5 STEPS to breastfeeding

1. HOLDING YOUR BABY

It’s important to hold the full length of your baby against your body. This means that she does not have to turn her head to feed. You can also use the ”rugby hold”, which is useful if you’ve had a caesarean birth, if you’re feeding twins at the same time, or if your baby is very small.

2. TOUCH TO TURN

Teach your baby to find your nipple by brushing it against her cheek. Not only will this stimulate your nipple’s erectile tissue, but your baby will respond to the ”rooting reflex” and turn her head to find the nipple.

3. OPEN MOUTH

Now tease your baby with your nipple against her mouth. Don’t let her grasp onto your nipple until she opens her mouth as wide as possible. This usually happens on her third attempt. Only then, ”home in” with your nipple so that your baby takes not only the nipple, but the entire areola into her mouth. As she closes her mouth to ”chomp” the areola with her gums, you will notice that more of the areola is visible above her mouth than below it. Her bottom lip should be curled back. As soon as she feeds, you will experience a new sensation of sucking (a bit alarming at first), but it should not be painful. This means that your baby is correctly latched! Within a few days, you will become familiar with the ”letdown” reflex (a tingling pins-and-needles sensation in your breast), which means that the milk starts to flow on its own – sometimes even before you start feeding.

4. SUCKING

When your baby latches correctly, the sucking motion causes breastfeeding hormones to be released into your bloodstream. One of these, called oxytocin, contracts the tiny muscles around the breast lobes so that the milk is released and it can flow. Another hormone, called prolactin, controls milk production and ensures that milk is made while you feed. So the more often you feed, the more milk you make. When you and your baby settle into a routine (which changes often in the first few weeks), your breasts will adapt to supply and demand so that they don’t feel sore and uncomfortable.

5. SUCKING RHYTHM

Your baby’s lips around the areola create a natural seal. This prevents breastfed babies gulping in air while they’re feeding, which helps to guard against colic. Her tongue should be between her lower gum and your breast. If you gently pull on her lower lip, you’ll be able to see that her tongue extends over the lower gum, curving around your nipple. During active sucking and swallowing, the muscles in front of your baby’s ears move, and you can hear her swallowing every suck or two. For the first few days post-birth, she may suck five to 10 times before you hear a swallow, because colostrum comes in small amounts (only one teaspoonful for the first feed). When your milk comes in, swallowing becomes more frequent.