Practice a Good Latch
I can’t say enough about the importance of a good latch early on. Many infants can be uncoordinated at the breast. If you had a long period with anesthesia during labor, your baby’s lack of coordination can be profound. Clicking sounds, cheeks that pucker or a pinching sensation in the nipple are just a few signs that the latch should be discontinued and readjusted. Ask for help. If you need more help, keep asking for help! If you’re delivering in a hospital, make use of the nurses and lactation consultants on staff: they are the extra hands you might need to coordinate those good first latches and avoid any tissue damage to the nipple. And make sure your husband or partner watches as you get this professional guidance, so he or she can help you once you get home!
Keep your Baby in your Room
Much like the skin-to-skin suggestion, rooming-in with your new baby is a time for both mum and babe to learn from each other. It is an opportunity to learn your baby’s cues. Frequently, mums are encouraged by family and friends (or sometimes even hospital staffers that aren’t educated about breastfeeding) to have their baby go to the nursery so the mum can “get a good night’s sleep” – this doesn’t really work. Studies have shown that mothers who send their babies to the nursery are the mums that then need sleep aids in order to rest; mums who keep their babies skin-to-skin or right next to them can rest comfortably, waking when their babies root and having the opportunity to feed when baby is quiet but alert. The calming effect of your baby’s presence can also reduce stress hormones, the presence of which may interfere with milk production.
The effects of surrounding yourself with people who believe in breastfeeding, who believe in the natural system of the mother/baby unit, and who believe in YOU is wildly important.
BONUS TIP: Surround Yourself with Supportive People
The effects of surrounding yourself with people who believe in breastfeeding, who believe in the natural system of the mother/baby unit, and who believe in YOU is wildly important. Everyone should know that feeding the new baby the most perfect food he or she can eat is something only you can do. Those who visit are being introduced not to the new baby, but rather to the mother/baby unit that you and your baby have become. You don’t function independently from your newborn and he or she is not independent of you. This early period is the time when two separate beings learn to function in sync. The system is as fragile as it is resilient and should be respected by those around you.
Originally published HERE.
Flannery Fontinell is educated as a nurse, lactation consultant, and midwife in New York City. Her goal in her role as a lactation consultant is to educate new families and help them find a way to make breastfeeding feel successful and fulfilling. You can read more of her writing at Full Belly Sisters.
