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Nursing Instructions
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Breastfeeding Basics and Solutions for
Your Breastfeeding Concerns
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What are the benefits of
breastmilk?
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What are the benefits of
breastmilk? Human breast milk is rich in antibodies, which prevents or lessens the effects of many illnesses occurring in babies. Breastfed babies are less likely to develop ear infections, respiratory infections such as pneumonia, childhood diabetes, meningitis, allergies and some childhood cancers. A breastfed baby also has a 30% lower chance dying of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) than if bottle-fed. Research has shown that breastfed babies have higher IQs than formula-fed infants and are less likely to develop learning disabilities. Mothers also reap the health benefits from breastfeeding, including lower risks of pre-menopausal breast cancer, osteoporosis and cervical cancer. Breastfeeding women tend to lose pregnancy weight quickly as they burn more calories than non-breastfeeding women do. What should I do to get ready to breastfeed? Many women find it helpful to select an area of their home, such as a part of the baby's nursery or their bedroom, as a "nursing station" for breastfeeding their baby in the first few weeks of life. By establishing a breastfeeding routine, you may find it easier for both you and the baby to settle into a relaxed and comfortable breastfeeding pattern. Privacy can be an essential component of a nursing station, allowing you and your baby a chance to get to know one another. If total privacy is not possible, try to surround yourself only with people who are supportive of breastfeeding. The most important item in a nursing station is a chair or couch to sit on. Choose something comfortable, preferably with a straight back and with arm rests. As your baby grows older and you become comfortable with breastfeeding in many different positions, you may find nighttime feedings work best lying on your side in bed. Another consideration for your nursing station is a nursing pillow. My Brest Friend feeding pillow is ideal to use at every feeding since it not only supports your lower back and arms, but it raises the baby up to the level of your breasts for ideal positioning. Remember, it is important to bring your baby to your breast, not your breast to the baby. The My Brest Friend is also just the right firmness to encourage your baby to stay awake for feeding while the adjustable, silent-release strap keeps the pillow in place for the duration of the feeding. Many women also use a footstool or a large telephone book to raise their feet and their lap. Experiment to see what works for you. A small table can also be useful to keep a glass of water readily available at every feeding and to have a radio or CD player nearby to provide relaxing music. Having a phone nearby can help prevent you from getting up during a feeding but you may choose to turn your phone off during feeding times.. How do I know my baby is ready to breastfeed? Crying is actually the last sign of hunger. If you become attune to your newborn's readiness cues, you can feed your baby in the ideal "quiet alert" state. Hunger cues such as licking movements, sucking motions, the rooting reflex, leg movements (like bicycle riding), and tense, clenched fists are important to recognize and respond to. How do I start breastfeeding? Wash your hands before every feeding and after every diaper change. Find a comfortable place to sit, ideally at your nursing station. Unwrap your baby and undo your shirt and bra, allowing your baby to be skin to skin with you. Begin the feeding with the breast you ended the last feeding on. You may want to attach a safety pin to your bra strap to remind yourself which side to start with at the next feeding. There are several common positions for breastfeeding your baby. Correctly positioning your baby can help ensure that your baby is obtaining lots of milk at the feeding and can also minimize sore nipples. The most common breastfeeding position is the cradle hold, but the cross-cradle hold and football positions are excellent alternatives that you may find to be easier and more comfortable. Experiment and alternate your positions throughout the day until you discover what works best for you and your baby. What is the Cradle Hold? Also known as the Madonna hold, the cradle hold has your baby's head resting in the crook of your elbow with his back supported by your forearm. It is very important to position the baby tummy to tummy so he is on his side with his shoulders and hips in a straight line facing you. His lower arm can be tucked underneath your arm. What other breastfeeding positions are there? The cross-cradle hold is an excellent position for the early weeks of breastfeeding since it allows you good control of the baby's head during latch-on. With the cross cradle position, your opposite hand and arm hold your