Nutrition and diets 

How to properly breastfeed your baby. Negative consequences due to incorrect application. When does breast milk appear

The birth of a child is always a joyful and exciting event in the family. Immediately, a caring mother has a lot of questions, the answers to which have to be learned from doctors, nannies, grandmothers. How to care for the baby, should I give him a dummy, do I need to express, why does the baby eat poorly? How to breastfeed your baby is the most important question. After all, the health, development and mental balance of the baby depends on mother's milk.

The very first attachment of a newborn

Even in the delivery room, as soon as the midwife cuts the umbilical cord, the baby is laid out on the mother's stomach. The tiny face is turned towards the nipple, helping to capture it. It doesn't matter how many drops of colostrum a newborn sucks. The main thing is that it will be the first thing that gets into his stomach. Colostrum contains immunoglobulins that can protect the body from negative influences.

Another important point is the psychological aspect. Skin-to-skin contact, closeness and the baby's heartbeat contribute to the speedy rejection of the placenta in the mother. The newborn, being at the breast, feels safe and gets rid of the birth stress. An invisible close bond is established between mother and baby. To prevent hypothermia, the baby is briefly left at the breast. After that, doctors wash the baby from amniotic fluid and swaddle. A full-fledged first attachment to the breast occurs after the examination by the doctor of the woman in labor and a short rest.

For women who have had a caesarean section, they still bring the newborn to the chest. This is done even when she is under general anesthesia. If the birth took place under local anesthesia, mommy herself can observe the first application.

Basic rules for proper feeding

The key to breastfeeding success is proper nipple latching. So the baby will suck effectively, fully saturate, without damaging the mother's breast. Obstetricians and doctors always tell and show how to breastfeed properly. They follow the first feedings and explain all the nuances.

General rules for breastfeeding:

  1. Mommy should get comfortable so that at least 10 minutes can be spent in this position. You can feed lying down, sitting, standing, the main thing is to provide the baby with free access to the chest and comfort for yourself -.
  2. The child is placed in a position with the stomach to the mother, face to the mammary gland. The head cannot be fixed rigidly so that the baby can regulate the nipple clamped with the tongue and lips, cough if it chokes or tell the mother that the feeding is over.
  3. When offering the breast, you need to make sure that the baby lies correctly, and he does not have to pull the nipple down. If this happens, then it is too low.
  4. It is necessary to monitor the access of oxygen to the child. If the mammary gland presses on the face, the baby will not be able to breathe normally. You have to be extremely careful here. women with full breasts.
  5. Do not push the nipple into the baby's mouth. The child must take it on his own, otherwise the wrong grip cannot be avoided.
  6. If the baby has not covered the entire areola with his mouth, you must immediately free yourself by slightly pressing the chin with a fingertip or touching the corner of the mouth. An incorrectly taken breast threatens a nursing mother with a gland injury and painful cracks. Sucking in this way will be inferior, air will enter the cavity of the stomach of the crumbs, which provokes gases and.

In a correct grip, most of the areola is in the infant's mouth, the lips are distinctly turned outward, and the chin is pressed closely against the mammary gland. The sucking process is accompanied by swallowing sounds and sniffling, and the mother does not feel discomfort.

After making sure that the baby has taken the breast correctly, you can relax and feed calmly.

Scheme - How to breastfeed a baby for breastfeeding

How to put the breast in the baby's mouth during attachment (click on the picture to enlarge)

pressing issues

Not everyone in pregnancy has the opportunity to go to breastfeeding courses, and not in all kind of homes, doctors are ready to talk about how to breastfeed a newborn correctly and without complications. Therefore, many mothers, listening to the advice of grandmothers, make many mistakes. As a result, the milk burns out, deep cracks form on the nipples, and natural feeding is almost impossible to return.

Controversial issues that arise for each nursing:

