Top 8 Tips for Breastfeeding Mums

Picture 1: Tips to help you when breastfeeding. Hold the baby securely and draw him towards your body

You may be a pregnant American woman and you’ve decided to breastfeed when you give birth to your baby.

And you are wondering how you can prepare your breasts for breastfeeding so that your nipple will not become sore when you start breastfeeding.

Or, you’ve given birth to a beautiful, bouncing baby.

And you agree with the World Health Organization that, “breast milk is the best food a child will ever have.”

And so you’ve decided that you will not give him food from a bottle for at least the first 6 months.

Congratulations! You are one of 24.9% of new mums  in the USA who breastfeed exclusively for 6 months.

But, what can you do to ensure your breastfeeding period goes smoothly? How do you breastfeed your baby? What can you do to ensure your baby gets enough milk?

In this article, I will share breastfeeding tips with you to help you answer these questions.

Let’s start by looking at how you can get your breasts ready for breastfeeding whilst you’re pregnant.

   

Picture 2: World Health Organization's endorsement of breastfeeding

1.    Prepare Your Breasts For Breast Feeding By Expressing Them

You want to express milk by hand for your baby when it is born, right?

Then express them often after 30 weeks of pregnancy, or when you have been pregnant for at least 6 months.

Why?

How The Breast Expression Exercise Can Help You

This exercise will help you in two ways:

1. It will help you to keep your breast duct system in great order so that breast milk can flow through them easily when your baby is born and you start breastfeeding; and
2. it will help you to perfect your breast milk expression skills so that you will find it easier to feed baby by hand when you need to do that when your baby is born.

How To Do The Exercise

Instructions

1. Put your left hand around the outer part of the left side of your left breast;
2. put your right hand around the outer part of the right side of your right breast;
3. make sure your hands enclose your breasts at its margin;
4. hold the breast firmly;
5. move both hands simultaneously towards the areola (or part of the breast around the nipple that looks black);
6. repeat 20 times for that same breast;
7. repeat the exercise with your right breast;
8. then, hold your right breast firmly with your left hand;
9. compress your areola by putting your thumb above it whilst your fingers lie below it;
10. apply pressure to your areola 10 times;
11. relax;
12. repeat compression 10 times;
13. repeat the exercise for your other breast.

At the end of the exercise, draw out your nipple gently.

Figure 1: How many babies are breastfed in the US in the first year

2.    Prepare Your Nipples For Breastfeeding

Some obstetricians assert that it’s a good idea to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding.

Why?

The Importance Of Preparing Your Nipples

It makes your nipple more supple and flexible. Consequently, it is less likely to crack when your baby is born and it starts sucking your breasts.

So, how do you prepare for your nipples?

How To Prepare Your Nipples

• From about the 30^th week of pregnancy, wash your nipples with water gently for 5 minutes after you have had your bath;
• then, dry them carefully;
• subsequently, apply a little anhydrous lanolin to them;
• then draw out each nipple and roll it very gently between your forefinger and your thumb for 5 minutes.

3.    The Technique Of Breastfeeding

There are a number of ways you can position yourself so that you can breastfeed your baby properly:

1. You can breastfeed a baby while sitting upright.
2. You can breastfeed a baby while lying down in bed.

 How To Breastfeed A Baby While Sitting Upright

1. Sit in an armchair.
2. Put a pillow on one arm of the chair. It will help to support your arm as you hold your baby.
3. Put the elbow of one arm on the pillow.
4. Place your baby on your thighs, support him with one hand, and let him latch onto your breast.
5. Your baby’s head must rest on the elbow joint of the hand you are using to support him. The lower part of that same arm should support his thigh or the lower part of his back.
6. Remove your breast and hold it with your other hand.
7. Push your nipple gently towards your baby’s mouth and press your breast away from his nose so that he can breathe properly.
8. Make sure that it is not only the nipple which is in the baby’s mouth, but that at least some of the areola is inside your baby’s mouth.

Why?

Why You Should Ensure Part Of The Areola Gets Into Your Baby’s Mouth

The breast is made up of between 15 and 25 sections called lobes. Each lobe has its own duct system which ends in a dilated area under the areola, and the ducts extend into the nipple.

So, a sort of “milk bank” or tiny reservoir is formed in the areola when lactation is established. This “milk bank” holds the milk and when the baby squeezes them with his gums, milk flows out of the nipple into the baby’s mouth.

So, if the baby only bites on the nipple, it will not get enough milk. Consequently, it may bite harder and you will get a sore nipple.

