Dos and Don’ts of Breastfeeding
| Dos | Don'ts |
|
Nurse frequently -- Nurse every 2 hours or less (by demand), to build up your milk supply. Give unrestricted feedings. Breastfeeding follows the law of supply and demand. The more you nurse your baby, the more milk you produce.
|
Let sleeping babies lie. If it's been 2 hours since your last feeding and the baby is still sleeping, gently rouse him by tickling his cheek or ear, removing his blanket, picking him up, or even using your nipple dabbed with expressed milk to tickle his nose.
|
|
Breastfeed as soon as baby shows signs of hunger. Early indications are waking up, mouthing his hands, and turning his head back and forth as if searching for the breast. Crying is a late indication of hunger.
|
Wait for the baby to start crying before nursing him. It is harder for a hysterical baby to latch on properly.
|
|
Teach your baby the proper way to latch. Proper latch ensures that the baby is able to get all the milk. It also means less sore nipples for you.
|
Give formula, water or glucose water, unless a sound medical reason warrants it. Supplementing with these may make your baby too full to be interested in nursing, which will mean less frequent nursing, resulting in diminished milk supply.
|
|
Be patient. It takes time for you and your baby to hone your breastfeeding skills.
|
Give bottles or pacifiers until your baby learns how to breastfeed. Giving bottles or pacifiers can lead to nipple confusion for the baby. Rubber nipples and mom's nipples are totally different, and require different sucking motions. Let baby learn one thing at a time.
|
|
Be confident! Know that you are giving your baby the best.
|
Switch breasts too early. Let baby finish one breast first before offering the other. If your baby doesn't finish the 2nd breast, offer that breast first at the next feeding. Switching breasts too early may make the baby fill up with foremilk (the thin, watery milk that quenches thirst at the start of a feeding), instead of hind milk (the creamy, calorie-rich milk that satisfies hunger).
|
671 - 75, Ganeshkhind Road, 
mail@onphospital.com
+91-20-30205050