  1. To wash or not to wash the mammary glands before application? Morning and evening showers are enough to ensure cleanliness. If you vigorously rub the nipples with soap every few hours, the natural protective layer is washed away, opening the way for pathogenic bacteria.
  2. Should I hold the breast for the comfort of the baby? Supporting the breast during feeding provokes stagnation of milk in the ducts in contact with the hand. This must be avoided.
  3. Should I give the little one water? Dopaiting a child with water or weak tea is unacceptable. Mother's milk is drink and food for the baby. The exceptions are days when you need to give medicine or when the room is very stuffy and hot. Some mothers have milk that is too rich. Then doctors advise giving the baby water to avoid problems with the tummy. It is necessary to give liquid to a newborn not from a bottle, but from a spoon or syringe -.
  4. Should I stop feeding if the mother or child is ill with SARS? It is not necessary to refuse feeding if the mother is ill with the flu. The child receives antibodies along with milk, which becomes a healing elixir for him. He cannot get infected from a nursing mother, but he can infect her if he himself falls ill. In such cases, it is better to wear a gauze bandage.
  5. There are cracks on the nipples - is it possible to feed? There is no need to rush to switch to artificial feeding if cracks occur. First you need to consult a doctor. He will advise ointments, creams or. As long as the wounds heal, natural feeding will not suffer.

This is not the whole list of pressing issues that arise in inexperienced mothers. In each case, the problems are individual. It is necessary to consult with specialists, and not with girlfriends and neighbors.

Is attachment mode necessary?

Many people are concerned about breastfeeding. At first, until lactation is established and enters the maturity phase, it is too early to think about the schedule. The older generation is firmly convinced that the regimen is necessary for the baby from the first days. Modern experts on breastfeeding recommend applying a newborn to the breast 10-15 times a day, only on demand (when he asks).

As the child develops, the routine will gradually be established. With enough milk, it will take 7-8 feedings with a break of 3-3.5 hours. The baby will get used to the selected mode, and it will be easier for mom to plan her day.

Many mothers worry about whether the milk will have time to be digested if the baby is offered breasts too often. There are no reasons to worry. The baby does not need to expend energy to digest breast milk. As soon as the milk enters the intestines, it begins to be digested and soon the baby will get hungry again.

Did the baby eat

Mother's milk is the best food for a baby. But how do you know if a baby is eating? Here everything is defined elementarily:

  • the baby himself released the nipple;
  • after application, he is calm, not capricious, is in a good mood;
  • the child is fast asleep;
  • his skin is velvety to the touch;
  • he pees 6-8 times a day;
  • when in contact with the mother, there is a noticeable revival;
  • puts on weight well, according to.

When a baby suckles for a long time, cries during feeding and between meals, shows anxiety, it can be assumed that he does not have enough milk. This can be confirmed by weighing. If there is a problem, the pediatrician or breastfeeding specialist will advise what can be done to increase lactation. If all else fails, the child will have to enter the mixture.

Sometimes young mothers face the opposite problem: there is more milk than the baby needs. With hyperlactation, there is a risk of overeating, as babies do not control their food needs.

Signs of overeating:

  • he burps profusely;
  • he suffers from colic and gas. The baby constantly cries from and draws his legs.
  • the child is gaining weight more than normal.

In such cases, it will be necessary to control the time of each application and take the nipple from the baby until he has sucked out excess milk. Trying to reduce lactation with pills, herbs, and a strict diet is dangerous. Proper attachment of the baby to the breast over time will help stabilize lactation volumes, and milk will begin to flow in accordance with the needs of the baby.

We take the breast after feeding

To do this, gently press the chin with a finger or press the little finger into the corner of the mouth. This will force the baby to open her mouth and release the nipple.

Breast alternation

If properly applied to a newborn, milk will be produced at his request. Often one breast is enough for one feeding. First, the fore milk, more liquid, will quench your thirst, and the back milk, which is fatter and thicker, will saturate the child. If the baby is offered one breast and then the other, the nutrition is unlikely to be balanced. This will harm both the baby and the mother, whose mammary glands will be full.

During feeding, the breast is replaced when the baby does not eat up, having completely sucked out the first mammary gland. But before that, you should make sure that he really is not full in order to avoid overfeeding.

How to feed twins

Many are sure that with the simultaneous appearance of twins, the newly-made mother will have to switch to artificial feeding immediately after leaving the hospital. After all, it is not easy to establish natural feeding with one child. But there are women who have fed twins and even triplets with their milk.

Of course, mom will need more effort, patience and diligence, tuning in to the regimen. It is good if relatives help her to take care of the babies. Much more milk is required. And its development depends on rest, proper nutrition and well-established life. In the maternity hospital, a woman in labor will definitely be told how to feed twins and attach babies to her breast.

Having survived the difficult moment of establishing lactation and entering her own regimen, mommy will feel all the benefits of breastfeeding:

  • children will be physically stronger, thanks to the strengthening of immunity;
  • the family will be able to save on expensive bottles, nipples, sterilizers, adapted mixtures;
  • mother will quickly return to her previous forms, since it takes twice as many calories to feed two children.

