You’ve just had your baby, it feels like your body and world have turned upside down, and you’re now responsible for the survival of this new human. Any gentle helping hands can diaper, bathe and soothe this new bundle of joy, but it’s up to the Mama to provide essential nutrients via breast milk.
It’s a big responsibility that can be difficult and frustrating to adjust to. Here are essential Breastfeeding Tips For First-Time Moms that will help you quickly ease into breastfeeding as naturally and comfortably as possible.
- Keep a schedule. Early on, your baby will sleep most of the day away, but he or she will need to be fed approximately every three hours. As cruel as it may seem to both baby and you to awake him from slumber, it’s best to feed him before he gets ravenous. If he is too hungry, he may not latch correctly, or be too upset to settle down and eat comfortably. Write down when he feeds, because your poor brain won’t remember, and soon you’ll have a routine set. This way you’ll know when it’s safe for you to leave him in someone else’s hands and take that all-important nap or shower.
- Wear a bracelet or watch. This isn’t for fashion, simply for function. When they’re very wee, feedings can take much longer than you’d think. Oftentimes they will pass out after one breast and can’t be woken up, or they will fill up on only one side. Keep that bracelet or watch on the arm of the corresponding breast so you’ll know which one they need to feed on next. Contrary to popular belief, the one not fed on right away won’t engorge like a water balloon. It’s subtler. Would you rather trust your sleep-deprived memory or the handy rubber band around your wrist?
- Have a good supply of Lanolin. Your nipples have no way for preparing for the intense suckling they will endure once you start breastfeeding. Their only defense is a liberal slathering of lanolin between feeds. It’s safe enough for baby digest, so there’s no need to wipe off before the next feed. A small pea-sized amount for each nipple will suffice so one tube will go a long way. That being said, keeping one tube in the bathroom for post-shower application and one by the bedside is smart. Saving yourself those few steps can be smart when you’re dead on your feet.
- Invest in a good chair. You’ll be feeding on average every three to four hours for many months. Think of your poor butt and back and make sure where you sit for these feeds is comfortable, supportive, and easy to get up and down from with your arms full of sleeping babe.
Other than breastfeeding, there are other essential elements as well like 5 Months Postpartum Body or When Do You Start Getting Morning Sickness. To know about these topics, check online.
Source by- https://www.quora.com/profile/Yourhealthy-Mom/Essential-Breastfeeding-Tips-For-First-Time-Mothers-You-ve-just-had-your-baby-it-feels-like-your-body-and-world-have-t?ch=10&oid=65206243&share=fad97a48&srid=hn8sFo&target_type=post
