Breastfeeding has benefits for both mother and baby and should be encouraged by all family members, being the best option to feed the baby from birth to at least 6 months of life, although it extends to 2 years of age or even when the baby and mother wants it.
However, women are not born knowing how to breastfeed and it is common for doubts and problems to arise during this phase, so it is important that the pediatrician can clarify any doubts and accompany the woman during breastfeeding, learn how to solve common breastfeeding problems.
To breastfeed properly, the mother must follow certain steps each time she breastfeeds her baby.
For the mother to realize that the baby is hungry, she must be aware of certain signs, such as:
Despite these signs, there are babies who are so calm that they expect to be fed, so it is important not to leave the baby without eating for more than 3-4 hours, placing it on the chest even if it does not show Breastfeeding should be done in this range during the day, but if the baby is gaining a proper weight, it will not be necessary to wake him every 3 hours to feed him at night , in this case the mother can only breastfeed once at night until the baby is 7 months old.
Before breastfeeding the baby, the mother should take a comfortable position, the environment should be calm, preferably calm, and the mother should keep her back straight and support her to avoid back and neck pains, however, the positions that the mother can take to breastfeed may be:
Regardless of position, the baby should have his body facing the mother and her mouth and nose at the same height as the chest.Know the best positions to breastfeed your baby every step of the way.
After being in a comfortable position, the mother should place the baby to breastfeed and must first be very careful when placing the baby. First, the woman should touch the nipple with the baby’s upper lip or nose, forcing the baby to open her mouth wide.Then you have to move the baby to get into the chest when the mouth is wide open.
In the first few days after delivery, the baby should be offered 2 breasts, about 10 to 15 minutes each to stimulate milk production.
Once the milk has fallen, around the third day after birth, the baby should be allowed to breastfeed until the chest is empty and only then offer the other breast. In the next shot, the baby should start with the last breast.place a pin or loop on the shirt on the side that the baby will need to breastfeed first at the next shot to take it into account. This treatment is important because normally the second breast is not as empty as the first, and the fact that it is not completely emptied can decrease milk production in that breast.
In addition, the mother must alternate the breasts because the composition of the milk changes with each intake, at the beginning of the intake the milk is richer in water and at the end of each intake is higher in fats, which favors the weight of the baby.Therefore, if your baby doesn’t gain enough weight, he or she may not get that part of the milk.Learn how to increase breast milk production.
To realize that the baby may breastfeed properly, the mother should be careful that:
How the baby breastfeeds during lactation directly influences the amount of milk the baby drinks and, as a result, promotes weight gain, as well as affecting the appearance of cracks in the mother’s nipples, causing pain and blockage of the duct, causing a lot of discomfort during feeding. Nipple cracks are one of the main factors in stopping breast-feeding.
To determine if the baby has breastfed enough, the woman should check that the breast she breast is more empty, that it becomes a little softer than before breastfeeding began, and that she can press near the nipple to see if any milk remains.When coming out in large quantities, only small drops remain, indicating that the baby has sucked well and been able to empty his chest.
Other signs that your baby is satisfied and with a full belly include slower aspiration at the end of breastfeeding, when the baby spontaneously releases the chest, and when the baby is more relaxed or sleeping on the chest.that the baby falls asleep doesn’t always mean the baby has breastfed enough, as there are babies who are drowsy during breastfeeding, so it’s important for the mother to check whether the baby has emptied her chest or not.
To remove the baby from the chest, without risk of injury, the mother must place her little finger in the corner of the baby’s mouth while she is still sucking so that she can release the nipple and then just remove the baby from the chest.
After the baby is sucking it it is very important to burp it so that it can draw the air it has swallowed during feeding and not play golf, for this the mother can place the baby on her lap, upright, leaning on her shoulder and giving her a slight pat on the back.It may be helpful to put a diaper on your shoulder to protect your clothes as it is common for some milk to come out when the baby burps.
As for lactation periods, ideally it is done on demand, that is, when the baby wants it, initially the baby may need to breastfeed every 1 hour and 30 or 2 hours during the day and every 3 to 4 hours a day.Night. Gradually, your gastric capacity will increase and it will be possible to contain more milk, thus increasing the time between intakes.
There is a widespread consensus that the baby should not spend more than 3 hours without breastfeeding, even at night, until 6 months of age, it is recommended that if he sleeps, the mother wakes him up to breastfeed and makes sure he actually does., such as sleeping a little while breastfeeding.
After 6 months, the baby will be able to eat other foods and will be able to sleep all night, but each baby has its own growth rate and it is up to the mother to decide whether to breastfeed at dawn or not.
Knowing when to stop breastfeeding is a common question for almost all mothers. The World Health Organization recommends that breastfeeding be exclusive until 6 months of age and last until at least 2 years of age. The mother may stop breastfeeding from that date or wait until the baby decides not to breastfeed.
Starting at 6 months, milk no longer provides the amount of energy the baby needs to develop and that’s when new foods are introduced.At age 2, in addition to the baby who already eats almost everything an adult eats, he will also find solace in situations other than the mother’s chest, which is initially a haven of peace for him.
Also learn how to maintain breastfeeding after returning to work
The woman must have breastfeeding care and healthy lifestyle habits, such as:
If the woman becomes ill and needs to take some form of medication, she should ask her doctor if she can continue breastfeeding, as several medications are secreted in milk and may interfere with the baby’s development.breast milk bank, offers your own breast milk if the woman has frozen a certain amount or, as a last resort, offers baby-friendly milk powder, such as Nestogeno and Nan for example.