Complete Breastfeeding Guide For New Mothers

By Pallavi Agarwal | Health & Fitness Writer

Breastfeeding can be a wonderful experience for the mother while also providing health benefits to the Baby. Learn everything related to breastfeeding from our complete breastfeeding guide for new mothers.

Best Breastfeeding Positions for Mothers

The Cradle

Cradle is one of the most popular positions for breastfeeding babies. In this position, the mother needs to start-off by sitting with the baby lying lengthwise across the abdomen with your elbow supporting babies head and the palm of your hand supporting the baby’s bottom. Your other hand will then be free to hold your breast and feed the baby. If you are having difficulty in holding the baby with just one hand, consider keeping a pillow in your lap to support your holding hand and lift the baby up to the level of your breast. Slightly compress your breast in such a way o that the nipple points towards your child’s mouth so they can latch easily.

Cross-Cradle

Cross cradle is very similar to cradle with the only difference being in how you hold the baby. Under cross-cradle, you use the other arm to support the baby in such a way that your elbow and forearm support the baby’s body while the palm of your hand supports the head. Many women prefer this position because it offers greater control over the baby’s head.

Side Position

Under this position, the mother is supposed to lie sideways on the side of the breast from which they would like to feed. For example, if you want to feed on your right breast, lie down on your right-hand side. Now lay the baby such that they face you and slowly bring them towards you such that your forearm supports their body while the palm of your hand supports their little head.

Football Hold

This position is most popular among mothers with large breasts or the ones who had a c-section. This position is also ideal for babies which are very small because it allows the mother more control. Under this position, lay the baby down on top of a pillow at your side such that the baby’s legs and body are beneath your arm and your hand at the base of the head and neck. Slowly guide the baby’s head on to your breast and resume feeding.

How to Help your Baby Latch During Feeding

Let your Baby take the Lead in latching

Learn to take some time and bring the baby close to the breast and let them take the lead in latching themselves. Don’t move your breast towards the lips and stuff the nipple in the baby’s mouth if they are not immediately ready to latch. Be prepared to spend some time and a couple of tries before the baby latches on the nipple properly.

Tickle Baby’s Lips to Get that Mouth Open

One common problem is that while feeding, the baby’s lip gets tucked under the breast and makes it a little uncomfortable for the child. A good tip to follow is to tickle the baby’s lower lip with the nipple to get the mouth opened properly and avoid any discomfort.

Don’t Forget the Areola

Most of the time, the issue of sore nipple comes up because the baby latches only to the nipple and not to the Areola. This can also cause an improper flow of milk and leave the baby hungry. Make sure that baby’s mouth is covering both the nipple & areola to stimulate the milk glands and get the feeding going.

Don’t Let the Baby Suffocate

A common mistake made by new mothers is not to notice if the baby has breathing room during feeding. Since the baby’s mouth is busy feeding, the only way they can actually breathe is through their nose. Make sure that baby’s nose if not covered by the breast and there is proper airflow available for the child.

Make yourself Comfortable & Use Proper Gear

Mothers tend to forget about their own comfort while breastfeeding which is a very big mistake given that this process can take some time and the tremendous stress it can put on your neck & shoulders. Please sit in a comfortable chair with good back support and avoid leaning into the baby which can cause neck pain and also make it difficult for the baby to feed properly. Consider using a specialized breastfeeding pillow which can make a massive difference in the overall feeding experience.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Mother

Help Recovering from Postpartum Blues

Breastfeeding triggers the production of oxytocin in the mother’s body which is also known as the feel-good or love hormone. Oxytocin has strong physical and psychological effects that help curb depression & anxiety and allows the mother to recover from those postpartum blues.

Health Advantages

The total time a woman spends breastfeeding has been shown to have a direct link with a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer making it a very critical advantage of breastfeeding.

Helps with Weight Loss

Breastfeeding puts additional energy requirements on mothers’ bodies in the vicinity of about 500 Calories a day helping you get rid of that pregnancy weight sooner.

Helps in Contraction of Uterus

A mother’s uterus undergoes a massive size increase during pregnancy. The release of oxytocin during breastfeeding promotes uterus contraction (a process known as involution) and helps bring it to its original size.

