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Feeding a newborn with breast milk: postures and difficulties of GV. Basic postures for feeding newborns. What to look for when choosing lingerie

26.01.2020

Reading time: 7 minutes

Breast milk is the best food for a newborn and breastfeeding is the most needed thing a mother can do, an easy way to create best conditions for the development of the baby. The composition of the milk is tailored to the needs of the baby and changes as the baby grows. Minutes of intimacy while nursing will help establish and strengthen a special psychological bond between mother and baby.

How to properly breastfeed your newborn

From the first hours of life, a nursing mother gives her baby everything she needs. In order for breastfeeding to bring not only the benefits of the baby, but also the joy of the mother, it is necessary to take into account many important points: caring for the mammary glands, choosing a position during feeding, the need to express. It is easier for a prepared mom to deal with emerging issues while staying calm.

Fundamental rules

A mother tuned in for long-term feeding, ready to make the necessary efforts to organize the process correctly is the main key to establishing breastfeeding... A positive attitude is important, since lactation is a hormone-dependent process, depressed states cause a decrease in milk volume. Well-established feeding brings satisfaction to both, promotes mutual understanding.

It is not always possible to organize the process correctly at once, you need to know basic rules of breastfeeding (HB) that will help direct efforts in the right direction:

  1. It is better to attach the baby to the breast in the first hour after childbirth, when the body adjusts to milk production, determines the required volume of lactation.
  2. It is better to feed the baby on demand during the first weeks. Frequent stimulation of the nipples results in more milk production.
  3. Unlimited access to the breast helps to establish contact between the baby and the mother, and quickly calm the baby.
  4. At first, it is better to try to do without a dummy. The technique of sucking her and her breast is very different, confusing, the baby can injure the nipple, which will lead to the appearance of painful cracks (in this case, special pads for the nipples will be needed before healing).
  5. It is important to properly attach the baby to the breast. Improper grip provokes the appearance of cracked nipples. A competent consultant will help determine the wrong attachment and correct it.
  6. A suitable nursing position helps to avoid fatigue. It is especially important for complicated childbirth or feeding twins.
  7. A varied diet of a nursing mother with healthy food is a guarantee of the child's health. The drinking regimen should be sufficient, but not excessive.
  8. Breastfeeding requires strength and well-being. A young mother should take into account the increased workload and not overwork, doing household chores, rest more often and try to enjoy motherhood.

Technics

It is necessary to give the breast correctly to help the baby form a technique of high-quality sucking. An attentive mother can handle this easily. The baby must be held so that the back is straight.Supporting the baby under the shoulder blades with your palm, index and thumb, guide the baby's head towards the nipple. Support the gland from below with your other hand, pulling the areola of the nipple up with your thumb.

Hearing the smell of milk, the baby will begin to open his mouth, make sucking movements, try to grab the nipple with his lips. Place your breast over your baby's mouth by inserting the nipple with your thumb. A baby sucks properly if his mouth is wide open. It almost completely captures the nipple and areola. The angle between the lips during sucking should be unfolded, the baby's nose and chin should touch the gland.

Ways

Natural feeding involves two options: feeding the baby by the hour or at the request of the baby. Each of the methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. The feeding regimen involves latching on the baby every 3 hours with a 6 hour night break. This option is convenient for the mother and teaches the baby to discipline from the first days. Its disadvantages include the child's frequent unwillingness to follow the feeding schedule and the difficulty of establishing a sufficient volume of lactation with rare attachments.

Feeding breast milk at the request of the baby more common today because provides more options to meet the individual needs of the infant... The intervals between meals are set by him independently. Close contact with mom helps to build rapport. Frequent stimulation of the nipples helps keep breast milk production high. With this method, stagnation and compaction occur much less often.

How to properly attach a baby for feeding

Offering the breast to the baby "at the first squeak", the mother is deprived of the opportunity to do her own business. To avoid this, the mother should learn to distinguish when the baby is hungry, and not to apply it to the breast at the first sign of anxiety. Over time, the frequency of feedings decreases, the regime becomes more orderly, the child eats every 1.5-2 hours. The duration of feeding takes about 20 minutes (the norm is approximate), after eating, the baby will release the nipple himself. If lactation is sufficient, it is worth gradually teaching the child to limit sucking to this time.

First attachment to the chest

The most favorable time for the first attachment of the baby is the outcome of the first hour after birth. By this time, the newborn has a feeling of hunger, unknown before. With the first drops of colostrum, the child receives beneficial bacteria to form the correct microflora. For the mother, early attachment is beneficial by stimulating the nipples, which has an effect on the establishment of lactation and uterine contraction after childbirth.

Lying feeding

The first times to feed the baby comfortably lying down, this helps the mother to recover sooner.There are several suitable provisions:

  1. Lying on my hand. Mom and baby lie on their side. The baby can be lifted up with a pillow, giving him access to the upper chest. The lower arm serves as a support for the head. By removing the pillow and hand, the baby can be offered the lower gland.
  2. Baby on Mom. By placing your tummy on your stomach, you can feed a baby suffering from colic. This position is convenient for strong inflows of milk, when the flow is too strong, and the baby is choking.
  3. From under the arm. The mother is reclining with support on the hip and forearm, the baby is laid on a pillow perpendicular to the mother's body, between him and the supporting arm. Supporting the baby's head with her hand from below, the mother feeds her breast from above. This pose is useful against lactostasis.

