Infant and toddler health

Breast-feeding: What every mom needs to know

Breast-feeding can be challenging. Consider these tips for new moms, from asking for help right away to letting baby set the pace.

You know the benefits of breast-feeding. Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients for your baby. Breast milk is easier to digest than is commercial formula, and the antibodies in breast milk boost your baby's immune system. Breast-feeding may even help you lose weight after the baby is born. Still, breast-feeding can be challenging. You may need more practice — and patience — than you might have imagined. Here's help getting off to a good start.

Ask for help right away

Reading about breast-feeding is one thing. Doing it on your own is something else. The first few times you breast-feed your baby, ask for help. The maternity nurses or the hospital's lactation consultant can help you position the baby and make sure he or she is latching on correctly. Your doctor or your baby's doctor may be able to help, too.

To get started, get comfortable. Support yourself with pillows if needed. Then cradle your baby close to your breast — rather than bending over or learning forward to bring your breast to your baby. Support the baby's head with one hand and support your breast with the other hand. Tickle your baby's lower lip with your nipple. Make sure your baby's mouth is open wide and he or she takes in part of the darker area around the nipple (areola). Your nipple should be far back in the baby's mouth, and the baby's tongue should be cupped under your breast. Listen for a rhythmic sucking and swallowing pattern.

If you need to remove the baby from your breast, first release the suction by inserting your finger into the corner of your baby's mouth.

Let your baby set the pace

For the first few weeks, most newborns breast-feed every two to three hours round-the-clock. Watch for early signs of hunger, such as stirring and stretching, sucking motions, and lip movements.

Let your baby nurse from the first breast thoroughly, until the breast feels soft — typically 15 to 20 minutes. Then try burping the baby. After that, offer the second breast. If your baby's still hungry, he or she will latch on. If not, simply start the next breast-feeding session with the second breast. If your baby consistently nurses on only one breast at a feeding during the first few weeks, pump the other breast to relieve pressure and protect your milk supply.

Hold off on a pacifier

Some babies are happiest when they're sucking on something. Enter pacifiers — but there's a caveat. Giving your baby a pacifier too soon may interfere with breast-feeding, since sucking on a breast is different from sucking on a pacifier. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting to introduce a pacifier until a baby is 1 month old and breast-feeding is well established.

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References

Learning to breastfeed. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/learning. Accessed Nov. 23, 2009.
Breast-feeding your baby. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp029.cfm. Accessed Nov. 23, 2009.
Schanler RJ, et al. Patient information: Breastfeeding basics. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/index.html. Accessed Nov. 23, 2009.
Schanler RJ, et al. Patient information: Common breastfeeding problems. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/index.html. Accessed Nov. 23, 2009.
Butte NF, et al. Patient information: Maternal health and nutrition during breastfeeding. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/index.html. Accessed Nov. 23, 2009.
Mennella J, et al. Breastfeeding and smoking: Short-term effects on infant feeding and sleep. Pediatrics. 2007;120:497.
Mulligan ML, et al. Implications of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and lactation. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In press. Accessed Nov. 23, 2009.
Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The changing concept of sudden infant death syndrome: Diagnostic coding shifts, controversies regarding the sleeping environment, and new variables to consider in reducing risk. Pediatrics. 2005;116:1245.
James DC, et al. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Promoting and supporting breastfeeding. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109:1926.
Wagner CL, et al. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2008;122:1142.
LaFleur EA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 16, 2009.

PR00003 March 6, 2010

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Infant and toddler health