baby's head during the feeding. For example, if you are feeding on your left breast, your right hand and arm will be supporting your baby's head and back between his shoulder blades. Again, as with the cradle hold, your baby should be tummy to tummy with his body in a straight line facing your nipple. The football hold or clutch position places the baby alongside the mother in a semi-sitting position. This position is ideal for small, premature babies or women with large breasts as well as women who have had a Cesarean and don't want to place their baby on their abdomen. For the football position, My Brest Friend feeding pillow can easily be rotated so the main cushion is to your side, next to the breast you will be feeding from first. Place your baby on the pillow, tucking him under your arm and supporting his head and shoulders. Your baby should be facing your breast with his nose in front of your nipple. How long should I feed at each breast? As you watch your baby breastfeed, you will notice he may slow down his sucking and possibly even fall asleep on the first breast after about 20 minutes. It is more important to watch your baby than to watch the clock! When you feel that he has finished the first breast, gently remove him from the breast, burp him, and position and latch him onto your other breast. Allow your baby to breastfeed for as long as he wishes on the second breast, then burp at the end of the feeding. How often should I feed my baby? Newborns should breastfeed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Since breastmilk is easy for babies to digest, they need to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock with possibly one 4-hour stretch (hopefully at night!). Most health care providers recommend that you wake up a baby who is less than 2 weeks old if they are sleeping longer than 3 hours. Since a newborn's stomach is only the size of a walnut, small, frequent feedings are essential for a good weight gain. How do I know my baby is getting enough to eat? Hearing your baby swallow during every feeding (a breathy “ah” sound), noting that he seems content after feedings and that your breasts feel softer after the feedings are all good signs that your baby is getting enough milk. Another excellent way of determining how much your baby is taking in is to keep track of your baby's diapers. Frequent feedings lead to frequent wet and stooled diapers. By the time your baby is 5 days old, your baby should be wetting at least 6- 8 diapers and his stools should change from dark green/black color to bright yellow/mustard color. If you are not seeing these diaper changes, contact your health care provider immediately. Most pediatric health care providers schedule office visits to see you and your baby within a few days of your release from the hospital to weigh your baby, see how things are going, and answer any questions you may have. It is normal for babies to lose up to 7-10% of their birthweight in the first week but most babies will return to their birthweight by two weeks of age. After two weeks, a weight gain of about one ounce a day assures you that your baby is getting lots of wonderful breastmilk and is thriving. My baby falls asleep durring feedings. How can I keep her awake? When babies are too warm or comfortable, they tend to fall asleep. Try dressing baby lightly and position him/her on a firm pillow. My Brest Friend is designed with a firm, flat top to help keep baby awake and focused during feeding. Stroke your baby’s feet, back and head to remind him to eat. My baby is premature. Will I have trouble feeding him? Although breastfeeding is important for full term babies, it is even more important for babies born prematurely. The antibodies present in breastmilk are especially helpful to premature babies in protecting them against infection and breastmilk is much easier for a preemie to digest than formula. Most babies born after 35 weeks gestation are able to breastfeed with just a little extra help. Latch-on and positioning are important to assure the baby is receiving milk during the feeding (not just making sucking motions!) Try using the "Dancer hand" position by forming a cup with your hand, and supporting your breast with the lower fingers. Your thumb and forefinger can support the baby's face and chin to help him get a good seal at the breast. The Dancer hand works best with the baby in a football hold, tucked under the mother's arm. Preemies are also notoriously sleepy feeders. It takes a lot of work for a preemie just to eat, so help the baby focus by keeping the baby lightly dressed at feeding time. Also, consider using a firm nursing pillow such as My Brest Friend pillow that will encourage the baby to stay awake and nurse rather than fall asleep on a soft, fluffy pillow. Work with a lactation professional or your health care provider to determine if you need to use an electric breastpump to help your milk supply become established despite your baby's sleepiness. Babies born before 35 weeks gestation may not be able to breastfeed right away, but a new