Sitting feeding

During the day, it is convenient to feed the baby, sitting on a chair or sofa, providing sufficient support for the mother's back:

  1. Cradle. A versatile pose suitable for both baby and older child. The mother's hands support the baby, like a cradle: the head is one hand, the back is the other. The baby is slightly turned towards the mother's body so that it is convenient to grab the nipple with the mouth.
  2. Cross cradle. A variation on the previous position, but mom can guide the head with both palms. This makes it easier to control and guide the latch of the breast, which is necessary for weak and premature babies.

How to alternate breasts

The child on GW receives different types nutrition: at first it sucks out less nutritious "front" milk, after - saturated "back". By changing the breast offered to the baby ahead of time, the mother does not allow the baby to receive adequate nutrition. In a steady state, the mammary glands alternate each next feeding. In the process of establishing feeding, the baby has to be fed from both breasts if he does not have enough milk. The second breast can be offered after the first has been emptied.

How to breastfeed your baby

Feeding the baby when large size breast has its own characteristics. A large soft gland does not have a clear shape, it is difficult for a baby to open his mouth so wide in order to capture the breast with high quality. Mom should experiment with the position so that feeding does not cause discomfort for her and the baby. You can try the following techniques:

  • Use a soft towel under your bust as support to secure the comfortable fit.
  • Hold the gland with your palm underneath so that it does not press with its weight on the child's chin.
  • Use a bra to provide support for your breasts during the feeding process.
  • Apply a gentle breast massage to help empty the ducts.
  • Feed while lying down to relieve stress on your back.

Breastfeeding at night

Applying at night is very important to maintain adequate lactation, as prolactin (the hormone responsible for the production of breast milk) is produced to a greater extent at night (from 2 am to 7 am). For this period there must be at least 2 attachments, especially if the HS is in the process of establishing and lactation has not yet been established.

How to express milk correctly

Expressing milk for the following reasons:

  • lack of lactation (expressing at the end of feeding stimulates milk production);
  • the occurrence of lactostasis, mastitis, breast lumps;
  • long absence of the mother (expressed milk is used to feed the baby).

With steady on-demand feeding, you do not need to express milk. However, if such a need arises, the mother should know what manipulations to carry out. The process involves the index and thumb. They should compress the breast tissue in the nipple area (but not the nipple skin). If you need to express regularly, you should use a manual or electric breast pump.

When not to breastfeed

In very rare cases breastfeeding is not recommended when mom is suffering from:

  • a chronic illness in a severe form (dangerous heart or kidney disease, severe anemia);
  • an infectious disease that puts a child at risk of infection (HIV, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, blood poisoning);
  • a disease requiring constant intake of drugs that prohibit breastfeeding (antineoplastic, pain relievers, tranquilizers);
  • drug addiction.

Video

After a long nine months of waiting, a baby is born - a joy for the whole family. But apart from endless happiness, young parents also feel responsibility for their child, his development and health. In the first, most important months of life, the state of health of the crumbs mainly depends on nutrition, so the mother needs to properly organize the feeding regime. What could be better than breast milk? Therefore, today we will talk about how to breastfeed your baby.

How to feed a newborn baby: regimen

Old school pediatricians believe that a clear organization of the daily routine plays an important role in shaping the health of the baby. Compliance with the sequence of hours of sleep, feeding, wakefulness contributes to the development of a certain dynamic reflex, which helps the normal functioning of all organs and systems of the crumb. The introduction of a child into the diet must be carried out already in the first month of his life.

The predominant reason for the baby's awakening is hunger excitement. The most appropriate in the regimen of children under one year old is wakefulness after feeding and sleep before the next attachment to the breast. As a rule, after waking up, the baby eats well, after which he is awake, then quickly falls asleep and sleeps soundly until the next feeding.

Feeding the baby by the hour

Thanks to feeding the baby at certain times, the mother has enough time for rest and homework, and the baby is already early age gets used to the diet. However, the frequency and hours of feeding are selected individually, in the process of mutual adaptation of the child and the mother.

According to experts, more frequent latching of the baby to the breast, especially in primiparous mothers, increases lactation, as well as its longer duration. Therefore, it is advisable to feed the baby every 2 hours 6-7 times a day with a night break of 6 hours.

Feeding intervals should be consistent with the time it takes to digest food. Breast milk is digested in 2-2.5 hours. Feeding at shorter intervals is harmful and even dangerous for the baby, as it leads to lack of appetite, frequent regurgitation, vomiting and diarrhea. When feeding periods are correctly distributed, the baby does not have time to get hungry. In this case, he suckles the breast vigorously and empties it completely, which contributes to an increase in the amount of milk arriving. Therefore, you should not feed the baby as soon as he cries. With this approach to nutrition, the mother gets tired much more. In addition, the baby cries not only when hungry. Overheating, hypothermia, wet diapers, uncomfortable position, colic and more can cause him anxiety.

What is correct mode feeding a newborn by the hour? There are two theories - old and new. Let's consider each of them separately.

Previously, pediatricians advised young mothers to practice seven-time feeding crumbs only in the first month of his life. The first latching to the breast occurs at 6 am, the second at 9 am, the third at 12 am, the fourth at 3 pm, the fifth at 6 pm, the sixth at 9 pm and the seventh at 24 hours.

By the second month, the child is already growing up and takes more milk when feeding, therefore, already at the 2-3rd month of life, the crumbs feed him 6 times every 3.5 hours with a night interval of 6.5 hours.

The feeding hours for this mode are as follows:

  • first - 6.00;
  • the second - 9.30;
  • the third - 13.00;
  • fourth - 16.30;
  • fifth - 20.00;
  • sixth - 22.30.

