Correct attachment of the baby to the breast is the key to successful feeding. Improper attachment leads to chest discomfort, cracked nipples, milk stagnation, and even mastitis. In addition, with improper breastfeeding, the baby may not receive the required amount of milk, which will lead to inhibition of the development and growth of the baby.
- Begin to apply to the breast in the first hours after childbirth. It enhances milk production and normalizes lactation;
Wash your hands with soap and water before each feeding; - It is enough to wash your breasts twice a day with warm water. when washing, use only neutral liquid soap. Regular soap irritates the skin. Do not dry your breasts with a towel, use napkins;
- Use breast pads. The pads absorb excess milk, provide hygiene and protect against infections. It is necessary to change such inserts as they get wet;
- If you are worried about cracks and abrasions on your nipples, lubricate them with special products after feeding. It can be sea buckthorn and chamomile oil, ointments containing purified vitamin A. However, remember that many products must be washed off before feeding. Read and follow the instructions carefully;
- Watch your diet. Products that a nursing mother eats pass through milk into the baby's body. How to eat right, you can read in the article;
- Correct attachment to the breast is affected by the baby's grip on the nipple. Make sure that the baby captures the nipple and areola (the part near the nipple);
- The correct seizure largely depends on the position of the baby and the nursing one when feeding. The nose and cheeks should fit snugly against the chest;
- Make sure that the baby sucks one breast to the end and only then transfer it to the other. It is best to alternate breasts after 3 hours, since first there is liquid milk, and only then fatty;
- Do not force feed your baby and do not rush to breastfeed. Wait while he starts looking for her himself. It is also better to feed on demand rather than on schedule;
- Make sure your baby is full. When the baby is full, he releases the breast or falls asleep. Correct feeding will ensure normal weight gain and harmonious development of the newborn.
Attachment technique
To organize the correct attachment, the baby's nose must be at the level of the nipple. You need to tickle the upper lip of the newborn with a nipple. So the baby will wake up the sucking reflex, and the mouth will open wide. When feeding, it is important that the baby's mouth is wide open!
When the baby opens his mouth, insert the chest as deep as possible. Make sure that there is a grip on both the nipple and the area around it. This area is called the areola. The child's body should be as close to the mother's body as possible, and the head should be able to move freely. To do this, just hold the head slightly.
Pay attention to how the capture takes place and how the feeding process itself goes:
- The baby's breast captures the nipple and areola with a radius of 2-2.5 cm;
- The baby's lips, especially the lower one, are turned outward. The angle between the lips is approximately 130 degrees;
- The cheeks are not pulled in and together with the nose are tightly attached to the chest. In this case, the nose should not sink in the chest;
- When breastfeeding, the baby is turned with his tummy to his mother, his face to the nipple;
- The child freely adjusts the position of the nipple in the mouth;
- The baby must take the nipple himself. Forcing the nipple into the mouth will result in improper grip. If the baby has captured only the tip of the nose. The baby's mouth is wide open;
- The baby sucks with deep, shallow rhythmic movements. At the same time, swallowing of milk is audible;
- If the breasts are too tight and too full, you can express the milk a little.
It is important that when feeding, the mother does not experience discomfort. This sometimes causes chest pains, cracks and abrasions on the nipples, which subsequently leads to mastitis.
If the baby has not picked the breast correctly, stop latching. It is easy to pick up the nipple by placing your little finger in your chest. However, it is possible to adjust the grip without taking out the breast. To do this, turn out the lips after the baby has taken the nipple. It is easy to reach the breast through the corner of the baby's mouth.
The tighter the baby is applied, the better the feeding will be. If you are experiencing pain while breastfeeding, slide your baby down.
It often happens that the initial seizure is correct. However, then the baby begins to crawl and only grabs the nipple. If this happens, lower the baby's chin with your finger and pull the lower lip slightly. It is important that the baby's head remains slightly tilted back.
Breastfeeding positions
To ensure proper grip, it is necessary to find a comfortable position for latching on the newborn. A suitable position is “relaxed feeding”. The woman is reclining or half-sitting, leaning on pillows.
