The Benefits of Breastfeeding
One of the most important things that you will have to decide upon pretty quickly is whether you’ll be breastfeeding your new baby or not. Most childcare and health experts would agree that breastfeeding is the best type of milk that you can give to a newborn baby. There are certainly lots of advantages to breastfeeding a baby and here are just a few of them.
No Cost Involved for Breastfeeding
The majority of women will take to breastfeeding quite naturally. This means that they can provide a source of nourishment without incurring any costs whatsoever. If you are able to produce a good quantity of milk, them you can pump and save the breastmilk that can be stored in the fridge for later use. This is a great advantage if you want to be able to share your baby feeding duties with her partner or with other members of her family while still ensuring that the baby gets her breast milk.
Breastfeeding is Great for Bonding
The actual act of breastfeeding results in the breastfeeding woman releasing certain hormones into your body. This further enhances your ability to bond naturally with your baby. The contact made between mother and child while breastfeeding is extremely important and are a great start to any child’s development.
My personal experience with breastfeeding were really good and really bad. I had a terrible time breastfeeding my first child Hana, but then I had a perfectly wonderful time breastfeeding Alexa and Trey. I was really worried about breastfeeding my second baby Alexa when I was pregnant with her, because of the difficulty I had breastfeeding Hana. but about five minutes after Alexa was born, she was able to begin breastfeeding like a Champ!
Breastfeeding is Low Maintenance
There is hardly any maintenance necessary when a woman chooses breastfeeding over formula feeding There are no bottles that need to be sterilized, and there is no need to wait around while the milk is being warmed up. The baby just needs to be guided to the breast and natural instincts take over to begin breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is Super Healthy For Your Baby
The reason why the majority of health experts are in agreement with the fact that breastfeeding is best for a baby is due to the nutrients that are found in the breast milk. They are nothing short of miraculous! These are vitally important to the development of a baby and can also assist in building up their immune system quiet well. The natural goodness that the baby receives from breastfeeding can not be gained from other types of nourishment. This is why the companies that manufacture formula are required to say “breastfeeding is best” in their commercials.
Breastfeeding Gives Health Benefits to You
As well as the health benefits for baby, a mother can also gain some advantages from breastfeeding. The act of feeding a baby naturally causes the body to burn extras calories as it has to work at producing enough milk. This is one of the reasons why some women are lucky enough to regain their pre-pregnancy figure so quickly.
Breastfeeding Tips
I don’t really know the reason why breastfeeding my second and third children was easier than my first, but I do know that positioning is vitally important so here are some tips:
- Position yourself comfortably – never, ever hold your arm up in the air without being propped up by a pillow! Never allow yourself to get into a totally uncomfortable position and then think, “Oh I don’t care if I’m uncomfortable, I just need to keep this good latch that I got” really, you will regret it later.
- Position baby close to you. Your baby’s stomach should be facing your stomach. Make sure your are not turning your baby’s hard towards your breast with his body twisted away. His mouth and nose should be facing your breast. Get your husband in on the breastfeeding and ask him to hand you the baby once you are comfortable and ready to begin breastfeeding.
- Support your breast. Sometimes you have to actually place your hand under your breast and hold it up so it is not pressing on your baby’s chin. Your baby’s chin should drive into your breast.
- Attach or latch baby onto your breast. Encourage him to open his mouth wide. Sometimes you have to literally use your finger to pull down on his chin and pull him close by supporting his back (rather than the back of his head) so that his chin drives into your breast.
- Enjoy! If you are feeling pain after the first few moments, detach your baby gently by inserting your finger at the edge of his mouth and try again.
Patience During Breastfeeding
All these steps will probably need to be repeated a lot during the first few weeks. You and your baby will find what works with breastfeeding – but sometimes it just takes time.
As you and your baby become more experienced at breastfeeding, you will find that breastfeeding positions can be altered in many ways, even from feeding to feeding. As long as you are comfortable and baby is nursing successfully, use what works for you. Try experimenting with which breastfeeding positions are easiest for you and your baby.
No matter what position you’re breastfeeding in, remember that it’s very important to bring the baby to YOU. Leaning over your baby can cause pain in your back, neck, and also sore nipples.
There are plenty of other benefits to breastfeeding but it is up to YOU to decide whether this option is suitable for you and your baby and your lifestyle.