How To Deal With A Very Large Areola

If your areola is very large and your baby finds it hard to get it into its mouth, compress your areola between your thumb and forefinger when your baby wants to feed so that the nipple can go well into your baby’s mouth.

4.    How To Breastfeed A Baby While Lying Down In Bed

• Put your baby in a supine position on the bed.
• Lie down on your side on the bed beside your baby.
• Make sure you are comfortable. 
• Ensure your back and feet are supported.
• Draw your baby close to you and ensure he lies in line with you. Make sure his head is pointed directly at your nipple with its nose opposite your nipple.  This will prevent him from pulling your nipple to one side, which can cause you pain.

The breastfeeding tips above are for a baby who has not developed teeth yet. But what about a baby who has started growing teeth? How do you feed him or her so that their teeth will not create sores on your breast?

5.    How To Breastfeed A Baby With Teeth

Whether you breastfeed a baby with teeth while sitting upright or while lying down  in bed,

• hold your son or daughter against your bosom, with his or her head under your chin;
• support his neck and shoulders with your right hand, and his hips with your left hand;
• tilt his head back slightly to make it easy for him to suck, and support his head and neck with your hand;
• pull your baby close to you;

• tilt your baby’s whole body towards you. His head should face your nipple directly;
• make sure your baby’s chin is touching your breast;  
• then, push your nipple towards your baby’s mouth and ensure that his lips forms a seal around your areola. This will prevent the baby from biting your nipple.

6.    What To Avoid When Breastfeeding Your Baby

Avoid holding your baby’s head and directing it towards your nipple. And do not force its mouth open to put your nipple inside it.

Why?

Many pediatricians assert that this confuses a baby and makes him angry, and that will make him cry and refuse to feed.

All you need to do is to make your baby nuzzle your nipple and if the baby wants to feed, you may then ensure the areola goes into its mouth.

7.    How To Prevent Low Milk Supply When You Are Breastfeeding

You’re worried whether your baby is getting enough breast milk, right? You’re worried that your baby does not seem content after sucking for minutes, right?

Or, baby cries after you feed him and you don’t know whether he’s satisfied or not, right?

Letting such scenarios affect you and getting anxious can help to reduce the amount of breast milk you produce.

According to obstetricians, the best way to ensure that your baby gets enough milk is to avoid getting worried about how much milk your breasts are producing, as well as avoiding anxiety when your baby cries after you feed it.

Why?

How Milk Supply Occurs

Milk supply occurs in two stages:

1. Milk is first secreted into your alveoli; and then
2. the milk is ejected from the alveoli into your nipple.

How Milk Is Secreted Into Your Alveoli

Figure 2: Prolactin released from your brain makes cell in the breast called alveoli cells  to secrete milk

1. Once your baby is born, the cells of your pituitary gland, which is found at the base of the fore part of your brain, release a hormone called prolactin into your bloodstream.
2. The prolactin circulates in your blood and is taken up by the milk-making cells which are found in your alveoli. In other words, prolactin starts and maintains milk production in your breasts.

So, how does the milk move from the alveoli, through your nipples into your baby’s mouth?

How Milk Is Ejected From Your Alveoli Into Your Nipple

Figure 3: Oxytocin released from your brain makes muscles around milk-producing cells contract and that forces milk into the nipples 

1. When you hear your baby crying, when your baby nuzzles your nipples, or when your mind is free of worries and anxieties, a message is sent from your nipple along nerve pathways to your brain. 
2. The message then travels to your pituitary gland.
3. The message tells your pituitary gland to release a muscle-contracting hormone called oxytocin into your blood.
4. This oxytocin moves through your blood and when it reaches your alveoli, it causes muscles around your alveoli to contract and squeeze milk into your nipples.

8.     Avoid Worrying

When a nursing mother worries, it hinders the release of oxytocin from her brain. Consequently, the muscles around the alveoli will not contract strongly enough to stimulate the supply or flow of enough breast milk from the alveoli into the nipple for your baby.

So, how do you prevent worrying?

How To Prevent Worries  

You can ease your worries by

• observing your baby; if he seems content, you don’t need to worry about whether he’s getting enough nutrients or not;
• reading your Bible when you’re frustrated;
• praying for wisdom from God to help you know what baby wants (don’t forget God is omniscient and He knows); and
• making positive affirmations to help keep you positive.

Points To Remember

Some breastfeeding tips which I have shared with you include:

• how to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding;
• how to breastfeed your baby whether you are sitting or lying down; and
• what you can do to prevent low milk supply for your baby.

Following these tips will help you to make your breastfeeding a success. And your baby will be happy, and you will also feel happy and enjoy your baby better.

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