Skin-to-skin contact plays an important role in breastfeeding, so the baby should be applied to the bare breast. Choose a position so that the baby's body is closer to the mother's body, and the baby's head is slightly thrown back.
| Pose | Peculiarities | Description |
| Cradle (classic) | The baby lies in her arms, like in a cradle. The versatile posture is suitable for newborns and one-year-olds and can be used in semi-sitting, semi-recumbent, and even standing positions. | At the bend in the elbow of one hand, the head is located, with the other hand, the baby is wrapped around and supports the back. The baby and mother lie belly to belly. The baby's mouth is opposite the nipple. |
| Cross cradle | Helps and corrects grip. Thus, it is easy to move your head closer to the nipple. | Support the head with both hands. One palm from the side of the breastfeeding breast, and the other, which you hold the baby's body. |
| From under the arm (from under the arm) | Used in the reclining position of a nursing mother. In this case, the breast is given to the baby as if from above. This position prevents milk stagnation. Therefore, apply it at least once a day. | The woman is reclining on her side, leaning on her forearm and thigh. The baby is placed on a pillow perpendicular to the mother's body. The head is held with a palm. |
| Lying on my hand | Relaxes the back and rests the nursing mother. She is comfortable sleeping together. | Mom and baby lie facing each other on their sides. To make the baby taller and easily reach the nipple, place the baby on a pillow. The woman hugs the baby with her lower hand so that her head rests on this hand. |
| Lying from the upper chest | This position is used if it is necessary to change the breast, however, shifting the baby or turning over to the other side is accompanied by difficulties. However, the position puts a strong load on the supporting arm, so it is difficult to feed for a long time in this way. | Mom and newborn lie opposite each other on their sides. The woman lifts herself up with her lower arm and gives the newborn the upper breast. For convenience, the baby is also placed on a pillow. |
| Baby on mom | It is used in the first months after childbirth, when lactation is established. This position stimulates the intestines of the baby, which relieves colic and increased gas production. | The newborn lies on the mother, belly to belly. The head is slightly turned to one side. |
| Overhang | Prevents milk stagnation. It is suitable for babies who have a hard time sucking on their own. She also helps if the baby does not want to breastfeed. | When feeding, the baby is placed on a changing table or bed. mom leans over the child. The newborn's head is slightly turned to one side. |
Each breastfeeding position can be changed with a pillow. Placing a pillow under the arm will support the nursing mother and relieve stress. In addition, such feeding will ensure proper attachment and feeding of the baby.
Hello!
I am very glad to receive letters from mothers who were preparing for childbirth according to my materials, and of course I try to answer and help you.
Today we'll talk about correct attachment of the baby to the breast... But first the question:
Lyudmila, hello!
Please tell me how to persuade a 2 weeks old baby to open his mouth wide and stick out the tongue for proper attachment to the breast? The mouth opens, but it seems to me that it is not wide enough, the tongue does not stick out at all. In a calm state, it generally presses the lower lip inward.As a result, from the moment of birth, he lost weight (he was born 3040 grams, at discharge weighed 2850 grams), to date he gained weight only 3010 grams. It seems to be eating normally in time, but the weight began to increase slightly only in the last four days, before that he just did not lose weight.
Sincerely,Svetlana
Congratulations on the birth of your baby. You are doing the right thing in paying attention to the quality of the attachment to the breast. Correct attachment will insure against many feeding difficulties.
It should be understood that initially, when born, the child does not know how to breastfeed correctly. He has a sucking reflex, and in obedience to him, the child sucks. And keeping track of the correctness is my mother's task.
How to teach the correct breastfeeding?
- The breast is inserted into the child's mouth wide open.
The child does not understand our words, so we do the following: we pass the nipple over the child's mouth STRICTLY from top to bottom. Never swipe the nipple from side to side, this will teach the child to turn his head, but in no way will you achieve a wide open mouth.
We repeat the movement from top to bottom as many times as required. At some point, the child opens his mouth: maybe a little, or maybe wide.
What is a wide open mouth for your child can only be understood by carefully observing him. Catch the moments when he yawns, or at the moment of crying, pay attention to how wide he can open his mouth - this is what we strive for when we want to attach to the chest correctly.
