4 tips for successful breastfeeding
Check out 4 tips that can help a mother succeed when it comes to breastfeeding.
When a baby is born, everything is new. The first baths, the diapers changed, the nap and feeding routine. The mother and the newborn are adapting to the new moment and it takes time for the whole family to feel calmer to manage daily tasks.
And in the adaptation phase with the baby, breastfeeding ends up being a special point. It’s not always easy and many women struggle, especially in the beginning.
How about buying your nursing pillow cover and breastfeeding your baby in comfort?
That’s why we talked to Silvia Briani, from Amamente Bem, a breastfeeding consultant, midwife and doula, to find out what can get in the way of starting breastfeeding and what mothers can do in the face of difficulties. Tips alone do not guarantee success when breastfeeding the baby, after all, there are many factors that influence the process. However, they can contribute along the way. Check out:
1 – Lack of information
Silvia points out that, in general, women have been materially prepared for the arrival of the baby, with concerns regarding the trousseau, bedroom, and so on. However, it is essential to highlight the importance of empowering oneself for childbirth and also for breastfeeding. At such a point, information is paramount.
2 – Bottle and pacifier
The consultant points out that the cultural models of raising babies brought and still bring the strength of the bottle and pacifier to the newborn and the newly mother. She states: “It is not uncommon to see how this is seen as ‘natural’ in maternity and the women in the family who breastfeed are not taken as an example, as well as normal birth being replaced by cesarean section” . The bottle and the pacifier can contribute to early weaning, due to nipple confusion. The tip is to avoid using both.
3 – Improper grip
Silvia emphasizes that most of the problems that arise from breastfeeding itself are due to inadequate positioning and attachment of the baby to the breast. This can lead to fissures, engorged breasts, mastitis, etc., as a result of a latch problem. Therefore, the best option is to try to observe the baby’s grip and, if necessary, seek help from a breastfeeding consultant.
4 – let down of milk
Apojadura, or letdown of milk, usually occurs between 24 and 72 hours after childbirth. Often milk production at the beginning is excessive in relation to demand, so the breasts are hardened. If the mother does not know how to milk them before breastfeeding, the baby may not be able to latch on correctly, often leading to nipple fissure, breast engorgement and may lead to mastitis in extreme cases.
Silvia claims that without the handle, the baby will not be able to suck what he needs, leading to stress for him and the mother. The professional points out that many women will have support when they are at home, with that new baby, fluctuating hormones, present tension, pain in the breasts and nipples, and that sometimes the lack of maternal self-confidence generates a snowball of effects that are an ideal cocktail for a “chaos” in the first days at home. “Having difficulties with breastfeeding makes everything very urgent and exhausting, makes everyone very tense and prone to finding the fastest solution to the problem, but without solving the problem at the root, and then weaning ends up happening”, says Silvia .
Finally, the consultant highlights a fundamental tip for mothers: “Don’t worry about weights, measurements, volumes, schedules, or anything else that is measurable or that refers to some kind of control. Breastfeeding is delivery. Give yourself wholeheartedly to this new universe of breastfeeding”.