Breastfeeding Do's and Don'ts

A lot of people say that breastfeeding is one of the most natural means to express love between mother and child. Yet despite the consideration that breastfeeding is next to natural, many women still practice breastfeeding in a manner that is not what the process was envisioned to be. In this aspect, it is important for one to be aware of the proper and improper ways of breastfeeding.

Proper Breastfeeding methods

1)During the first week of pregnancy, a woman must feed her baby at least 15 times in a day. This is because the mother's milk is the only source of nutrition for the baby. As a result, there is a need to frequently feed the baby. However, after the first week of the baby's life, a woman need not feed her baby that frequent: six to eight feedings in a day is usually enough.

2)Another trademark of proper breastfeeding is to feed the baby whenever the baby demands to be feed. This way, one will avoid the baby becoming hungry. One should not be conscious about the spacing of each feeding time; when pregnant, it is impossible to keep a routine. This is the reason why a mother must be prepared anytime to feed her baby.

3)During each breastfeeding session, the breasts must feel empty. This means that the breasts used to breastfeed is emptied of all its milk, thus making sure that the next time that the baby demands to be feed, only fresh milk will be given. As a sign that the baby is properly feed, the bay must urinate frequently. It is common to have the baby wetting at least eight times in a day.

4)Another sign of proper breastfeeding is cradling the baby with both arms very close to one's chest with the baby's mouth directly on the breast used for feeding. This way, the baby will be at a very comfortable position during breastfeeding while preventing the mother from experiencing too much strain.

5)Another sign of proper breastfeeding is to alternate between breasts. It is not considered wise to focus only on one breast for the entire feeding session. This will cause a strain on the affected breast and may cause an imbalance between the breasts.

Improper Breastfeeding methods
1)One of the most common mistakes that mothers make when breastfeeding is feeding the baby while the bay is lying in bed. According to experts, this situation creates the possibility that the milk may not go down immediately and may cause choking.

2)Another mistake that women do when breastfeeding is to stick to a routine. This is rather a danger because it poses the risk of the baby going hungry if the mother religiously sticks to the routine.

3)As a manifestation of improper breastfeeding, one must look for things like the color of the infant's bowel. If it is dark in color or if there is an irregular bowel movement, then there is a good chance that the baby is not properly or regularly fed.