Hours of feeding with 6 meals a day with a night gap of 9 hours:

  • first - 6.00;
  • the second - 9.00;
  • the third - 12.00;
  • fourth -15.00;
  • fifth - 18.00;
  • sixth - 21.00.

In the third, fourth, fifth month, the child can be fed, as during the second (6 times with an interval of 3-3.5 hours), or lengthen the intervals between feedings in children up to 4 hours (the night interval is 6-8 hours).

Starting from 6 months and up to 1 year, the child receives food already 5 times a day in 3.5-4 hours. This is due to the fact that from 4-5 months of age the baby is fed with other food.

The feeding hours for 5 meals a day with complementary foods look like this:

  • first - 6.00-7.00;
  • the second - 10.00;
  • third -14.00;
  • fourth -17.00-18.00;
  • fifth -21.00-22.00.

At this age, the shift in feeding time by 30 minutes earlier or later does not really matter, but the established hours of food intake should be constant.

Do I have to follow this feeding pattern? Not at all! Let us explain why. Breast milk is digested in the baby's stomach very quickly, so that the newborn may require food literally every 1.5-2 hours. Therefore, it is believed that breastfeeding eight to twelve times a day is quite normal. And the question of how often a mother should put the baby to her breast can only be answered by herself when she adapts to the needs of her baby. The length of feeding may also depend on the nature of the baby. For example, some children eat quickly and greedily, while others, on the contrary, prolong the pleasure. In any case, the baby needs to be given as much time as he needs.

Feeding the baby by months

So, we found out that during the first year of life, the child's regimen changes several times. It is advisable to transfer to each subsequent mode on the recommendation of a pediatrician. If you follow the scheme of feeding the child according to the old method, then the diet by month will look like this:

  1. From birth to 2.5-3 months, the child is fed 6-8 times a day with an interval between feedings of 3-3.5 hours. Wakefulness between feedings is 1-1.5 hours in this mode. The child sleeps 4 times a day for 1.5-2 hours.
  2. From 3 to 5-6 months, the child is fed 6 times a day with an interval between feedings of 3.5 hours and a mandatory 10-11-hour night break. At this age, the child sleeps 4 times a day, is awake for 1.5-2 hours.
  3. From 5-6 to 9-10 months, the child is fed 5 times a day with an interval of 4 hours between feedings. The time of wakefulness increases to 2-2.5 hours, daytime sleep occurs 3 times a day for 2 hours, night sleep - 10-11 hours.
  4. From 9-10 to 12 months, the number of feedings is 5-4 times, the interval between meals is 4-4.5 hours. Wakefulness time - 3-3.5 hours, daytime sleep - 2 times a day for 2-2.5 hours, night sleep - 10-11 hours.

I would like to note that, despite the convenience and many positive aspects of such regime feeding, there is a completely opposite method - “feeding on demand”. This mode takes into account the child's natural desire for nutrition, his individual characteristics and behavior. In addition, there are no long night breaks in the flexible feeding schedule. And this is correct, since not all children can survive all night without food. So you have the right to choose the nutritional scheme for your baby that you yourself deem necessary.

Rules for breastfeeding a premature baby

When choosing a diet for a premature baby, a mother should proceed from the weight of the baby. If the baby is discharged from the maternity hospital with a weight of 2.5 kg or more, then he will most likely need a 2.5-3 hour interval between feedings during the day and a 3-4 hour interval at night. In the future, as the child grows, he will tell you what changes in the mode he needs. When he cuts down on his nightly meals, it’s further proof that he’s developing normally.

It is very important from the very beginning not to try to force the child to eat more than he wants. Even if it seems to you that this way he will gain weight faster. You must understand that the body's resistance to infections has nothing to do with the obesity of the child. It has long been proven by pediatricians that each baby has an individual appetite, and his body develops according to its own schedule, so he himself knows how and when to ensure the required growth rate. If you regularly strive to feed a premature baby with a large amount of milk, then the child will simply lose his appetite, which will negatively affect his development and growth.

When breastfeeding, control over the amount of milk consumed by newborns is carried out systematically by weighing the baby before and after feeding. Do not forget about the small capacity of the stomach in such children. Therefore, in the first days of life, the volume of food can range from 5 ml (on the first day) to 15-20 ml (on the third day of life).

The so-called "high-calorie" method of calculating nutrition is considered preferable for premature babies. According to him premature baby on the first day of life, he receives at least 30 kcal / kg of body weight, on the second - 40 kcal / kg, on the third - 50 kcal / kg, and by the 7-8th day of life - 70-80 kcal / kg of body weight. By the 14th day of life, the energy value of the diet increases to 120 kcal / kg, and at the age of 1 month it equals 130-140 kcal / kg of body weight.

From the 2nd month of life, children born with a weight of\u003e 1500 g, the calorie content is reduced by 5 kcal / kg / day (compared to the maximum energy value in the 1st month of life), and in children with a birth weight of 1000-1500 g the caloric content of the diet is maintained until 3 months of age at the maximum level (reached by the end of the first month of life). Further, a systematic decrease in the caloric content of the diet is carried out (5-10 kcal / kg of body weight), taking into account the condition of the child, his appetite, the nature of the weight curve, etc.

Feeding a baby at night

Night feeds are an important factor in successful breastfeeding. Both mothers and babies need them: sucking at night, especially closer to the morning, well stimulates the production of prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. In addition, newborn babies, due to their physiological and psychological characteristics, cannot withstand long breaks between meals. If the baby is not fed at night, this can lead to dehydration of his body and slow weight gain, and the mother's milk supply will decrease, its stagnation will form, which, in turn, will provoke the development of mastitis.

