until they get big and strong enough to feed themselves, just like you're so proud your other son and daughter can do (being proud of them for being able to feed themselves makes them feel good for growing up and being big boys and girls, so they don't have to feel bad you don't feed them that way any more).
I don't see any reason, after that, to make them leave, or hide from them, if you're feeding your youngest son. Not to sound crude, but your breasts weren't made for your husband's amusement (even if that's often what they're used for). They were made to feed your infant children, and in that regard there is no reason you should feel the need to be ashamed or hide doing that. It's not only natural, it's an integral part of being a good parent, and I can't think of a reason that isn't, in the end, counterproductive to hide your need to be a good mother.
The only thing spurning their curiosity is going to do is either make them more curious, or make them feel ashamed of themselves. The easiest way to make them comfortable with the idea that mommy feeds their little brother that way, for the time being, is to simply be comfortable feeding him while they're there. Children do look to mommy and daddy for a lot of guidance, and take their cues from them on how they should often feel about situations. If you feel happy and contented with what you are doing, chances are they'll feel that way, too.
Once they understand what's going on, they'll generally ignore the activity in favor of something more interesting, or at worst want to join in taking care of the baby… and you can certainly find age appropriate things for them to do in that regard to help them bond with their younger brother and not go through the standard "he's taking all the attention away from me" phase.
It's a great segue into what families are about, how mommies and daddies each do different things to help take care of everyone (because this is also a very good way to help your children understand that daddy doesn't love them any less than you do or care for them any less because he leaves… it's exactly because he loves them so much he goes to work when he might really like to stay home and play with them, because he needs to make sure they have a nice house, and all the toys they want to play with, and all the food they need to eat, etc), and how they are important as brothers and sisters.
In 1975, a pediatrician named Allan Walker reported a startling link between formula-fed infants and the occurrence of infectious diseases like neonatal meningitis and food allergies. In that report, he suggested that the this link was due to antigen absorption through the intestinal walls, and that breastfeeding infants for the first three months of life would prevent this absorption and decrease their susceptibility to disease.
He concluded that the passive immunity provided by colostrum and breast milk might play an important role in protecting infants from infection and disease by blocking the passage of pathogens and toxins through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. Dr. Walker’s report initiated decades of further research, and we now know that he was right.
Colostrum and breast milk do much more than provide nutritional support. They also provide developmental support that is necessary for the maturation of the gastrointestinal tract, and immunological support that is vital for the continued growth and strengthening of the immune system.
Colostrum is the first milk provided to breastfeeding newborns during the first few days of life. This special milk is yellow to orange in color, thick and rather sticky, and very easily digested. It is richer in proteins than mature breast milkboth nutritional proteins for utilization in the body, and non-nutritional proteins that remain in the gut to aid in its closure to pathogens and toxins.
Infants who receive colostrum early and often have mature digestive tracts that are more robust throughout their first six months of life, and strong immune systems that are better able to resist infection and disease. Colostrum is the perfect source of nutrition for infants, providing them with the nutrients required to ensure proper growth and the development of the brain and nervous system.
Colostrum changes gradually to mature milk during the first two weeks after birth. During this transition period, the breast milk will become thinner in its consistency and whiter in its appearance. The concentration of antibodies in the transition milk will begin to decrease, while its overall volume will begin to increase.
The antibodies and other immune factors in mature human breast milk do not disappear completely; in fact, immunological protection against viruses and bacteria continues to be passed along from the mother to the baby as long as the baby continues breastfeeding. Like colostrum, breast milk is the perfect source of nutrition for infants, and tailor-made to their changing needs over time.
It contains an optimal balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat for energy, and it provides the digestive enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and hormones for a baby’s optimal health and continued growth.
Most commercially prepared formulas are based on non-fat bovine milk, whey protein, or soy protein. These formulas must be fortified with carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals in order for them to match the nutritional content of colostrum and breast milk.
But the active antibodies and other immune factors contained in human colostrum and breast milk cannot be added to these formulas, and they cannot provide the same developmental stimulus or immunological protection. As a result, babies receiving fluids other than mother’s colostrum/breast milk for first three days of life have an increased incidence of diarrhea during their first six months, and formula-fed infants are more prone to a variety of common infections to which they are particularly vulnerable.
Click Here to Find Out More About Bovine Colostrum At :
Babies breastfeed, and if they are very lucky, in the West, they are allowed to follow their biological norm and breastfeed into toddlerhood.