Usually for 5-6 small mouth openings, there is 1 large one. You need to catch this moment and put your breast deep into the baby's mouth. Your movement must be fast, otherwise you may be late.
- After the child has taken the breast, you can walk for yourself on the main signs of correct attachment and track whether they are being followed.
- The baby's mouth is wide open (like that of a chick to which his mother brought a treat).
- The upper and lower jaws are turned inside out.
- The tongue does not go back and forth, there is a halo (dark part of the chest) on it.
- The nipple is deep in the mouth, at the base of the tongue.
- The tip of the nose and chin are pressed against the tit. This moment is controlled by you, as a mother.
- You shouldn't be in pain while feeding.
If pain appears, this is one of the signs that the attachment is incorrect and, most likely, the baby is sucking on the nipple and injuring the breast. Improper sucking can result in abrasions, cracks, breast inflammation, and small weight gain.
In order to stop worrying about weight gain in a baby, two important parameters must be taken into account:
- weight gain per week (at least 125 grams);
- the number of urinations in 24 hours (should be more than 12) and I recommend reading this article Does the baby have enough breast milk?
Regarding the fact that in a calm state the lower lip of the child is retracted - this is a frequent occurrence. The correct bite, the correct structure of the jaw is formed in the process of breastfeeding, and gradually everything will return to normal.
We analyzed the full picture of baby care and the basics of successful breastfeeding on the course Happy motherhood: how to breastfeed and take care of a baby
Only the necessary theory and practical videos on the topics:
- carrying on hands,
- soft technique of bathing in a diaper,
- swaddling,
- comfortable sleeping together and feeding while lying down
will help you make the most "difficult" months of your child's life easy and simple!
I also suggest watching my small video tutorial, which explains important points for proper attachment... Be sure to see:
Ask your questions in the comments!
Every mother who has just given birth needs to know how to properly latch on the baby for feeding. Not only well-being depends on this, but also the mother's attitude to the process.
First, a good latch on the breast ensures that it is emptied and a sufficient supply of milk flows.
Second, proper attachment to the breast allows the infant to suck efficiently and reach late nutritious milk. Thirdly, during proper grip, the nipple is deep inside the baby's mouth and is not injured. Pain, discomfort, and cracked nipples indicate errors in the technique of attachment.
The task of the mother is to teach the newborn to properly grasp the nipple during feeding. The baby's mouth is still very small, and during the first feedings it can slide to the nipple, “chew” it with the gums and thereby injure delicate tissues. This leads to cracks.
Doctors or nurses at the hospital can tell you how to latch on to your baby. The first days after the birth of a child should be devoted to mastering the skills of good attachment during feeding.
For the successful establishment of lactation, you should adhere to the recommendations for feeding the baby on demand. That is, it is necessary to apply the baby to the breast when he shows the first signs of readiness for feeding. It is not difficult to understand that the newborn wants to kiss the breast. At this moment, he shows the so-called search behavior: he turns his head in search of a nipple, opens his mouth wide, pulls out his tongue, grunts and whimpers, pushes a fist into his mouth. Take the baby in your arms so that his head is lying on the curve of your elbow.
This is the classic cradle pose. Using her example, we will describe the step-by-step instructions for the correct attachment of the child:
- Get into a comfortable position. It is important to position yourself so that both mom and baby are comfortable, because the feeding process can last about an hour or longer. You can put a pillow under your back and elbow.
- Hold your baby so that his head and body are in line. Turn your face and stomach towards you.
- The baby's head should be positioned so that the nose rests on the nipple.
- Grasp your chest with your fingers closer to the areola. The thumb is on top, the index and the rest of the fingers are below the chest, parallel to the baby's mouth. Squeeze the areola slightly to reduce the capture area.
- Touch your baby's upper lip or cheek with the nipple. In response, he will open his mouth wide and tilt his head back to take his chest.
- Wait until the child opens his mouth as wide as possible and direct the nipple slightly up to the palate and at the same time press the child to you, as if stringing his head on the nipple. It is not the mother who should bend over to the baby's head, but he should reach for the nipple, opening his mouth wide and sticking out his tongue.
