Tips on breastfeeding your baby

Hello, I am a registered nurse who is certified in maternal newborn nursing.  I would like to give you some tips and information about breastfeeding your baby.  First of all, newborns can be very sleepy for the first 24 hours of life and may not nurse very well at first.  Many parents worry about this; parents often think the baby is hungry.  During the first 24 hours just keep trying without supplementing with formula; if the baby is full term and not having any problems.  Usually the baby will start to wake up and feed better the second day of life.  Although it is alright that the infant does not feed the first day, always attempt to feed your baby every 2-3 hours.  Attempt to feed even if the baby is sleeping; wake the baby up for feedings.  Tips for waking a sleepy infant include: undressing the baby, turning on lights, and changing the diaper.  In addition tips to prevent soreness should be learned.  You should make sure your baby is in a good position and that the infan't mouth is open wide.  Never let the baby continue suckling if the latch is directly on the nipple; the mouth should cover as much as the areola as possibel.  Furthermore, you should never hear smacking sounds and the bottom lip should not be tucked under.  Good positioning will prevent blisters, cracked nipples, and severe soreness. Yes your nipples will be sore at first until you get used to nursing and your nipples toughen up, but breastfeeding should not be painful.  The next thing I would like to talk about is engorgement.  Your milk will fully come in in 2-5 days.  When the milk comes in you may feel tingling, fullness, and leaking.  You should never pump when engorged because you will only produce more milk.  Breastmilk is a supply and demand system; the more you feed or pump the more you will produce.  To help with engorgement you can wear a snug bra, apply warm compresses prior to feeding, or use ice packs inbetween feeds.  Engorgement is often the hardest time to get through, but it will usually only last less than a week.  Breastfeeding your baby is a wonderful experience for both the mother and baby.  In addition, there are many many benefits to breastfeeding.  Benefits include; improved immune system, facilitates bonding, less risk for obesity later in life, less ear infections, and quicker weight loss for mom.  These benefits are just a few.  Breastfeeding is also less expensive and can be more convenient.  When going on an outing; you can just grab some diapers and go.  You don't have to prepare formula or clean bottles.  I would recommend taking a class or ready a book if you are planning on breastfeeding.This is just a very small amount of information about breastfeeding.  If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me and I would be more than happy to answer them.