Breastfeeding Tips

03/28/2024

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure the health and survival of a child.

Breast milk is the ideal food for babies. It is safe, harmless and contains antibodies that help protect against many common childhood diseases. Breast milk provides all the energy and nutrients a baby needs in the first months of life, and in the second half of the first year it continues to provide up to half or more of the baby's nutritional needs, and up to one third in the second year of life.

Principles for successful breastfeeding:

Early breastfeeding within the first hour after birth.
Lack of supplementary feeding of the newborn before the mother puts him to the breast.
Staying together between mother and child after birth.
Proper attachment of the baby to the breast will ensure effective sucking and comfort for the mother.
Feeding on demand. Put your baby to your breast for any reason. Let him nurse whenever he wants and for as long as he wants. Then he will be full and calm.
The duration of feeding is regulated by the child. Feeding will end when the baby releases the nipple on his own.
Co-sleeping (at the request of the parents). With this kind of sleep organization, parents can sleep better, since they do not have to constantly get up to the child, and most children sleep better in close proximity to mom or dad.
Night feedings from the breast are very important for good milk production. For a child they are the most complete.
An exclusively breastfed baby does not need additional water. If the baby is thirsty, he should be put to the breast more often. Breast milk is 87-90% water.
Breasts do not require frequent washing. This leads to the removal of the protective bactericidal layer of fat from the areola and nipple, which can cause abrasions, irritation and cracks. It is enough to rinse your breasts 1-2 times a day during a general shower, preferably without soap.
Frequent weighing of the child does not provide objective information about the nutritional status of the baby, makes the mother nervous, leads to a decrease in lactation and the unreasonable introduction of supplementary feeding. It is enough to weigh once a week.
No additional pumping is needed With proper organization of feeding, milk is produced exactly as much as the baby needs. Pumping is necessary in case of problems: forced separation of mother and child, mother going to work, etc.
Breastfeeding only until 6 months. The child does not need additional nutrition and complementary feeding until 6 months. He can be predominantly breastfed for up to 1 year without compromising his health (according to separate studies).
Maintaining breastfeeding for up to 1.5 - 2 years (or longer at the request of the mother and child). Breastfeeding up to 1 year is not a physiological period for stopping lactation, so if you need to stop breastfeeding, consult with specialists to make a balanced, informed decision
The use of bottles and pacifiers is undesirable They can cause the following problems: decreased milk supply, nipple injuries and discomfort under the breasts. If supplementary feeding is necessary, it is advisable to give it from non-sucking objects (cups, spoons, cups, pipettes or syringes without a needle).

Breastfeeding rules.

The baby should be fed upon his first request. You can feed while sitting or lying down, the main thing is to be comfortable.

There are 5 most famous feeding positions:

“straight and cross cradle” , when the baby’s head lies in the elbow bend of the arm of the same name as the breast from which feeding is currently taking place or in the palm of the contralateral hand.
"soccer ball " when the baby is applied to the breast from under the arm.
“telephone handset ”, when the baby is on top, while the mother lies on her back, this position is especially suitable in cases where the flow of milk is too strong and the baby choke during feeding. The baby's head should be placed on the forearm or clasped under the back of the head with the palm of your hand (thumb opposite the rest) and be sure to ensure that it is not tilted excessively forward (there should be enough free space between the baby's chin and chest, otherwise he will not be able to open his mouth wide ).

Regardless of the chosen position, the baby should be turned with his whole body towards the mother, pressed tightly against her - in a position on his back with his head turned to one side, sucking will obviously be ineffective due to the inconvenience of the position. The thumb of the hand supporting the breast is placed above the areola, the remaining fingers are below it, the areola and nipple are left free. In order for the baby to open his mouth as wide as possible, you need to move the nipple along his upper lip, and then place the areola and nipple deep into his mouth (the direction of movement should be “ baby to breast ” , and not vice versa). The application must be asymmetrical - more on the side of the lower lip, which, in turn, must be turned out.

During feeding there should be no extraneous sounds - smacking, slurping, you need to make sure that the newborn's chin is pressed tightly to the chest, the nose can rest against the mother's chest, or it can be completely free - even in the first case, the physiological snubness of newborns allows them to freely and breathe freely through your nose.

After feeding, you can squeeze a few drops of milk from the breast, moisten the nipple with them and wait for them to dry and form a thin film on the nipple.

To maintain the nutritional value of mother's milk, you need to consume more foods rich in calcium (milk, cottage cheese, cheese, cereals, bran bread, nuts, spinach). Allergens (caviar, citrus fruits, chocolate, whole cow's milk), legumes and fresh cabbage should be excluded from her diet during the first 2-3 months of the child's life. Liquids must be consumed up to 2.5 l/day.

The optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding is the first 6 months of a child’s life. In total, breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of the child’s life (and preferably the first 2 years or even more, if such a scenario is suitable for a given mother-child pair: to date, there is no proven evidence of any harm caused to their health prolonged breastfeeding).

Long-term breastfeeding provides effective prevention of breast and ovarian cancer in the mother. In this case, the child has a reduced risk of metabolic disorders, cardiovascular and allergic diseases, malocclusion and speech development (breast sucking ensures the correct formation of the speech apparatus).

Team of authors: obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest qualification category (head of department) obstetrics Malafeev I.A., obstetrician-gynecologist Korol A.S., assistant of the department of obstetrics and gynecology of the educational institution "Belarusian State Medical University" Pribyshchuk A.Yu. .