“Proper grip on the nipple and a large portion of the areola is important for the baby to receive a normal amount of milk. The baby's mouth should be wide open. There is no milk in the nipple itself. Milk production occurs during stimulation of the areola. "
Correct attachment criteria
If all the rules are followed, then the nipple is inside the mouth and does not participate in the sucking process. In this case, the mother does not experience acute pain during feeding.
Correct attachment while breastfeeding looks like this:
- The baby's mouth is wide open and captures the areola by 2-3 cm. The lips are turned outward, the chin touches the chest, the nose is free or leaning against the chest.
- The nipple is deep inside the mouth and touches the palate.
- While sucking, the baby actively moves the jaw, stimulating the areola, where the milk ducts are located. The tongue moves in a wave-like fashion, squeezing milk out of the nipple.
- Sometimes mom can see the tongue between her lower lip and areola.
- During feeding, the baby first makes quick and short jaw movements. And as milk flows in, it slows down. Sometimes he pauses.
- During sucking, the baby's ears may move slightly. The cheeks are rounded.
Improper attachment criteria
Improper attachment leads to injury to the nipple and the appearance of cracks. And also to an insufficient amount of milk production, due to a poor-quality sucking process.
It can be recognized by the following indicators:
- The child "gnaws" only the nipple with his gums or lips, without capturing the areola.
- The mouth is not wide open, the lips are drawn in.
- The cheeks are pulled in.
- The baby's nose rests strongly on the chest.
- A clatter is heard while sucking.
Duration of feeding
Mother's breasts meet the baby's needs not only for nutrition. The newborn is also applied in order to quench his thirst, to establish contact with his mother, to relieve postpartum stress, to satisfy the sucking reflex. Depending on the need at a particular moment, the baby can spend a different amount of time at the breast. If he wants to eat, he will suck vigorously for 15-20 minutes, until he gets to the rear fat milk. If you wanted to drink, the attachments are short, while sucking, the baby is distracted, often interrupted. Sometimes, while sucking, the baby closes his eyes and sucks lazily, making only a few swallowing movements per minute.
Sometimes feeding can take 40 minutes or an hour. Do not worry that the nipples will be injured due to long and frequent feedings. If the attachment is correct, if the grip is deep, then the nipple is not damaged. And to be at the mother's breast for as long as you want is the need of a newborn baby. And the mother cannot know exactly what problem the child solves during the next feeding. Whether he wants to drink or eat, or maybe he just missed his mother or became scared. Let the baby decide how long to feed.
If the mother feels pain during feeding, then most likely the baby has not grabbed the breast correctly. You should stop, take the breast from the baby and apply again. To remove the breast from the baby, you need to stop the sucking process. To do this, simply insert your little finger into the corner of your mouth and twist slightly towards you. The baby will reflexively open its mouth and release the nipple.
First attachment
The first attachment to the breast, which usually occurs in the delivery room, immediately after the birth of the baby, carries an important psychophysiological role.
If the birth went well and without the use of sedatives, the healthy baby is active and ready to feed immediately. The baby instinctively crawls to the mother's breast and grabs the nipple. Often it looks as if he has been practicing this throughout his entire intrauterine life.
Latching the baby to the breast immediately after birth has a beneficial effect on establishing contact between mother and baby. And stimulation of the nipple contributes to the production of a large number oxytocin, which leads to a rapid discharge of the placenta.
Perhaps, latching a baby to the mother's breast in the first minutes after birth is the most emotional and memorable moment for mom and baby. Intrauterine life and feeding through the placenta are over, now instinct leads the baby to the mother's breast. This is exactly what nature intended, and rightly so.
How to care for your breasts
Often, young mothers make some mistakes in attaching the newborn at the beginning of feeding, and the nipples have time to crack or become inflamed. Therefore, painful sensations during feeding accompany women for some time. In order to cope with this problem, follow some recommendations:
- It is necessary to achieve correct grip of the nipple by the baby. With good attachment, the nipple is deep inside the baby's mouth and is not stimulated in any way. If applied correctly, the cracks in the nipples heal within a day or two.
