Getting Started With Breast Feeding
When you hold your baby for the first time in the delivery room, you should put
his lips to your breast. Although your mature milk hasn\'t developed yet, your
breasts are still producing a substance known as colostrums that helps to protect
your baby from infections. If your baby has trouble finding or staying on your
nipple, you shouldn\'t panic. Breast feeding is an art that will require a lot of
patience and a lot of practice. No one expects you to be an expert when you first
start, so you shouldn\'t hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what
you need to do. Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn’t be painful.
When your baby latches on, pay attention to how your breasts feel. If the
latching on hurts, break the suction then try again. You should nurse quite
frequently, as the more you nurse the more quickly your mature milk will come
in and the more milk you\'ll produce. Breast feeding for 10 - 15 minutes per breast
8 - 10 times every 24 hours is an ideal target. Crying is a sign of hunger, which
means you should actually feed your baby before he starts crying. During the first
few days, you may have to wake your baby to begin breast feeding, and he may
end up falling asleep during feeding. To ensure that your baby is eating often
enough, you should wake him up if it has been four hours since the last time he
has been fed. Getting comfortable Feedings can take 40 minutes or longer,
therefore you\'ll want a cozy spot. You don\'t want to be sitting somewhere where
you will be bothered, as it can make the process very hard.
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