Feeding an infant with formula, cow and goat milk

All pediatricians agree that the best nutrition for a baby, it is mother's milk, which in its composition fully satisfies the needs of the baby. But if such feeding is impossible, then can goat or cow milk replace it, or is it better to give preference to infant formula? Let's understand everything in order.

In newborn babies, the digestive system does not work quite perfectly, it still produces not enough enzymes for the full digestion of food. That is why it is recommended to feed children up to six months only with breast milk or an adapted milk formula. If there is no mother's milk, and you are suspicious of artificial nutrition, then you can try to give the baby animal milk. And here the question arises: which of them should I give preference to - goat or cow?

If we compare the products under consideration, then the following advantages of the first can be distinguished:

  • on the goat milk infants are less likely to have an allergic reaction;
  • this product contains more potassium, calcium, vitamins A and B6;
  • when feeding the crumbs with goat milk, calcium is better absorbed, therefore, the child's teeth grow faster;
  • goat's milk contains less lactose, which means it is well suited for children with lactose deficiency;
  • the fatty acids of this product are absorbed by the child's body better than those found in cow's milk;
  • both breast and goat's milk contain the amino acid taurine, which is so essential for the normal development of the vital systems of the baby.

Thus, we came to the conclusion that goat milk is much better and easier for the stomach of a newborn to digest, but this is not a very suitable product for the baby's body, since it contains casein protein. It is poorly digested by the still imperfect digestive system of the newborn, forming a dense clot in the stomach. In addition, goat milk puts additional stress on the kidneys of the baby due to its high mineral salt content.

If it is impossible to breastfeed for the nutrition of children in the first year of life, it is recommended not pure goat milk, but adapted formulas based on it. Such food contains whey proteins and is as close as possible in its composition to breast milk.

Finally, pediatricians believe that there is no need to give cow's milk to children under the age of three. It is at the age of 3 that the young organism becomes ready to feed on "adult" food, which also includes cow's milk. If you nevertheless decide to introduce this product into the child's diet, then you can do this no earlier than at 9 months, and preferably a year!

Especially for - Nadezhda Vitvitskaya

Mothers often say: I will feed for a couple of months, then the milk will disappear anyway. Or: I'll feed it for up to six months, then the lures will begin, and in general, you can drink from a cup. Or like this: I feed it for up to a year, in extreme cases, then the milk already contains nothing useful. Which of these opinions can be considered correct?

“Milk will go to waste anyway”

Indeed, at present only 10-14% of children receive breast milk up to 3 months, the rest are already artificial. The reason for stopping breastfeeding so early is not because moms do not want to breastfeed, or have to go to work early, or because of the bad environmental situation. The reason is surprisingly simple and unpretentious: women simply do not know how to do this - breastfeeding. Unfortunately, in modern society there is practically no one to learn them. And most women don't even think about learning how to breastfeed. Meanwhile, breastfeeding is a feminine art, the same as, for example, the ability to embroider, sew, knit, cook deliciously.

For some reason, it never occurs to anyone to expect a chic sweater from a woman who first picked up knitting needles and yarn. But everyone believes that a woman who first takes a newborn in her arms knows how to apply it to her breast. She could have known this if throughout her previous life, starting from early childhood, she watched other women breastfeeding and caring for their babies, then the skills of breastfeeding and caring for a baby would be known and understood by her. But even in such a situation, a woman who gave birth for the first time would need the practical help of a more experienced mother. It's one thing to watch others feed, and another thing to feed yourself. In modern civilized society, the female art of breastfeeding has been lost, the culture of motherhood has been lost. A young mother, even ready to learn motherhood, may not find a woman with experience in her environment. breastfeeding and baby care. She will have many counselors who, in fact, have no idea about the natural needs of the child, but who are confident in their rightness. Before listening to the advice, I would like to recommend to my mother how long the counselor himself was breastfeeding and whether he received positive emotions from this? Unfortunately, for most mothers now, the main sources of authoritative information about breastfeeding are district pediatricians, most of whom do not have personal, successful experience of breastfeeding and the necessary theoretical knowledge, but have extensive experience in observing artificial feeding. And advice from the constantly published and reprinted books of one male pediatrician who did not breastfeed anyone and did not even have children of their own are still popular.

But what about the books? Unfortunately, in many modern books, advice that is given there on organizing breastfeeding and caring for baby could be titled “What needs to be done to have more problems” or “How to lose milk faster”. Even if a mother has the best books about breastfeeding, where everything is correctly and in detail, she may not be able to breastfeed her own baby. Try, for the first time taking knitting needles and threads, knit something from a book. It is unlikely that you will succeed right away, but if you try for a long time, make mistakes, redo it again, someday you will really learn to knit. But mom and newborn don't have the time or opportunity to learn by trial and error. By making mistakes, the mother gets a lack of milk, or nipple diseases, or the baby's refusal to breast, or all this together. If at this moment there is no person next to her who can point out mistakes and show how to correct them, she will not be able to feed the child. So it turns out that now in our country about 5% of women feed their children successfully and for a long time. These are the mothers who were lucky: the baby immediately took the breast correctly, and the mother, listening to her instincts and the baby's needs, does not pay attention to the advice of “experienced” friends and relatives. Often such a mother doubts the correctness of her actions, because her child does not behave at all like artificial children. And if she has the inner strength to resist persistent advice from the outside, breastfeeding for her and the baby is quite successful. Unfortunately, very often, a woman who doubts herself, who was actually doing well, begins to listen to incompetent advice and repeat other people's mistakes.