mother can provide her special milk for her baby by expressing with an electric breastpump and offering it to her baby or freezing it until her baby is ready for it. It is important for premature babies to be weighed frequently and followed by health care providers to assure a healthy weight gain. For more information on breastfeeding, we recommend that you visit breastfeeding.com and lalecheleague.org. How can I alleviate neck and shoulder stress when I breastfeed? Poor posture is a major factor in breastfeeding related muscle fatigue. My Brest Friend has an adjustable back support and arm rests to help you maintain ideal posture and baby positioning. What causes soreness and what can I do to alleviate it? It is not uncommon for a new mother to experience sore nipples, especially during the first week or two. However, cracked, bleeding, painful nipples are not to be expected and signal a need for help from a lactation consultant, breastfeeding counselor or health care provider. Poor positioning and latch-on of the baby at the breast are the primary causes of sore nipples. Starting the feeding in a correct position can help prevent or minimize sore nipples. Consider starting the feedings on the least sore side first, since babies tend to be the most vigorous on the first breast. In the first few weeks, it may be helpful to feed sitting up using the most common feeding position, cradle hold. Use of a firm nursing pillow such as My Brest Friend can help bring the baby up to the level of the breast. Many women also raise their feet on a footstool or phonebook to help raise their knees. The baby should lie on his side, tummy to tummy, with his body in a straight line. Support your breast with your thumb on top and remaining fingers underneath, away from the areola. Encourage your baby to open his mouth by tickling your nipple on the baby's lower lip. When your baby opens his mouth wide, bring him onto the breast quickly, helping him take as much of the areola as possible. It may be necessary to repeat this process several times until the baby is positioned correctly. When removing your baby from your breast, insert a clean finger in the baby's mouth between his jaws to help break the suction. Expressing a few drops of breastmilk onto sore nipples or applying a small amount of modified lanolin may help provide some comfort and aid the healing process. Also, avoid using bra pads with plastic linings as they can irritate sore nipples. Consider alternating your feeding positions to include cross-cradle, the football hold or side lying. If you fail to notice any improvement in soreness after 24-48 hours, contact a lactation professional or your health care provider for more assistance. I don't feel comfortable when I am nursing. Any suggestions? Try setting up a nursing station where you regularly feed. I suggest using a foot stool to elevate your lap, a bottle of water to rehydrate you as you feed and the My Brest Friend pillow to provide consistent, proper positioning. Place the pillow securely around your waist. This should minimize shifting and movement that leads to discomfort and sore nipples. |
Nursing Instructions
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"It's
unique wrap-around design and back rest provide mom and baby with the
proper support and positioning, like no other.
My Brest Friend is
the only nursing pillow I recommend to breastfeeding mothers."
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 1.
Wrap the pillow around your body with the zippered side toward your lap.
Secure the pillow snugly by adjusting the buckle. Wrapping the pillow just
below your breasts may place the baby at the best height for an excellent
latch. |
 2.
With the arm opposite the breast that you are offering to the baby, hold
the baby so that he/she is facing you. Support the baby's head, neck, and
shoulders with your hand, placing your thumb behind and below one ear,
your index finger behind and below the other. |
 3.
Hold the baby's lower body close to your free breast. Using the hand
behind your baby's head, tip his/her head back slightly so that the chin
is closer to the breast you are offering than the nose is.(Image is Mom's view of baby.) |
 4.
Support the breast with your free hand. Your thumb should be about an inch
or two behind the nipple, and your index finger should be directly across
from your thumb on the opposite side of the nipple. Bring your thumb and
index finger together slightly, compressing the breast right in front of
the baby's nose and just below the chin. This will shape the breast to
match your baby's mouth. |
 5.
Continue to compress the breast with your thumb and index finger. Align
the baby's nose with your nipple and touch the baby's upper lip with the
nipple. When the baby opens his/her mouth very wide, quickly pull the baby
onto the breast, chin first. The baby should take more of the tissue below
the nipple than above. Keep your fingers in place, compressing the breast,
until the baby is actively sucking. |
© Inventive Parent and/or Zenoff, Nancy Held and/or Kathleen Huggins