There are two ways to breastfeed twins:

  1. Simultaneous.
  2. Alternate.

Often a simultaneous method is used, as it saves valuable time. Here you have to adapt. It's much easier than feeding one baby and lending another. At the same time, a hungry baby, waiting for his turn, will cry piercingly, demanding food. He will prevent a brother or sister from eating and sleeping.

When feeding at the same time, you should:

  • Take a comfortable position. Finding him is much more difficult than with one baby. Here, various devices save, for example, a silicone pillow for double feeding.
  • Before applying the gland, you need to massage it in order to increase the flow of milk. You can drink tea, take a shower, directing jets to the mammary glands.
  • If one of the babies weighs less, then he will need to breastfeed more often.
  • You can't always offer a specific breast to a baby. Babies suck differently. By systematically alternating the glands during feeding, mommy will provide herself with a better outflow of milk and the release of lobes.

If there is not enough milk, you should consult a pediatrician. It will help you choose an adapted formula for supplementary feeding. Bottle feeding is best done by dad or grandma so that mom does not associate the baby with formula and a nipple. So natural feeding can be continued.

What can result in improper application

In conditions of improper attachment, the child hurts the mother by diligently pulling and pulling the nipple. Prolonged sucking in this way damages the delicate skin. It is rubbed, cracked, and the nipple is deformed. At the same time, the baby inefficiently releases the crowded breast, remains hungry and unsatisfied.

Cracks, damaged nipple, unproductive sucking cause. The mammary glands instantly react to weak sucking, and the milk will stop coming in the right amount. Constant irritation and lack of milk can lead to the fact that the child refuses to breastfeed at all. Weight gain at the control weigh-in will not meet the standards.

Signs of misuse:

  • the baby often and loudly smacks, trying to suck;
  • areolas are not captured, and lips are tucked inward when sucking;
  • mother feels the overflow of shares at the end of feeding.

Detailed attachment and feeding video

For the first six months of a newborn baby's life, mother's milk is the most complete food. In order for this period to be comfortable for the mother, and for the baby to bring only benefits, every inexperienced mother should know the basic and most important rules of breastfeeding.

Moms take note!


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Attaching the baby to the breast. Important points:


Features of modern breastfeeding

  1. One of the principles is free and unlimited feeding at the first request of the baby. Unlike the old methods, this method has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional state of the child and. It is advisable to breastfeed in any restless condition of the baby, without waiting for him to cry. If a baby requires 10-16 feedings in the first months, this is normal!
  2. Up to six months, the baby needs night feedings, as they bring the greatest benefit to the child, and the mother develops stable lactation.
  3. The duration of sucking depends only on the child. The last milk in the breast is the fattest and healthiest, so it is recommended to let the baby suck out one mammary gland to the very end. The second should be offered only at the next feeding. An exception can be only in case of a lack of mother's milk in one breast for complete saturation.
  4. An infant up to six months can only get by with breast milk without the introduction of additional nutrition. ()
  5. The best option for the full development of the child, strengthening the immune system and protecting against viruses is breastfeeding up to one and a half to two years.


When breastfeeding, do not:

  1. Frequent washing of the mammary glands, as frequent washing removes the protective fatty layer from the nipples. The lack of a protective film leads to painful cracks in the nipples and areola. It is enough to take a shower once or twice a day.
  2. Giving your baby water – Excess water can reduce appetite and increase flatulence in the baby's digestive system. A teaspoon of water per day can be given only if the child has constipation from mother's full-fat milk.
  3. Up to six months, use pacifiers and drink from a bottle. If the baby does not have enough mother's milk, then supplementary feeding should be given with a spoon or pipette. A baby may confuse suckling with a nipple (it is more difficult to suck milk from a breast than from a bottle), and improper sucking can lead to cracked nipples. In addition, the child may completely refuse breast milk.
  4. After each feeding, resort to decanting the remaining milk. The exception is congestion in the chest, engorgement or forced separation of the mother from the baby.
  5. Weigh the child frequently. It is enough to control the weight once every one to two weeks. Frequent weighing can unnerve the mother and encourage unnecessary supplementation.
  6. Give the baby sweet tea. Sweet can harm future teeth, and tea can contribute to iron deficiency anemia.

Video #1

Video #2

Breastfeeding is an individual natural process. All children, like mothers, are different. Only with the help of her own experience, any mother herself will be able to establish the rules for feeding a baby, based on the characteristics of her baby and following the recommendations of specialists and mothers who have fed more than one child.

