A Guide to Breastfeeding Your Newborn Baby
There are two partners in the breastfeeding experience, the mother, and your baby. Breastfeeding is a natural experience and often is a successful with no further guidance required, however sometimes, instruction or additonal reassurance can be helpful.
Most hospitals have lactation consultants on staff, whether you are a new mother or an experienced one, it is beneficial to take advantage of their accumulated knowledge while it is available.
Below is a brief description of some of the key aspects of breastfeeding newborn babies.
The Golden Hour- This refers to the first hour after birth when a newborn baby is placed on the mother with skin to skin contact. Doing so increases the production of the hormones that lead to the production of breast milk, and also stimulates the babies natural instinct to nurse.
While utilizing the "Golden Hour" makes the breastfeeding process easier, their are times were it may not be an option (for example, in the case of some cesarian births or preemies). In these cases, successful breastfeeding can still be acheived, although the guidance of a lactation consultant can prove helpful.
Let-Down Reflex - The let-down reflex is what makes breastmilk flow. This happens when the body produces the hormone Oxytocin.
The following can cause an increase in Oxytocin and trigger the Let-Down Reflex
- Your baby sucking on your breast
- Hearing, seeing or thinking about your baby
- Using a breast pump, hand expressing or touching your breasts or nipples
- Looking at a picture of your baby
- Hearing your baby (or another baby) cry
For this reason, many breast pumps (including our VitaMia Breast Pumps) have a massage mode, to initiate the let-down reflex.
Latching- While often babies instinctively develope a good Latch, that is not always the case, particularly whith preemies, or in situations when you were unable to utilize the "Golden Hour"
In these cases, there are some techniques which can help your baby acheive a proper Latch (utilizing a lactation coach can be useful).
Click here for an excellent article on various Latch techniques
Additional Resources
https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/breastfeeding-your-baby
VitaMia Breast Pumps Online Store