- Wash your breasts only during the evening and morning showers, not more often. Washing the breast before and after breastfeeding is an unnecessary procedure that washes away the protective layer of natural secretions and aggravates inflammation.
- You should not use soap and shower gel, it dries the skin very much.
- Give your breasts an air bath whenever possible. This promotes rapid healing of the nipples.
- In especially advanced cases, in between feedings, you can use medicinal ointments containing lanolin. But do this only after consulting a doctor.
“A nipple, pacifier, breast pads will negatively affect the correct attachment of the baby to the mother's breast. At first, until the baby has learned to suckle properly, they cannot be used. During breastfeeding, the child must actively move his jaws and tongue to get milk, and milk flows out of the nipple on its own, no effort is needed. The use of the nipple is often the reason for breastfeeding. "
Detailed video with practical instructions: how to attach the baby to the breast for breastfeeding
Sometimes a young mother, in pain at first, is ready to stop breastfeeding. In the most critical moments, remember that the cracks and inflammation of the nipple will go away. Be patient. Calmly and confidently move towards establishing breastfeeding. As soon as the technique of latching is mastered, the pain and discomfort will disappear, only the pleasure of the process of feeding your baby will remain.
All women expecting a miracle of birth sooner or later face the need to learn how to properly attach a baby for feeding. Some prepare for this responsible intimate process in advance, studying literature and communicating with experienced mothers, others - stuff their bumps in the course of motherhood.
Breastfeeding is the most natural, simple and cheapest way to feed your baby. Useful vitamins and microelements of mother's milk are contained in the most easily digestible form for the child. This is both drinking and food at least for the first six months of a baby's life, as well as during his illness. In addition, natural feeding forms an invisible thread of affection between mother and baby, gives a feeling of security to the baby, and develops trust in the world.
For a baby, breastfeeding is important because:
- it is a natural environmentally friendly multivitamin product,
- it is direct physical contact with mom,
- it is a guarantee of safety and protection in a new environment,
- it is a way of knowing the world around,
- it is an excellent hypnotic and sedative.
For a mom, breastfeeding is important:
- for the natural development of affection and emotional contact,
- more time can be devoted to a crumb, especially in our high-speed time,
- is the prevention of breast diseases,
- you can feed your baby easily, quickly and without wasting time and money,
- during feedings, you can rest and gain strength.
About the correct grip of the chest
An important rule of breastfeeding is that there is no pain or any discomfort for its participants.
During sucking, the child does not use the nipple, as many young mothers may think, but the areola. Thanks to the stimulating movements of the baby's tongue, all the milk ducts work harmoniously, and the milk gets to its destination.
If during feeding there was an incorrect latch on the breast, then pain in the mother, poor emptying of milk reservoirs, the appearance of cracks and stagnant processes are inevitable, and the child will remain half-starved and capricious.
Consider how to properly attach a baby to the breast according to the main features:
- the baby lying on its side is tightly pushed to the mother, there are no gaps between them;
- the nipple looks at the baby's nose before docking, and after that it is directed to the upper palate and is only a conductor of milk (the so-called asymmetry in breastfeeding);
- the baby's mouth is open wide (an angle of 130-150 ° is considered optimal) to capture the breast;
- the tongue is visible on the lower gum;
- after capturing the child's lips are turned outward, they seem to hug the chest;
- if you slightly move the lower lip of the crumbs, its tongue is visible, and the halo is completely hidden under it;
- the lower jaw of the child is actively moving;
- the cheeks are rounded, not elongated;
- the absence of any chomping or clicking sounds during feeding, the mother hears and sees only the swallowing of the baby;
- the baby's chin touches the mother's breast, sometimes the nose can press against it if the breast is large or too full. There is no need to worry about the child's breathing, thanks to the dilated nasal sinuses, air flows well in both directions;
- the absence of a rigid fixation of the baby's head makes it possible for him to take a more comfortable position during feeding.
