Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breast milk may help protect your child from some health problems.

• Breastfed babies are less likely than formula-fed babies to:
  • Get ear infections, colds, diarrhea, and pneumonia.
  • Have obesity or diabetes later in life.
• Breastfeeding your child may also decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Breastfeeding has benefits for you too. It causes the release of a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone may help your uterus shrink back faster. And breastfeeding can lower your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis.

Planning

Before your baby is born, plan ahead. Learn all you can about breastfeeding. This may help make breastfeeding easier.

• Early in your pregnancy, talk to your doctor or midwife about breastfeeding.
• Learn the basics before your baby is born. The staff at hospitals and birthing centers can help you find a lactation specialist. This person is often a nurse who has been trained to teach and advise about breastfeeding. Or you can take a breastfeeding class.
• Plan ahead for times when you will need help after your baby is born. You may want to get help from friends and family. You can also join a support group to talk to others who breastfeed.
• Get the equipment you'll need. Examples are breast pads, extra pillows, and nursing bras. Find out about breast pumps too.

How to Breastfeed

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to breastfeed. It shows one position that you can use for breastfeeding. There are other positions you can try. Talk to your doctor, midwife, or lactation consultant if you have trouble getting your baby to latch on.

How do you breastfeed?

What are some tips for breastfeeding?

These tips can help you succeed as you get used to breastfeeding your newborn.

• Breastfeed your baby whenever your baby is hungry. In the first 2 weeks, your baby will breastfeed at least 8 times in a 24-hour period.
• Hold your baby in a comfortable position. Try different positions, such as the cradle hold and football hold.
• Help your baby to latch on properly .
  • Touch your baby's lower lip with your nipple until your baby's mouth opens wide.
  • Make sure that your baby's mouth covers a lot of the areola and that the lips are flared out.
  • Listen for deep, rhythmic sucking sounds.
• Each time you breastfeed, switch which breast you start with.
• Break the baby's latch on your breast before moving your baby. Push your finger between your baby's gums to gently break the seal.
• Burp your baby after each breast. Gently pat your baby's back to let out any swallowed air.

Your Health and Nutrition

After the birth, it'll be important to take good care of yourself—by resting when you can, having good support, and staying healthy. Consider asking a loved one to stay with you to help for a few days. At first, plan to limit your guests and how long they stay, so you can rest.

Your body needs extra nutrition when you breastfeed. Healthy eating will help you get the calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals you need during this time. Try to eat a variety of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy or dairy alternatives, and protein foods.

Learn what to avoid, such as fish that are high in mercury. These include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, and bigeye tuna, as well as tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico. Mercury can pass to your baby through breast milk.

Limit alcohol and caffeine while you are breastfeeding. These can pass through breast milk to your baby.

If you are breastfeeding, your doctor or midwife may suggest eating more calories each day than otherwise recommended for a person of your height and weight.

Pumping and Storing

Pumping and storing your milk allows your baby to get breast milk from a bottle. It's a good idea to have a plan for when you'll need to pump, select the right breast pump for you, and know how to store milk safely. This will help set up you and your baby for long-term success.

• Choose a breast pump. There are many types of pumps that you can get. You'll want to think about which kind is most practical for how often you'll need to use it.
• Plan ahead to pump when away from your baby. Think about where you can pump and how often you'll need to pump. Regular pumping will help ensure that your breasts produce enough milk. It will also keep your breasts from becoming uncomfortable and engorged.
• Learn how to store breast milk properly. Stored breast milk is the next best thing to fresh breast milk. There are steps you can take to safely prepare breast milk for storage and guidelines for how long you can keep it.

What if you have problems or concerns?

If you have problems using a breast pump or have concerns about your milk supply, talk to your doctor or midwife or a lactation consultant.

Common Problems

It's common to have struggles sometimes when you're breastfeeding. Most breastfeeding issues can be solved when you know what to expect and have support from others. If you have any problems, talk to your doctor or midwife or a lactation consultant.

Here are some common problems and some tips for working through them.

• Sore or cracked nipples. Although sore or tender nipples are common for some people during the first few days of breastfeeding, this should improve. Allow some breast milk to dry on your nipples. Breast milk contains natural skin softeners and antibodies to fight infection. This can help heal nipples and keep them healthy. To help prevent problems, make sure your baby is latching on correctly. And be sure to break the latch before removing your baby from your breast. If soreness gets worse or does not get better, talk with a lactation consultant or your doctor or midwife.
• Engorged breasts. Breasts that are overfull of milk (engorged) can be painful and can make it hard for your baby to breastfeed. If engorgement becomes severe, it can lead to a breast inflammation (mastitis). Continue to regularly breastfeed when your baby is hungry. Try hand expressing a small amount of milk before feeding. This can help soften your breasts to make it easier for your baby to latch on. Your doctor or midwife may suggest taking ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin). You can also try cool compresses to reduce swelling.
• Blocked milk ducts. Blocked milk ducts cause a lump that is sometimes tender and can become inflamed (mastitis). Milk ducts in the breast may become blocked when the breasts are full and milk is not removed regularly. Breastfeed when your baby is hungry and in different positions to help drain milk from all parts of the breast. Breastfeed from the affected breast first, if you can. Try using a cold compress on the area to help with pain and swelling.
• Mastitis. Mastitis is a painful inflammation of the breast. The area may be reddish or warm to the touch. And you may have a fever and chills, aches, and flu-like symptoms. Treatment includes regular breastfeeding, self-care, and sometimes antibiotics. (When you have mastitis, your milk is still safe for your baby to drink.) Self-care includes taking ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or using a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling. Treating mastitis right away helps keep it from getting worse and usually eases symptoms.
• Fungal infection (thrush). A thrush infection in your baby can cause white patches in the baby's mouth, a sore mouth, and a diaper rash. If your nipples become red and sore, or if you have breast pain during or after breastfeeding, it may be a sign that a thrush infection in your baby has spread to your nipples. Thrush is treated with a prescription antifungal medicine such as nystatin. It can be given as a liquid that's put on the white patches in the mouth and on your nipples or as a cream or ointment for the diaper area.
• Low milk supply. It's common to worry about not making enough milk. But low milk supply is rare. It may take time for your milk supply to get going. Breastfeeding stimulates your body to make milk. So the more often you feed your baby and empty your breasts, the more milk your body makes. If your baby is growing normally and having regular wet and dirty diapers, your baby is probably getting enough milk. If you don't think your baby is getting enough milk, try breastfeeding more often. If this doesn't help, talk to your doctor or midwife or lactation consultant.
• Problems with let-down: When your breasts are stimulated by breastfeeding or pumping, this causes milk to move from the milk ducts and out through the tiny holes in the nipple. This is called the let-down reflex. If your let-down reflex is strong, milk may flow too quickly and your baby may have trouble swallowing it. Try leaning back and nursing "uphill" so that your baby is above the nipple. If your let-down is weak, your nipples may get sore if your baby sucks more strongly to try to get milk. Express a little milk from your breasts right before a feeding. This can help with the let-down reflex. And focus on being comfortable and relaxed at each feeding.

When to Call a Doctor

Call your doctor or midwife now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have symptoms of a breast inflammation or infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, redness, or a color change on your breast.
  • Red streaks extending from the breast.
  • Pus draining from a breast.
  • A fever.
• Your baby has no wet diapers for 6 hours.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or midwife if:

• Your baby has trouble latching on to your breast.
• You continue to have pain or discomfort when breastfeeding.
• You feel sad, anxious, or hopeless for more than a few days.
• You have other questions or concerns.