There is no ‘natural’ time to fully wean an infant, and thus refuse it your breast. All infants give up breastfeeding themselves, when they have finished with it, and move on. This usually occurs sometime between their 3rd and 4th birthday, but many leave the breast earlier, some leave the breast later.
http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html
Culture, and how we live our lives, usually interferes with the infant’s decision, and imposes a ’set’ time on the activity. This can be from as early as 6 weeks!
Jesus, as part of his own culture, was probably breastfeeding until he was 3 years old, and then there would have been a weaning party, for everyone in the community to celebrate his growing into another phase of his life.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t026400.asp
3 years is a common ’set time’ for many cultures, as it appears to give the child as much support and comfort and brain building milk as it needs, and then returns the mother to fertility for another child once those needs have been met.
The Koran asks that every mother allow their baby to breastfeed for at least 2 years.
The West (where sexual ownership of the female’s body has deemed that breasts are first and foremost sexual, as opposed to how you feed babies) is the most severe in repressing breastfeeding toddlers. Such is the confusion and anxiety about breasts, there are ingrained attitudes that even newborn babies breastfeeding is actually an imposition on the sexual nature of the breast! Some areas of countries such as the USA, demands that male babies are weaned from the breast faster than female ones, as the sexual nature of the breast somehow threatens the father, the mother, and the baby.
This flies in the face of all the scientific, and social, research into the issue. Time and again, the benefits of normal term nursing - allowing the baby to continue to breastfeed as it chooses to - are shown in study after study. With a safe and secure, comforting and loving physical environment from which to view the painful and confusing world that is toddlerhood, the toddler still having access to the breast is more secure, more resilient, more confident and more independent than those forcibly weaned before their time. And still benefittng greatly from the unique nutrition that builds their brains and bones and blood perfectly.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/index.html
Mothers benefit too, with protection from breast cancer etc, lost to the mother who has weaned, increasing her risk of such illness. Oxytocin from the breastfeeding biology, floods both mother and child with contentment, and helps both overcome the stresses of toddlerhood.
Therefore, the children least likely to benefit from the astounding brain building abilities of human milk, and the ones most in need of developing emotional resilience, are the ‘most privileged’ on the face of the planet. The cultures with so much, often give their infants too little.
The joy you can see on this 2 year old’s face, says it all, really. Her world is overflowing with the milk of human kindness.
http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/older/mouths.html
The World Health Organisation recommends that all babies are allowed to receive only breastmilk for the first six months of their lives, and then to be allowed to breastfeed for a minimum of two years. Thereafter, breastfeeding should continue for as long as mother and child mutually desire.
http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/global_strategy.htm
The contradictions and confusions in the West are so extreme, that a mother allowing her toddler to breastfeed, can be viewed as abnormal, when she lives in a culture that uses images of breasts, to sell cars. Go figure.
http://one-of-those-women.blogspot.com/2008/01/normal-nursing-donovandettwyler-article.html
Few mothers start their journey with their breastfeeding babies, with the intent to keep going past 2 years of age. Most fall into just putting off the decision on giving up on something so worthwhile, and so important to their child. Pressure from others can be unbearable and some mothers wean to stop the criticism…
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/criticism.html
http://touchinglynaive.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/extended-breastfeeding/
… but mostly, the attitude normal term nursing mothers take is.. if it ain’t broke, it don’t need fixed.
http://www.babble.com/content/articles/columns/extremeparenting/001/
You can post photos of your own breastfeeding toddler, at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21420487704
and there is a wonderful compilation video of breastfeeding children on:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=942FRjAJhxU
Duration : 0:0:26
Do you just put you swimmers on and hop in? Have you ever leaked when in the water? Just want actual mums stories. Im sure there’s lots of you who have gone swimming while your still breastfeeding.
I just got in like regular.. the water washes it away when you leak.. and the water usually will trigger you to get milk.. it did me.. but the water washes it away before anyone notices it.. and if you feel the sensation that your about to get milk just start splashing around so no one will notice the somewhat cloudiness..lol..
*just make sure you wash your breasts good before feeding your baby.. pools are a dirty..**
Gift set includes Natural Nipple Butter, Booby Tubes, Bosom Buddies, and Milkmaid Tea.
This video answers the question: “How often should I breastfeed my baby?” For more information go to:
http://www.breastfeedingbasics.info/blog
http://www.breastfeedingbasics.info
Duration : 0:2:12
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