During breastfeeding, not only the child’s hunger is satisfied, but the first important contact is established between him and his mother. This process helps the baby to properly adapt to new living conditions for him.

Breastfeeding newborns is a prerequisite for the healthy growth and development of children. Every mother should know the rules according to which the baby should be fed.

First breastfeeding

It is bad if the mother does not have the opportunity to feed the baby within an hour after birth. At this time, the baby should receive valuable drops of colostrum - a harbinger of milk. This substance is produced little, but it gives the child the necessary immunity, and also provides good nutrition. In this case, you need to help the baby to take the breast correctly. Even if the baby eats little for the first time, this will be a successful start to his life.

Duration

Parents, especially inexperienced ones, are interested in how long it is necessary to feed the baby with breast milk? How to understand that he ate? According to WHO recommendations, a newborn should not be weaned before he releases the nipple. There is no need to set a schedule and feed the baby at a certain time.

The child should spend as much time at the breast as he wants, but not less than 25 minutes. During this period, he manages to get the front watery milk and later - more fatty.

No need to remove the nipple from the baby's mouth, if he falls asleep, you should continue to feed, making sure that the baby does not choke. Sucking in a dream, the newborn eats the milk richest in fats and proteins. You need to worry if a baby who is one month old eats little (within 10 minutes), and then refuses to breastfeed.

The duration of feeding depends on the age of the baby. The older he is, the faster and less often he eats. At 3 months, the baby becomes strong enough to suck a large amount of milk. In addition, at this age, he is less acutely experiencing psycho-emotional discomfort and the need for reassurance.

Milk volume

In order for the child to gain weight correctly, it is necessary to provide him with enough nutrition. No need to worry that the baby overeats: breast milk is perfectly absorbed by the child's body, no matter how much he eats. It is more likely that he will not have enough food. How to find out how much breast milk a baby needs? This can be done in 3 ways:

  1. Rate wet diapers. To do this, you need to give up diapers for a day and count how many urination the baby had. If the number of panties and sheets wetted by him is less than 8, he eats little;
  2. It is necessary to correctly assess the newborn's weight gain per month. No need to weigh him daily after feeding: this will not help much to understand, but will greatly annoy the mother. It is enough to do this once a month, and then compare the weight with the norms established by WHO;
  3. A troublesome, but more accurate way will help you understand how much milk a baby eats to the nearest milliliter. It is necessary to fully express one breast and measure the volume of milk with a baby bottle. After feeding a child from a spoon, you can understand how much he ate and compare with the average recommended norms.

Eating at night

To maintain full lactation, daily feedings are not enough. At 3 a.m. there is a strong production of milk, so breastfeeding at this time is very important. A schedule should be made so that the newborn can eat at will during the day and night.

To ensure a restful sleep for herself and the baby, a woman needs to sleep with her baby. If the child is full, he falls asleep calmly, and the mother does not have to get up to feed him, and then rock him. A baby can breastfeed up to 6 times a night - and rightly so. If a newborn bites a woman's nipple when falling asleep, you need to gently release the breast from his mouth.

Possible problems

A breastfeeding mother may encounter unusual breastfeeding behavior. What to do if the baby falls asleep, bites, chokes or chokes while suckling the breast?

In the first month of life, a newborn gets tired easily when feeding, so he often falls asleep at the breast. A baby, especially a baby born weak or premature, needs to be helped to continue to suckle milk. If the baby falls asleep during feeding, you should induce a swallowing reflex in him by squeezing a drop of milk into his mouth. You can easily shake the baby by the heel or cheek and continue to feed.

A baby whose teeth have erupted often bites its mother painfully during breastfeeding. You need to wean him from this gently, but do it persistently: you must strictly say “no” and take the breast away so that the baby associates his behavior with the completion of feeding. The child sometimes bites the nipple hard if he falls asleep at the end of the meal. To prevent this from happening, you should move the baby away from the chest as soon as the movements of his mouth weaken.

If a baby chokes or chokes on a feed a month, it may mean that he cannot cope with a strong rush of milk. In this case, it will be correct to express the chest a little. So that the baby does not choke, a change in posture will help. A newborn who usually chokes on breast milk when he eats should be placed face down on his mother's stomach.