"You can feed for up to six months, then complementary foods and why suck, if you can drink from a cup"

This is the opinion of people who relate to breastfeeding only as a source of food for a child. These people are the majority now. If you act according to the book “ Baby food”, Treating breast milk only as food and replacing feeding with complementary foods, by the age of nine months there will be only one breastfeeding early in the morning, and it can also be replaced with kefir ... He needs communication with his mother while latching on to the breast. Responding to anxiety and crying by latching on to the breast, not thinking about whether the child needs to eat, drink or sleep now, the mother forms in the baby confidence in her, that she will always come to the rescue, that the world around her is friendly to the baby and loves him. All this is necessary for a little man to form self-confidence and a stable psyche, for a successful social adaptation and much more. If the mother acts on the basis of the physiological and psychological needs of the child, gradually accustoming him to the food of adults, then the replacement of feeding with complementary foods does not occur. The transition of a child to a common table and breastfeeding are parallel processes, and not interchangeable actions. They even sometimes overlap, because having tried new food for himself, the child can attach to the breast, washing it down with milk. It is also not possible to replace feeding with complementary foods for a child who is breastfeeding correctly, because the child's main attachments and feedings are associated with dreams: the child sucks on the breast falling asleep, and after waking up. And breakfasts, lunches and dinners, during which he gets acquainted with new food, take place during his waking hours.

"After a year, there is nothing useful in milk"

Mom's body does not know that the child has a birthday today and does not begin to produce second-class liquid. Milk in the second and third years of lactation contains all the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, trace elements, hormones, protective factors and much more necessary for the child. During the involution of lactation, when breastfeeding ends naturally, breast milk approaches colostrum in composition. This is necessary in order to maximize the protection of the mother's breast and the health of the baby during the difficult period of weaning. The baby, having sucked milk for several months against the background of involution and received large amounts of immunoglobulins and other protective factors, which milk is rich in during involution, does not get sick after weaning for at least six months. And his mother, having weaned the baby, never encounters problems and the type of mastitis, unlike a woman who stopped stable lactation untimely and illiterately. So milk after a year is good for a child, just as he needs breastfeeding. After a year, the baby lays on the breast when he falls asleep and during night sleep, in the morning, when he wakes up, in the afternoon, to fall asleep, asks for the breast when he wants to drink or drink another meal, when he is upset, offended, needs comfort, runs up to his mother to suck when you missed her. With age, the need for breastfeeding decreases, because the need for absolute maternal protection decreases.

All children are very different. There are babies who, at 1.5-2 years old, can do without a breast, and there are children who need their mother's breast up to 3-4 years old. The assertion that sucking on the breast for more than a year is harmful does not fit into the biological framework, if you look at humans as a mammal from the order of primates. Large primates feed their young for about six periods equal to the length of gestation. In a person, in this case, the duration of breastfeeding is 54 months, or 4.5 years. Maybe someone will not like the comparison with monkeys, but you still need to take biology into account. In the first years of a child's life, the foundations of his physical health are laid, the systems of his body are being improved, the main brain growth occurs in the first three years of a child's life. Breast milk contains a huge number of components necessary for the development of a baby. These components are not found in the most modern formulas, nor in adult food, and never will be. As mentioned above, these are immune defense factors, tissue growth factors, hormones and biologically active substances, forms of vitamins and the ratio of microelements that are optimal for assimilation. All this needs to be received by a child not only in the first year of life.

There is no optimal duration of breastfeeding because there are no identical children and identical mothers. With the correct organization of breastfeeding, the end of this process is somewhere between 1.5 and 4.5 years, and does not depend on the opinion of doctors or close relatives and friends, but on the readiness to wean the baby and on the readiness of the mother herself to wean from the chest. And nothing else.

  • GW basics
  • Doctor Komarovsky
  • Rules and postures
  • Nutrition
  • Breast milk composition
  • Pumping
  • Storage

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


Benefit

Receiving breast milk, the baby will grow and develop harmoniously. The crumbs will feel good, the risk of 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 latching, feeding the baby at night, changing the drinking regime, good nutrition, a shower and a bath for the breast, as well as the use of special tea help. It is very important that the woman is in the mood for breastfeeding, knows the correct feeding technique, turns to counselors in a timely manner and is provided with the support of the family and other mothers with at least a year of breastfeeding experience.


Hyperlactation

Excessive milk production in the breast causes great discomfort in a woman. She feels that her breasts are bursting, the breasts become painful, the milk is leaking. In addition, with hyperlactation from the mother, the child receives too much liquid milk, which is called "front", and, accordingly, receives less fat milkremaining in the posterior glands. This leads to disturbances in the digestion of the baby.

The most common cause of too much milk production in women is intense and prolonged expression after feedings. Also, an excess of fluid and lactogonic agents can lead to hyperlactation. It happens that hyperlactation is an individual feature of a nursing mother's body, and then it is not easy to cope with it. You have to limit your drinking and control your diet so that it does not contain foods that provoke excess milk production.


Pumping must be done responsibly as it affects breast health. Read about the types of pumping and the technique of pumping breasts by hand in other articles.

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

Baby refuses to breast

The reason for refusal can be a stuffy nose, ear inflammation, stomatitis, teething, colic and other health problems of the baby. Changes in the mother's diet, for example, the use of spicy foods or spices, can affect the taste of milk, so the baby will refuse to suckle. The use of pacifiers and the feeding of a baby from a bottle often leads to refusal.

A situation is quite common when a grown-up toddler at 3-6 months of age may refuse to feed, since his milk needs decrease, and the pauses between feedings are lengthened. During this period, the baby studies the world around with interest and is often distracted from sucking. Over the age of 8-9 months, breastfeeding can be triggered by very active introduction of complementary foods.