If the mother hears that it is difficult for the baby to breathe near the chest, then either his head is tilted forward, or his chin is not pressed sufficiently to the chest. In this case, in no case should you make a groove near the nose with your fingers, it is enough to move the baby lying down towards his legs and move it closer to you. So his neck will change position, the head will tilt back a little and the grip will become correct. But if the baby slips onto the nipple, it is better to gently interrupt the feeding by removing the breast from him and applying it again.
Will I succeed?
The Association of Natural Feeding Consultants (AKEV) claims that with the correct attachment of the baby, any pain sensations of the mother, malnutrition of the child are impossible. Sometimes it is not possible to achieve effective grip on the chest the first time. Especially with the firstborn. In this case, the medical workers of the maternity hospital, specialist consultants and the experience of the mother herself come to the rescue.
At the same time, you need to know that the optimal regimen, duration, feeding technique is developed in a mother-baby couple during the first two months. Therefore, sometimes you need to be patient and carefully monitor the sensations, movements and postures during feeding (lying on your side, sitting, standing).
Even if at first mistakes were made in the attachment, as a result of which the mother had cracks, seals in the chest, then after the medical procedures and elimination of diseases, it is possible to organize comfortable feeding of the baby. The main thing is desire, perseverance and self-confidence and the importance of breastfeeding for a child.
There are, of course, problems with a child's latching on the breast for good reasons, for example, because of a short bridle. In this case, the tongue is missing to the tip of the lower lip and the sucking process is painful.
Feeding process step by step
How to establish an optimal feeding process for your baby, let's look at all the steps in order.
- Mom take a maximum relaxed position(for example, lying down), pay special attention to the shoulder region. Sometimes the baby is determined to spend a long time at the breast - both to eat and to take a nap. Therefore, it is important for the mother to properly organize a place for feeding herself in order to avoid any discomfort, muscle leakage and, as a result, the appearance of irritation and the desire to undock prematurely. And this is fraught with a deterioration in lactation and the capriciousness of the crumbs. After giving birth, many mothers are happy to choose a position lying on their side - you can relax, and rest, and you can take a nap, and the baby will not slip anywhere.
- Prepare the baby near the breast... The baby in a lying position must be turned towards you with the whole body, and not just the head. Place the mouth just below the nipple. If the child is asleep, touching the lower lip with the areola or a slight movement of the mother's finger along his nose causes the mouth opening reflex. The tongue is visible, it lies on the lower gum. The kid begins to turn his head - this is a signal that he is ready to dock and start eating.
- The very process of feeding... The baby's lips are turned outward, the tongue makes undulating movements, the halo is almost completely in the mouth, the head is free. Initially, the baby makes a few quick sucking movements. They tune the mammary glands to work, there is a rush in the chest. Oxytocin actively begins to be produced in the maternal body and enters the milk. Further, the movements of the child's mouth become measured, swallowing is heard. After some time, this sucking may slow down altogether, which indicates a decrease in milk in the breast, saturation and falling asleep of the crumbs. His body is relaxed. The meal is over when the baby releases the breast on its own.
You can correct the grip of the breast by inserting the little finger into the corner of the baby's mouth and slightly pushing the nipple towards the exit. Then repeat all the previously listed steps again.
Comfortable poses
As practice shows, a wide variety of positions for feeding a baby can be comfortable. Let's dwell on the most common ones.
Sitting position
In this case, we will highlight two positions:
- ordinary,
- from the armpit.
Mom sits on the sofa / chair, can use different pillows for comfort. The main thing is to keep your back straight.
In the first case, the baby is supported in a prone position by his hands, his tummy is turned to his mother, his head is not rigidly fixed. It is optimal to hold the baby under the ears with the index and thumb of the opposite hand, for example, the right breast - the left hand. This pose is called the cross cradle.
In the second, he, lying on his side, is located on a pillow under his mother's armpit, as if looking out from behind. This pose is especially popular among women after caesarean section since you do not need to hold the baby in your arms.
Often, when feeding while sitting, the child is swaddled so that he does not interfere with himself and his mother with his handles.
Lying on your side
In a lying position on its side, when the participants in the process are placed next to each other.
One of the favorite poses of young mothers is that it is easy to relax and feed the baby. Nuance - the pillow should be placed only under the mother's head, and not under her shoulders.