  1. Do not wash your breasts before and after feeding. During this procedure, the protective fatty layer is washed off the nipples, which leads to the appearance of cracks. Enough daily hygienic shower. Just a few times a month, the breasts can be washed using cosmetics;
  2. Up to 6 months (according to medical indications, up to 5), a newborn should be fed only with mother's milk. If the baby is hot, you should often apply it to the chest. Numerous studies have made it clear that a child can be exclusively breastfed for up to 12 months without compromising their health;
  3. It is necessary to completely abandon bottles and pacifiers. Supplementary feeding, water, necessary medicines should be given only from a spoon. Children easily get used to the nipple, which has a bad effect on the duration and quality of breastfeeding;
  4. It is important to exclude pumping after each feeding. A month after giving birth, a woman begins to produce exactly as much breast milk as is required to feed the newborn. It is necessary to express in exceptional cases: in case of forced separation from the child, during the treatment of mastitis, to establish lactation in the first month, if little milk is produced;
  5. If the child falls asleep only with the breast, there is no need to deprive him of such pleasure. Prolonged suckling will help maintain lactation, as well as give the mother the opportunity to rest with the baby if it does not work out well at other times.

The general rules of breastfeeding will help to maintain lactation for a long time. If the child eats mother's milk and after a year, it should not be taken away from the breast. Termination of feeding against the will of the newborn is bad for both his condition and the well-being of the mother.

  • GW Basics
  • Doctor Komarovsky
  • Rules and postures
  • Food
  • Composition of breast milk
  • Pumping
  • Storage

Breastfeeding is recognized as the safest and most beneficial way to feed a baby in the first year of life. Despite the simplicity of breastfeeding, there are quite a few misconceptions and difficulties that can interfere with lactation. Let's look at such a natural process available to every woman who has given birth, like breastfeeding (HF), in more detail.


Benefit

Receiving breast milk, the baby will grow and develop harmoniously. The crumbs will feel good, the risk of developing anemia, allergies, rickets, gastrointestinal diseases and other pathologies will decrease. In addition, the emotional contact with the mother acquired during breastfeeding will contribute to the development of the personality of the little one in a positive way.

Why is breast milk necessary for babies?

To achieve an increase in milk production, more frequent attachment, feeding the baby at night, changing the drinking regimen, good nutrition, showering and bathing for the breast, as well as drinking special tea, helps to achieve an increase in milk production. It is very important that a woman be prepared for breastfeeding, know the correct feeding technique, contact counselors in a timely manner, and be provided with support from her family and other mothers with at least a year of breastfeeding experience.


Hyperlactation

Excess milk production in the breast causes great discomfort in a woman. She feels that the breast is bursting, the mammary glands become painful, the milk is leaking. In addition, during hyperlactation in the mother, the child receives too much liquid milk, which is called "forward", and, accordingly, receives less fat milk remaining in the posterior sections of the glands. This leads to indigestion of the baby.

The most common cause of excessive milk production in women is intense and prolonged pumping after feedings. Also, hyperlactation can lead to an excess of fluid intake and products with a lactogenic effect. It happens that hyperlactation is an individual feature of the body of a nursing mother, and then it is not easy to cope with it. It is necessary to limit drinking and control the diet so that it does not contain products that provoke excess milk production.


When expressing, you need to take a responsible approach to the procedure, as it affects the health of the breast. Read about the types of pumping and the technique of pumping the chest with your hands in other articles.

In addition, we suggest watching a video on this topic.

Baby refuses to breastfeed

The reason for refusal may be a stuffy nose, ear inflammation, stomatitis, cutting teeth, colic and other health problems for the baby. Changing the mother's diet, such as eating spicy foods or spices, can affect the taste of milk, so the baby will refuse to suckle. The use of pacifiers and feeding the baby from a bottle quite often leads to refusal.

A fairly common situation is when a grown-up peanut at 3-6 months of age may refuse to feed, as its milk requirements decrease, and the pauses between feedings lengthen. During this period, the baby explores the world around with interest and is often distracted from sucking. Over the age of 8-9 months, breastfeeding can be triggered by a very active introduction of complementary foods.

Establishing contact between the baby and mother will help to solve the problem of refusal of the breast. The baby needs to be carried more often in her arms, hug, talk with the baby. It is necessary to give complementary foods, medicines or drinks only from a spoon or from a cup, it is advisable to refuse pacifiers, and the mother's menu should not include foods that are unpleasant for the baby.


flooding

The baby may choke with too "greedy" sucking, but this situation may also indicate an excessively rapid flow of milk from the female breast. If the newborn began to choke during feeding, it is worth changing the position in which the child eats. It is best to sit up straight and support the baby's head up.