Establishing contact between the baby and the mother will help to solve the problem of breast rejection. The baby needs to be carried more often in his arms, hugged, talked with the baby. You need 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 unpleasant for the baby.


Choking

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 begins to choke during feeding, it is worth changing the position in which the baby is eating. It is best to sit up straight and support the baby's head up.

In the case when the cause of choking is excess milk, you can strain the breast a little before offering it to the baby. If the change in posture and strain did not help, contact a specialist, since the reasons may be different 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.

Should I wash my breasts before breastfeeding?

Nursing mothers should not fanatically follow the rules of hygiene and wash their breasts before each feed, especially using soap. It can destroy the natural protective film that covers the skin of the areola. Therefore frequent washing with soap is the cause of the appearance of cracks, because of which it will be very painful to feed the baby.

Moreover, in detergents has the ability to interrupt the natural aroma of the skin, even if the soap does not have a perfumed fragrance. It is very important for a newborn to catch 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 a woman's breasts once or twice a day, and only warm water should be used for washing.

Proper care of the breast of a nursing mother is an important point to avoid many problems. For more details, see the video.

How to attach a baby to the breast?

When organizing HB, it is especially important that the grip of a small breast is correct, since a violation of grip on the breast threatens with excessive swallowing of air and insufficient weight gain. In addition to the nipple, the infant's mouth should also contain a portion of the breast area 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.


The mother should not have any pain during sucking, and feeding can last for a long time. If the crumbs are applied incorrectly, the woman will experience pain during feeding, damage to the nipples is possible, the crumb will not be able to suck the volume of milk it needs and will not gorge itself.

Experiment and look for the type of breastfeeding that is most comfortable for you and your baby. If your nipples are damaged, you can use an emollient cream like Bepantena.


How to understand that the child is full?

The duration of each feeding is individual and may vary from child to child or from one infant to another in different situations. Most babies take 15-20 minutes to empty their breasts and eat, but there are babies who suckle for at least 30 minutes. If you interrupt the feeding of such a child earlier, he will be malnourished. Mom will understand that the little one is full when the baby stops sucking and releases the breast. It is not worth picking off the breast up to this point.


The baby will release the breast by himself after feeding, when he is full

Debunking myths

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

Women are advised to rub their nipples with a rough cloth, but doing so is more dangerous than beneficial. Stimulating the nipple of a pregnant woman increases the risk of preterm labor, as there is a definite connection between the breast and the uterus (if you stimulate the nipple, the uterus will contract).

Myth 2. A newborn should be fed immediately with a formula, as milk does not come immediately

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

Myth 3. For a successful hepatitis B, you have to constantly pump after each feeding

Expressions after feedings are recommended by close relatives and even sometimes by doctors, ostensibly to prevent lactostasis, but in fact it is they that cause excess milk production and stagnation. It is worth expressing the breast only in case of pain and strong infusion, when the crumbs cannot grab the nipple. In this case, you need to express a small amount of milk.


Myth 4. If a child cries a lot and often needs breast, it means that he is hungry and does not gorge himself

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

Myth 5. Different women have different milk fat content.

Some women are lucky to have fatty milk, while others are unlucky because they have low-fat blue milk. This misconception is associated with the color of expressed milk, the front portion of which does have a bluish tint. This part of the milk is a drink for the baby, so it is impossible to judge by its color what kind of milk a woman has in general. If mom could express milk from the back of the breast, she would be sure of its fat content, but it is very difficult to get it manually.

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

This situation often occurs after a month or two feedings, when the woman begins to feel that the milk is no longer arriving in the required volume. Experiences further worsen the situation and can lead to the end 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 giving birth, milk begins to be produced exactly as much as is needed for the crumbs, and it arrives in the gland often in the process of sucking the baby's mother's breast.


Myth 7. A nursing mom needs 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, to do this, you should not significantly increase the portions. The baby will receive all the nutrients with breast milk, even if the mother eats very poorly, but the health of the woman herself will be undermined by the lack of vitamins. So nutrition should be given close attention, but not the volume of dishes, but their usefulness. It should also be remembered that up to 9 months of age, nursing mothers should not go on diets and exercise hard.

Myth 8. The formula is almost identical to breast milk, so it doesn't matter how you feed your baby

No matter how much the manufacturers praise their high-quality mixtures and no matter what valuable ingredients they add to them, no artificial nutrition can compare with milk from a woman's breast. An important difference between these two options for food for a 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 no longer needs milk

Although complementary foods are already beginning to be introduced to a six-month-old toddler, human milk still remains the staple food for an infant. 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 in the first days of sucking rubs the nipples until they bleed is quite common. The reason for this is incorrect attachment. And having corrected it, it is quite possible to breastfeed the baby for a long time. The use of special pads also contributes to the rapid healing of cracks.


When should I stop GW?

