Congrats, you’re a brand new mother! And with motherhood comes some brand new skills that need to be learned, with one of the most important being breastfeeding. What are five important breastfeeding tips for brand new mothers?
OBGYN and Maternal Health Expert “Rural Doc” Alan Lindemann, M.D., author of the forthcoming book "Pregnancy Your Way" has over 40 years of experience delivering over 6000 babies, and provides six breastfeeding tips for new moms.
“Everybody benefited — mom, baby, and physician — by establishing breast-feeding prior to departure from the hospital,” says Dr. Lindemann. “Today, due to the way insurances operate, this reasonable and effective solution may not be available. If it isn’t, here are a few tips for making sure your baby is well fed once you arrive home.”
1) Become comfortable with latching on:
- If your baby isn’t instinctively doing so already, place the baby’s lower lip on the lower part of the areola and nipple at the baby’s lips so your baby can easily take the nipple into their mouth.
- Your nipple needs to go 2 to 3 cm into your baby's mouth to create the needed suction for breastfeeding.
2) Understand your milk "letting down”: If you look at your breasts when your baby cries, you are likely to see a stream of breast milk shooting from your nipple or rapid dripping. This is called the “letting down” of your milk, and your body's own oxytocin triggers it from the sound of your baby crying. Believe it or not, your baby actually swallows more from streaming or dripping milk than from actually sucking.
3) Be sure your baby is getting enough to eat: Don’t make the connection between breast-feeding and your baby eating enough — although those two often happen together, they don’t always. When your baby eats enough, it will fall asleep for several hours and stay that way. If it doesn’t, you may want to consider supplementing with formula.
4) Don't make extra work for yourself: Breastfeeding doesn’t have to be a big production — just do what is comfortable. You don't have to get up at 2:00 am, turn on the lights, and sit in a chair. If you feel you must get out of bed to nurse, sit in a recliner with little or no light and relax. Breast-feeding is remarkably personal and remarkably adaptable. Do it in the way that is most comfortable for you and your baby.
5) Think positively: You will have a much better success rate breastfeeding if you think you can! In other words, if you think that breastfeeding will work, it probably will (though you may need to supplement for a while until your milk comes in). And it's also likely that your milk will come in if you don’t quit or worry too much!
For more information, visit LindemannMD.com and PregnancyYourWay.com.
About Dr. Lindemann:
An obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, “Rural Doc” Alan Lindemann, M.D. teaches women and their families how to create the outcomes they want for their own personal health and pregnancy. A former Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of North Dakota, he is currently a clinical faculty member available to serve as preceptor with medical students in rural rotations. In his nearly 40 years of practice, he has delivered around 6,000 babies and achieved a maternal mortality rate of zero! Learn more at LindemannMD.com and PregnancyYourWay.com.
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