In the case when the cause of choking is an excess of milk, you can slightly strain the breast before offering the baby. If the change of posture and the pumping did not help, consult a specialist, as the reasons may be various pathologies of the oral cavity, larynx, or the functioning of the nervous system.

For the most common problems and how to solve them, see the video in which experienced obstetrician-gynecologists tell important nuances.

Do I need to wash my breasts before feeding?

Nursing mothers should not fanatically follow the rules of hygiene and wash the mammary glands before each feeding, especially using soap. It can destroy the natural protective film that covers the skin of the areola. As a result, frequent washing with soap causes cracks to appear, due to which it will be very painful to feed the baby.

In addition, detergents have the ability to interrupt the natural scent of the skin, even if the soap does not have a perfumed fragrance. It is very important for a newborn to catch the mother's smell during feeding, therefore, without feeling it, the baby will begin to worry and may even refuse to suck milk. To maintain cleanliness, it is enough to wash the female breast once or twice during the day, and only warm water should be used for washing.

Proper breast care for a nursing mother is an important point in avoiding many problems. See the video for more on this.

How to apply the baby to the breast?

When organizing breastfeeding, it is especially important that the capture of the crumbs of the breast is correct, since a violation of the capture of the breast threatens with excessive swallowing of air and insufficient weight gain. In the baby's mouth, there should be not only the nipple, but also a part of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe breast around the nipple, which is called the areola. In this case, the lips of the baby should be slightly turned out. In this case, the little one will be able to suck correctly.


Mom should not feel any pain during sucking, and feeding can continue for a long time. If the attachment of the crumbs is incorrect, the woman will experience pain during feeding, damage to the nipples is possible, the baby will not be able to suck out the amount of milk he needs and will not eat up.

Experiment and find the type of attachment to the breast that will be most comfortable for you and your baby. If the nipples are damaged, you can use an emollient cream such as Bepanthena.


How to understand that the child is full?

The duration of each feeding is individual and may differ both in different children and in one infant in different situations. Most babies take 15-20 minutes to empty their breasts and eat, but there are little ones who suck for at least 30 minutes. If you stop feeding such a child earlier, he will be malnourished. Mom will understand that the little one has eaten when the baby stops sucking and releases the breast. It is not worth picking up the breast until this moment.


The baby will release the breast on its own after feeding, when it is full

Debunking the Myths

Myth 1. Before childbirth, it is necessary to prepare the nipples

Women are advised to rub their nipples with a coarse cloth, but such actions are more dangerous than helpful. Stimulation of the nipples of a pregnant woman increases the risk of preterm labor, since there is a certain relationship between the breast and the uterus (if the nipple is stimulated, the uterus will contract).

Myth 2. A newborn needs to be fed with a mixture immediately, since milk does not come immediately

Mature milk, indeed, begins to stay from the 3-5th day after childbirth, however, until this moment, colostrum is released from the woman’s breast, which is quite enough for the baby.

Myth 3. For successful breastfeeding, you have to constantly pump after each feeding of the baby.

Pumping after feedings is recommended by close relatives and even sometimes by doctors, ostensibly to prevent lactostasis, but in fact they are the ones that cause excess milk production and stagnation. It is worth decanting the breast only with pain and strong engorgement, when the crumbs fail to capture the nipple. In this case, you need to express a small amount of milk.


Myth 4. If a child cries a lot and often requires a breast, it means that he is hungry and does not eat enough.

Compared to formula feeding, the baby really asks for the breast more often, since women's milk is absorbed very quickly, and the mixture takes longer. In addition, sucking milk from a bottle is often easier for a baby than getting it from the breast. But this behavior does not at all indicate a lack of nutrition for the little one. You should focus only on weight gain per month and the number of times the baby urinates per day.

Myth 5. Different women have different milk fat content.

Some women are lucky and have fat milk, while others are not lucky because they have low-fat blue milk. This part of the milk is a drink for the crumbs, therefore, by its color it is impossible to judge what kind of milk a woman has as a whole. If mom could express milk from the back of the breast, then she would make sure of its fat content, but it is very difficult to manually achieve it.

Myth 6. The breast has stopped pouring, which means that the baby does not have enough milk.