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 the GV, it is important to consider 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 hepatitis B 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 the baby with the breast, and the mammary glands with 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 baby to the mother's breast.Ideally, the baby should be laid on the woman's belly and found the breast immediately after delivery. Such contact will trigger the natural mechanisms of lactation regulation.
  2. While waiting for the arrival of mature milk, you should not feed the baby with formula.Due to the small amount of colostrum, many women are worried, believing that the baby is starving. However, colostrum contains substances valuable for the baby, and supplementation 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 breast whenever he wants to suck. Using a nipple will help distract the little one, but it can negatively affect lactation, especially if it has not already been established. In addition, the breast for the newborn is not only a source of food. During sucking, a deep psychological contact is established between the baby and the mother.
  4. If you give the breast to the baby on demand, you do not need to add water to the baby.The first part of the milk sucked out is represented by a more liquid part containing a lot of water, therefore it serves as a drink for the baby. If you give the baby extra water, it can reduce the volume of lactation.
  5. You should not express after feeding until completely empty. This advice was common at a time when all children were advised to feed by the hour. Babies rarely latch onto the breast, and due to the lack of stimulation, less milk was produced, so it was necessary to additionally provoke milk production by full expression. Now the breast is offered to the baby on demand, and during sucking, the baby makes a request for the next feeding - how much the baby sucks milk, so much of it will be produced. If you additionally express the breast when the baby has already eaten, the next time more milk will arrive 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 the breasts no more often 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 digestive problems. Both breasts may need to feed a baby over 5 months of age.
  7. There is no need to rush to start introducing complementary foods into the children's diet.Exclusively breastfed infants receive sufficient nutrients 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 consistency that are different from human milk.
  8. Find out what feeding positions are,since changing the position during the day will help prevent milk stagnation, because in different positions the baby will suck more actively from different lobes of the breast. The main positions that every nursing mom 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 the optimal duration of breastfeeding to be 2-3 years. Earlier weaning can be difficult for both the infant's psyche and the woman's breasts.
  10. It is not at all necessary to give up breastfeeding for any mother's illness.For example, if a woman has ARVI, you should not interrupt feeding, since the baby will receive antibodies from her mother's milk. Lactation can be prevented only by those diseases that we indicated in the contraindications.


For successful breastfeeding, the World Health Organization recommends:

  • To attach the baby to the mother's breast for the first time in the first hour after birth.
    • Rules and postures
  • Nutrition

Human milk is the most suitable food for a newborn, which has no analogues. Having decided to breastfeed the newborn baby, the mother gives the baby not food, but much more. Uncertainty at the first attempts to feed the baby will soon pass, especially if you learn more about the intricacies of breastfeeding during pregnancy.


Training

It is not necessary to wash your breasts before feeding with soap, as it was once advised to our mothers. For breast hygiene, just a daily shower is enough. It is also not recommended to treat the nipples with any antiseptics.

Choose a place that is calm and comfortable for feeding. It's good if nobody bothers you at this time.

Drink a glass of liquid about 15 minutes before feeding your baby. Thanks to this, lactation will increase.


Correct attachment and grip of the breast

Correct attachment is one of the main factors contributing to a successful breastfeeding experience. For the course of the entire period of feeding the baby with human milk, it is very important how the first attachment of the baby took place. Most maternity hospitals support breastfeeding by ensuring that the newborn baby is latching onto the mother's breast immediately after delivery.

A comfortable posture is also important for proper attachment. Feeding, especially at first, lasts a long time, therefore it is important that mom does not get tired.


The baby should grab the nipple on its own, but if he did it wrong (grabbed only the tip), the mother should press a little on the chin of the baby and release the breast.


Stages

After washing your hands, it is worth expressing a few drops of milk and rubbing them on the nipple. This will make the nipple softer for the baby to grasp easily. Now you need to get comfortable and start feeding:

  1. Grasping the breast with your fingers, without touching the areola, direct the nipple towards the baby's face. To help the baby find the nipple, stroke the baby on the cheek. If this does not help, you can squeeze some milk onto the baby's lips.
  2. Make sure that the baby grabs the nipple correctly. His mouth should be open quite wide, and his chin should be pressed against his mother's chest. The baby's mouth should contain not only the nipple, but also part of the areola.
  3. If milk begins to flow out of the corner of the baby's mouth, raise the baby's head and place the index finger under the baby's lower lip.
  4. When the baby sucks very sluggishly, help the baby to become more alert. To do this, you can stroke the crumbs on the head, pat the cheek or ear.
  5. When the baby starts to fall asleep at the breast or is sucking at a slower rate, the mother can interrupt the sucking by gently placing her index finger between the breast and the corner of the baby's mouth.
  6. Don't rush to get dressed immediately after feeding. Let the milk on the nipple dry a little. Also, do not rush to put the baby in the crib. The baby should vomit out the air trapped in the stomach with milk. To do this, hold the toddler with a "column", putting a napkin on your shoulder, as a small portion of milk may also come out with the air.


Comfortable positions

To feed the baby, the mother chooses a lying, sitting or any other position in which it is convenient for both her and the baby to stay. You need to feed the baby in a relaxed state.


If the mother is weakened after childbirth, has undergone a cesarean section or stitches in the perineum, then it will be more convenient for her to feed while lying on her side. Turning to face the baby, you need to put the baby so that the baby's head is located in the elbow bend of the mother's hand. Supporting the baby under the back, you can gently stroke the baby.


The most common position for breastfeeding at night and after childbirth is lying down

Sitting is also one of the most comfortable feeding positions. Mom can sit in a chair or on a chair, but it is more comfortable if her hand rests on the armrest or on the pillow, and one leg is on a small bench. The child should be supported under the back so that his head rests on the bend of his mother's elbow. The baby's belly should touch the mother's belly.


Other Possible Poses and Positions

Feeding the baby can be carried out in a position from behind. For this position, mom sits on the couch and places a regular pillow next to it. The mother puts the baby on the pillow so that the baby's body is located along her body at hand. This position is very convenient for mums breastfeeding twins. This way the mother can feed both babies at once.


Also, the mother can feed while sitting on the floor and crossing her legs "in Turkish" style. In this position, it is convenient to feed a baby who already knows how to crawl or walk.