Standing
It is especially important if the mother carries the baby in a sling. And in the case of an older child, this position can become one of the most commonly used.
Relaxed feeding
Relaxed feeding or Australian position or phone.
The mother is in a reclining position on her back, her head, shoulders and chest are raised, the baby lies on top of her belly to the belly. All participants are as relaxed as possible. Mom gently hugs and strokes the baby, can sing or whisper something to him. This simulates the safe position of the baby in the womb, when it is protected from all sides by the uterus. He spread his legs and arms, they absolutely do not interfere with the feeding process. Its head moves freely. He hears sounds from his mother's body, which he has heard for all 9 months, they calm and relax him.
Happy motherhood, healthy babies and comfortable and correct feeding!
According to the recommendations of WHO / UNICEF / 1998 / healthy newborns should be applied to the mother's breast for the first 30 minutes. Immediately after birth, the child is laid on the mother's stomach so that they have close skin-to-skin contact for at least 1 hour.
Natural feeding rules
1. Before each feeding, it is necessary to express a few drops of milk, with which bacteria that easily get into the peripheral parts of the excretory ducts of the mammary gland are removed.
2. At the end of feeding, the mammary gland must be dried with a clean soft napkin so that there is no maceration of the nipples.
4. Each breastfeeding should last no more than 15-20 minutes on average. Only a newborn can be fed for a longer period - up to 30-40 minutes. Healthy babies will self-regulate their feeding times. “It may take 20-30 minutes for lazy suckers to saturate; for“ nimble ”ones, 5-10 minutes is sufficient. At the same time, both "lazy and" nimble suckers "eat approximately the same amount of milk.
Technique for latching the baby to the breast
The main key points of the position of the baby near the breast:
1. The child's head and torso are on the same line. A baby cannot suckle and swallow milk easily if his head is bent or bent.
2. The baby's face is turned towards the mother's breast, the nose is opposite the nipple.
The baby should be moved away from the mother enough to maintain eye-to-eye contact.
3. The baby's body is pressed against the mother's body (belly to belly).
4. The mother should support the entire body of the baby from below, not just the shoulders and head (especially if the newborn is premature or low birth weight).
Signs of correct attachment of children to the breast, regardless of the method of attachment:
The chin touches the mother's chest;
The baby's mouth is wide open;
The lower lip is turned out;
The cheeks are rounded;
Most of the areola (lower part) is trapped in the baby's mouth;
The mother does not feel pain even with prolonged sucking;
The baby can be heard swallowing milk.
In the first days after childbirth, the mother feeds the baby lying on her side. The child is placed so that it is comfortable for him to grip the nipple with his mouth. The mother slightly raises her breast with her hand, holding it between 1 and the rest of her fingers (the breast lies on the palm of her hand), puts the nipple in the baby's mouth, trying to ensure that it grabs well not only the nipple, but also part of the skin adjacent to it. In this case, with 1 finger, the upper surface of the mammary gland is slightly pressed downward so that it does not cover the child's nose and does not interfere with his breathing. In the future, the woman feeds the child while sitting. Breastfeeding should be alternated so that both breasts are completely emptied. The remaining milk must be expressed after feeding. In cases where there is little milk, you have to feed the baby from both mammary glands, but you should give the second breast only after the baby has sucked everything out of the first, since the first portions of milk are sucked out more easily than the subsequent ones, and more frequent attachment stimulates breast function. Incomplete emptying of the mammary gland leads to stagnation and decreased lactation. Control over the amount of sucked milk is carried out by carrying out a "control" weighing of the child before and after feeding, which is recommended to be carried out several times a day.
The frequency and hours of feeding depend on the age of the baby. Usually healthy children of the first 2 months of life are fed 7 times a day every 3 hours with a night interval of up to 6 hours, up to 4.5 - 5 months of life they are fed 6 times a day, every 3.5 hours with a night interval of 6.5 hours ... Starting from 4.5-5 months, every 4 hours with a night interval of 6.5-8 hours - 5 times a day.
Excess breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6-8 hours without boiling, with long-term storage - in sterile bags in the freezer for up to 8 months.