This situation often occurs after a month or two of feeding, when it begins to seem to a woman that milk is no longer coming in the right amount. Experiences further worsen the situation and may lead to the completion of lactation. In fact, the absence of hot flashes has nothing to do with the amount of milk in the female breast, since 1-2 months after childbirth, milk begins to be produced exactly as much as is needed for the baby, and it often arrives in the gland in the process of sucking the baby's mother's breast.


Myth 7. Breastfeeding mothers need to eat more than usual.

Without a doubt, the nutrition of a mother who is breastfeeding a baby must be of high quality and balanced. However, this should not significantly increase portions. The baby will receive all the nutrients with breast milk, even if the mother eats very little, but the health of the woman herself will be undermined by a lack of vitamins. So close attention should be paid to nutrition, but not the volume of dishes, but their usefulness. It should also be remembered that until the age of 9 months of the baby, nursing mothers should not go on diets and train hard.

Myth 8. Formula is almost identical to breast milk, so it’s the same as feeding a baby

No matter how manufacturers praise their high-quality mixtures and no matter what valuable ingredients they add, no artificial nutrition can be compared with milk from the female breast. An important difference between these two options for food for the baby is that the composition of human milk changes in accordance with the growth of the baby and the needs of the baby. Let's not forget about the psychological connection between a nursing mother and a baby.

Myth 9. After 6 months, the baby does not need milk anymore.

Although the six-month-old toddler is already beginning to introduce complementary foods, women's milk still remains the main food of the baby. It does not lose its valuable properties even when the child is one or two years old.

Myth 10

If cracks appear from sucking, then it is better to switch to a mixture. The situation when the baby rubs the nipples to the blood in the first days of sucking is quite frequent. The reason for it is incorrect application. And having corrected it, it is quite possible to breastfeed the baby for a long time. Also, the use of special overlays contributes to the rapid healing of cracks.


When should you stop HB?

According to experts, the best time to stop breastfeeding is the period of involution. Most often, this stage of lactation occurs at the age of a child from 1.5 to 2.5 years. To complete breastfeeding, it is important to take into account the readiness of both the child and the mother. The gradual curtailment of lactation will not harm either the mental state of the baby or the mother's breast.

There are situations when it is necessary to stop breastfeeding abruptly, for example, in case of an acute illness of the mother. In this case, you should be guided by the advice of a doctor so that the process of parting with the baby from the breast, and the mammary glands from milk, is the least painful for everyone.

Read more about stopping lactation in another article.


  1. To successfully establish lactation, it is important to take care of the early attachment of the crumbs to the mother's breast. Ideally, the baby should be placed on the woman's stomach and find the breast immediately after delivery. Such contact will launch the natural mechanisms of regulation of lactation.
  2. While waiting for the arrival of mature milk, you should not supplement the baby with a mixture. Due to the small amount of colostrum, many women worry, believing that the baby is starving. However, there are substances valuable for the baby in colostrum, and supplementary feeding with a mixture can greatly harm the development of lactation.
  3. You should not replace your mother's breast with a pacifier. Let the baby get the breast whenever he wants to suckle. Using a pacifier will help distract your little one, but can negatively impact lactation, especially if it hasn't been established yet. In addition, the breast for a newborn is not only a source of food. During suckling, a deep psychological contact is established between the baby and the mother.
  4. If you breastfeed your baby on demand, you don't need to supplement your baby with water. The first part of the sucked milk is represented by a more liquid part, containing a lot of water, therefore it serves as a drink for the baby. If you give your baby extra water, this can reduce the amount of lactation.
  5. It is not necessary to express after feeding until completely empty. Such advice was common at a time when all children were advised to feed by the hour. Babies rarely latched on, and because of the lack of stimulation, less milk was produced, so milk production had to be additionally provoked by complete pumping. Now the breast is offered to the baby on demand, and during sucking, the baby gives a request for the next feeding - how much milk the baby sucks out, so much milk will be produced. If you additionally express the breast when the baby has already eaten, the next time there will be more milk than the little one needs. And this increases the risk of lactostasis.
  6. Do not give your baby a second breast until the baby has emptied the first breast. In the first months, it is recommended to alternate breasts no more than every 1-2 hours. If you give the baby a second breast, when he has not yet sucked the hind milk from the first, this threatens with digestion problems. It may be necessary to feed a baby over 5 months of age from both breasts.
  7. There is no need to rush to start introducing complementary foods into the children's diet. Exclusively breastfed infants receive adequate nutrition until 6 months of age. And even after six months, milk remains the main food for the baby, and with the help of all new products, the baby first simply learns tastes and textures that differ from women's milk.
  8. Find out what are the positions for feeding, since a change in posture during the day will help prevent milk stagnation, because in a different position the baby will suck more actively from a different part of the breast. The main positions that every breastfeeding mother should master are lying down and feeding in a sitting position from under the arm.
  9. Doctors call the minimum period of breastfeeding 1 year, and experts consider 2-3 years to be the optimal duration of breastfeeding. Earlier weaning can be difficult for both the infant's psyche and the woman's breasts.
  10. It is not at all necessary to refuse breastfeeding for any illness of the mother. For example, if a woman has ARVI, it is not worth interrupting feeding, as the baby will receive antibodies from mother's milk. Only those diseases that we indicated in contraindications can interfere with lactation.