Popular feeding positions are shown below. Experiment and choose the most comfortable one for both you and your baby.


How do you know that everything is going right?

If the baby has captured the breast correctly, then:

  • Both the nipple and the areola (most of it) will be in the baby's mouth, and the baby's lips will be turned outward.
  • The baby's nose will be pressed against the breast, but will not sink into it.
  • Mom will not hear any other sounds besides swallowing milk.
  • Mom will not have any discomfort while sucking.


Watch your baby's mouth and nose while feeding and listen to your feelings.

Outside home

A breastfeeding mother gets such an important advantage as the ability to give her baby food at any time when the baby is hungry. You can feed your baby discreetly in many places. To do this, mom should think over her clothes, putting on things that can be easily unbuttoned or lifted. You can also bring a handkerchief or shawl with you to cover up while feeding.

Recently, places for feeding babies have begun to appear in stores. If a mother is visiting with a newborn, do not hesitate to ask to retire with the baby in another room. Any adequate person will meet you halfway.

FAQ

How often and after how many minutes should the baby be applied to the breast again?

How many minutes should a newborn breastfeed?

Most babies suck in a single suck for about 15 minutes, but there are babies that need a longer suckling time (up to 40 minutes). If the baby is weaned from the breast before it empties the breast, the baby may receive less milk from the back, which contains a large proportion of fat. Due to prolonged sucking, cracks in the nipples are possible, therefore it is recommended to feed the baby for 10-15 to 40 minutes.

How to understand that a child is eating up?


Can I breastfeed my baby?

Indeed, at first, the baby eats milk in excess, because he is not familiar with the feeling of satiety, since he was constantly fed in utero. But you do not need to worry, all the extra crumbs will spit up, and overfeeding with breast milk cannot harm its health.

Will the milk have time to be digested if the baby asks for breast often?

You don't have to worry about this, because mother's milk is a perfectly balanced food for a newborn, digested without much effort. Breast milk almost immediately enters the children's intestines and is quickly digested in it.

How to breastfeed a crying baby?

If the crying baby is unable to latch onto the breast, calm the baby first. Press him to you, talk to the child affectionately, shake him in your arms. If the baby's crying is due to the fact that he cannot pick up the breast, touch the nipple to the baby's cheek or lips.

Is it necessary to feed at night?

Night feeds are very important for long and successful lactation, as it is during these feedings that the production of hormones important for milk production is stimulated. In addition, the newborn has not yet established a regime of day and night, so the time of day does not affect his feeling of hunger.


  • Remember that by placing your baby early, feeding on demand, and emptying the breast completely, you will stimulate milk production in your glands. If you rarely feed the baby and limit the feeding time, there is a high probability of a decrease in lactation.
  • If the mother is taking any medications, it is important to find out if such medications pass into the milk and if they can affect the child's health.
  • If the mother drank alcohol, then she should not feed the baby for three hours. Alcohol very quickly penetrates into human milk in the same concentration as it is found in the mother's blood.
  • You cannot smoke while breastfeeding, because nicotine very easily passes into milk. Also, nursing mothers should not be in a smoky room.
  • Milk often leaks from the breast between feedings during the first months of lactation, so it is convenient to use the pads in the bra.
  • You should not buy a bottle and formula "just in case" and you should not give up if your first feeding experience is unsuccessful. The art of breastfeeding needs to be learned like any other skill, but once you master it, you will reap many more benefits than switching to formula feeding.

Possible problems

At the very beginning of breastfeeding, many problems often arise, but any woman can cope with them.

Incorrect nipple shape

The nipples near the mother's breast can be inverted or flat, and the baby can hardly grasp such nipples.


In this case, in the first weeks of feeding, before breastfeeding the baby, the mother should pull the nipple together with the areola (by hand or using a breast pump).

Often helps and Hoffman technique: Several times a day, massage with your fingers, first squeezing the nipple, and then straightening, stretching it in opposite directions.


You can also resort to using special pads.


If stretching the nipple and pads does not help, you will have to feed the baby with expressed milk.

Cracked nipples

This is a common problem during the first days of breastfeeding, which causes a lot of discomfort for the mother. Cracks are usually caused by the infant sucking for too long, and by improper latching. And therefore, to prevent cracking, you need to monitor the latch of the breast, as well as the duration of feeding.

If cracks have already appeared, the baby should be fed from a healthy gland or using pads. If the pain is severe, you can express your breasts and give your baby expressed milk.

Strong rush of milk

If the breast is too much filled with milk and becomes so dense that the baby cannot properly grasp the nipple and suck out milk, you should strain the breast a little before feeding (until it is soft), limit fluid intake, and attach something to the breast for 5-7 minutes cold (such as an ice pack).

Lactostasis

With such a problem, the breast becomes very dense and the mother feels a painful bursting in it. You do not need to stop feeding your baby, on the contrary, you should apply it to the breast more often. At the same time, it is recommended that the mother limit the liquid and lightly massage the hardened areas of the breast, straining the milk until soft.


Mastitis

This inflammatory disease is a common problem in the second to fourth week after birth. It is manifested by the appearance of seals that cause pain to the woman. Also, a nursing mother often has a fever. If you suspect that a woman is developing mastitis, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only he will confirm the diagnosis, prescribe treatment and be able to say whether it is worth continuing to breastfeed.

Hypogalactia

This is the name for milk production in an amount less than the baby needs. Counting wet diapers (normally more than 10) and monthly weighing (normally, the baby should gain at least 0.5 kg) will help to make sure that there is a lack of milk. But there is no need to rush to supplement with a mixture, because this can be a lactation crisis.

  • Nutrition