Breastfeeding is a great way to nourish and feed your baby. It helps build a stronger immune system and also helps build antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
When you hold your baby for the first time in the delivery room, you should put their lips to your breast. Although your mature milk hasn’t developed yet, your breasts are still producing a substance known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby from infections.
If your baby has trouble finding or staying on your nipple, you shouldn’t panic. Breast feeding is an art that will require a lot of patience and a lot of practice. No one expects you to be an expert when you first start, so you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what you need to do.
Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn’t be painful. When your baby latches on, pay attention
to how your breasts feel. If the latching on hurts, break the suction then try again.
You should nurse quite frequently, as the more you nurse the more quickly your mature milk will come in and the more milk you’ll produce. Breast feeding for 10 – 15 minutes per breast 8 – 10 times every 24 hours is an ideal target. Crying is a sign of hunger, which means you should actually feed your baby before they starts crying.
During the first few days, you may have to wake your baby to begin breast feeding, and may end up falling asleep during feeding. To ensure that your baby is eating often enough, you should wake
the baby up if it has been four hours since the last time they have been fed.
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