Breastfeeding May act as a Birth Control

Continued breastfeeding seems to impact & pause ovulation and menstruation acting as natural birth control and nature’s way of giving you some time between successive pregnancies. It is however extremely critical to know that you should not rely on breastfeeding as your only form of contraception

RELATED: Best Breastfeeding Positions For New Mothers, Tips to Help Your Baby Latch During Breastfeeding

Common Mistakes To Avoid While Breastfeeding

1) Hunching Over the Baby

A very common mistake made by mothers is to lean towards the baby while feeding and shoving the nipple in their little mounts. Not only does this put a tremendous amount of stress on your neck and shoulders, but it also does not allow the baby to latch properly leading to other issues due to improper latching like gas & lack of milk flow.

2) Improper positioning of the Baby

It is recommended that you follow one of the feeding positions we discussed in our article on the best breastfeeding positions to avoid stress on the baby’s body. Especially make sure that there is proper support available to the baby’s neck and the mouth and body is facing the same side to make them as comfortable as possible.

3) Keeping Baby too Far Away

Make sure that baby is very close to you while feeding so they don’t have to reach out to latch on. Keeping baby too far away can be very dangerous because they can pull back on the nipple making it very sore.

4) Ignoring the Areola

Most of the time, the issue of sore nipple comes up because the baby latches only to the nipple and not to the Areola. This can also cause an improper flow of milk and leave the baby hungry. Make sure that baby’s mouth is covering both the nipple & areola to stimulate the milk glands and get the feeding going.

5) Not Burping the Baby

If you notice a baby repeatedly spitting up or not feeding properly then it can be because of the gas in that little tummy. Many babies need to burp in between feeding to get rid of that pesky gas before they can resume feeding.

Things You Need to Know About Breast Pumps

You can hand express breastmilk for your baby, but using a breast pump may make it easier for you. The right pump for you is the one that’s most comfortable for you to use. Manual and electric pumps are available. If you only plan to express once or twice a week, a hand pump may suit you best. If you can, try a breast pump used by a breastfeeding mum in your family before you buy your own, and get one at least two weeks before you’ll need it. This gives you plenty of time to practice.

Most breast pumps come with milk storage containers. If you’re expressing while you’re out and about, you may need to buy a little cool bag or ice-box so you can keep your milk fresh until you get home. If you’re using a pump at work, and want to make your pumping time as short as possible, an electric or battery-operated pump is most reliable, quiet, and fast. However, you’ll need a private space to express, and a fridge or ice-box to store your expressed milk.

Electric pumps
Some electric pumps can also be used manually, and some come with double attachments that allow you to express from both breasts at the same time

Pros

• quicker and more efficient than hand pumps
• less of a strain on your hands than a manual pump
• more comfortable for you because they offer multiple settings
• unlike a manual pump, once the cup is in place on your breast, the work is automatically done for you, at a pace that you preset
• many come with a battery option as well so they are portable when needed

Cons

• more expensive than manual pumps, especially if you find they’re not for you
• noisy
• more fiddly to sterilize
• dependent on an electrical source to work
• some battery options may drain the batteries too quickly, so you will need to keep recharging or getting new batteries

Manual pumps
These simple, hand-held pumps are ideal if you only plan to express occasionally, or if your milk flows quickly already.

Pros

• cheap and straightforward to use
• few components make them easier to clean and sterilize
• compact and easy to fit into your handbag
• simple-to-use mechanism
• quiet

Cons

• repetitive pumping can be tiring on your hands, depending on the model
• may not be as efficient as electric pumps
• you may have to work on your pumping technique more than you would with an electric pump

Breastfeeding Accessories You Should Know About

♦ Nursing Pillows

♦ Nursing Bras

♦ Breast Pads

♦ Nipple Creams

♦ Nursing Blanket (Cover)

♦ Nipple Shields

♦ Breast Milk Storage Bags

♦ Feeding Bottles

♦ Manual Breast Pumps

♦ Electric Breast Pumps

♦ Bottle Cleaning Brush

♦ Nipple Cleaning Brush

RELATED: Common Breastfeeding Problems & Solutions, Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid While Breastfeeding

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