For successful breastfeeding, the World Health Organization recommends:

  • Attach the baby for the first time to the mother's breast in the first hour after birth.
    • Rules and postures
  • Food

Newly-made parents have many questions regarding feeding a newborn child. Mother's milk has been proven to be the best nutrition for a baby, as it is designed specifically for feeding your baby. Not a single mixture, even the most expensive, can be compared in composition with breast milk created by nature itself.

Of course, there are situations when breastfeeding is not possible for various reasons. Then it is important to do it right for your child, taking into account his individual characteristics.

Breastfeeding or bottle feeding is not just about the time your baby eats. This is also the period when you most closely communicate with him, get to know each other. This is the most memorable time for the birth of maternal feelings, love, tenderness for your baby, just in the neonatal period.

Breastfeeding a newborn

What rules should be followed to make the feeding process the most successful, bringing only positive emotions to both participants?

If your health permits, attach the newborn baby directly to the breast. in the delivery room. Of course, it is unlikely that he will immediately begin to eat as he should, however, the very process of applying the crumbs that have just been born will bring you great satisfaction and joy.

If possible, ask for the baby to be brought to you as soon as possible after delivery. Cohabitation mother and baby - one of the conditions. In the first feedings, do not worry that the baby is not getting enough milk. He will definitely get his. Better try to pick up for you, help the baby learn to take the breast.

Newborn feeding regimen

Among pediatricians, there is no unequivocal opinion as to whether it is worth adhering to a strict feeding regimen. Some argue that you need to feed a newborn strictly by the clock - every 3-4 hours (depending on the weight of the child). Others are supporters feeding on demand". The first approach is more convenient for the mother, while the second is more physiological for the baby.

In fact, adults, even observing the regimen, will go to the kitchen and be sure to have something to eat, feeling hungry at an odd hour. Why, then, should the baby cry because he was hungry at the “wrong” time? All people are different - this truth is valid for children. Some newborns will suck for a long time and rarely, other babies can be breastfed for 10 minutes every half hour. So the child needs it. Don't worry, be patient. Over time, everything will return to normal.

Often mothers worry that the baby is not eating enough. How much must eat newborn baby? Yes, then his instinct will answer himself. The baby himself will get as much milk as he needs.

Of course, there are various formulas for calculating nutritional norms for newborns, however, when breastfeeding, it is difficult to accurately determine the amount of milk drunk by the baby, except perhaps with the help of control weighing. In addition, the baby in one feeding can eat more than it should, in another - less.

Formula feeding a newborn

Among doctors, such a formula is popular calculation of the nutritional rate of the newborn: multiply the number of days of a newborn baby by 70 (if the baby was born weighing less than 3.2 kg) or by 80 (if the baby was more than 3.2 kg at birth). So, if a newborn is 5 days old and his birth weight was 3 kg, then he should eat about 350 ml (5x70) in one day. Divide the amount of milk per day by the number of feedings, and you will get the approximate amount drunk by the baby in one feeding.

In the case of artificial feeding, the above formula will just be very effective for determining the volume of formula for each feeding. And the "on demand" mode with artificial feeding gives way feeding by the hour. A newborn should be fed from a bottle no more often than after 3 hours. Usually a child of the first month of life drinks 30-60 ml of the mixture per feeding.

Should a newborn be fed?

There is also no unity of views on this issue, but more and more doctors are coming to the conclusion that it is not necessary to supplement a healthy newborn child. The newborn is quite enough liquid obtained from mother's milk.

If it is a very hot summer, you can give the baby a little boiled water. But don't overuse it. The amount of milk produced by the mother is directly related to how much the baby sucks. And the water will take the place in the baby's stomach intended for milk.

Glubokova Natalia specially for www.site.
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