You are getting ready for your baby and want to know what is best for your child . you have probably had tons of advice from doctors, relatives and friends through to neighbours and the home help….. even information booklets like this but surprisingly the best person you can listen to is your baby! For instance listen to the cries that call for the soothing comfort of your warmth and love and the complete nutritional satisfaction and protection which nothing in the world except breast feeding can provide.

However just as successful motherhood takes plenty of practice and family support, so does successful breast feeding. It involves making the most natural reflexes that you and your baby have, loads of confidence in yourself and some fairly simple skills and techniques that you need to master. By breasting feeding you are giving your little one the very best I life.go ahead confidently, as naturally as days follows night , the milk will come in as your baby keeps nursing at your breast.all over the world , women are breast feeding their babies and you can too…

The fetus spends 9 months in the quite, warm and secure comfort of your womb.After birth the baby needs the same warmth and security which can be made possible by plasing the baby skin to skin on your chest and draping our warm in towel or sheet over you. Close to your familiar heartbeats and in close proximity to your breast , the baby can feed if hungry. In this first our , the baby is most alert, looks around and his willing to suckle at the breast.

It is vital that your baby leaves the labor room wth you and spends the first few days of life close to you. The first milk is thick and yellow and is called colostrum. It is extremly important for the baby as it has many protective substances and vitamins which your baby needs . In these first few days some babies may demand frequent feeds, others sleep for long hours. Babies also need to be fed day and night on demand.This pattern if feeding and closeness to you offers the baby security and protection.

Breast feeding is natural and most mothers take to it without any problems there are many ways of breast feed as there are mothers and babies, and you will develop your own style to suite your baby. However some mothers and babies need help.just as a baby learns to walk, he stumbles, some times falls, but with practice in time ,walking becomes effortless, the same is true of breast feeding.

There are certain steps that will help you breast feed is easy. It may take time, some times days, to master these techniques, but perseverance pays dividents in the glowing health of your baby.

Find a comfortable position for your self . you may lie down ,sit on a chair on the bed or on the floor to feed your baby. Most important is that you must feel comfortable and your back must be supported

Hold your baby in your arm so that her head and neck rest in the bend of their elbow , the back along forearm and the buttocks in your hands if your feeding on your right breast your right arm should be used to cradle your baby.

Turn the babies entire body towards yours so that the babies tummy touches your tummy. The babies head and neck should be supported

Raise the baby to the level of your breast so that the babies mouth can easily reach the nipple and the areola. This could be made possible by putting a pillow below ur arm or raising your thigh if ur sitting crossed leg on the floor. Make sure that the baby is not exclusively clothed so that the baby can be brought really close to you. Some times you may need to tuck ur babies arm away. So that it does not come in the way. You may use ur free hand to hold your breast or to fondle your baby once your baby is really attached.

When the nipple touches , the baby's lips or the cheek , your baby's mouth will reflexively open to draw the nipple and part of the areola in to form a teat. this is known as "attachement to the breast" the lactiferous sinuses which are the storehouses of milk are situated beneath the areola. To effectively suckle milk from the breast, both the nipple and the areola should go into the baby's mouth. Proper attachment is the key to successful breast feeding, improper attachment is responsible for most of the problems related to breast feeding like sore nipple ,congested breast and inadequate milk supply.

Make sure that baby suckles at the areola and not just the nipple. If the baby's mouth is not opened wide enough and the lower lip is turned inwards , use the index finger of the hand supporting the breast to press the baby's chin firmly down while you pull the baby on to the breast.

Remember if your baby is not properly attached, you will get pain while breast feeding. In that case, interrupt the feed by pulling down baby's jaw to release the nipple. Get the baby to latch on again.

If you are feeding your baby on the left breast position use your right arm and hand to support baby. The baby's head should be in the palm of your right hand, with your right forearm supporting the back and buttocks. Your left hand is then free to hold the breast or fondle baby. If your baby is small or prematurely born, you may find it useful to feed in a modified cradle position.

If you are feeding baby on the right breast, hold your baby's body below your right hand. Tuck your baby's body below your right arm, & support with your forearm. If you have twins , you can feed both simultaniously with this method.

Lie down on your side .Baby should lie facing down. Baby's mouth should be in line with the nipple and areola; and baby's tummy should betouching your tummy. Use your forearm and hand to bring the baby close to you . this position is helpful if you have had an episitomy or caesarean section.

The best way to relieve congestion is to empty out the breast either by encouraging the baby to feed or by hand expressing the milk .Sometimes the breast becomes hard and your baby may refuse to suck. In that case , first soften the breast by expressing out some milk and then put your baby to the breast.

The most common cause of a sore nipple is poor attachment to the breast. If the baby sucks only at the nipple instead of both nipple and areola, the baby does not get milk and therefore sucks forcefully, damaging the delicate skin of the nipple.

Even if the nipple is sore or cracked, if baby is properly attached, you will feel no pain. Interrupt the feed and get baby to relatch till you experience no pain.

It is useful for all mothers to know how to express & store your milk. You may need to express milk in the following situations:

You could use a milk pump for expression, however hand expression is the most economical & convenient way for a mother to express her milk. Bacterial contamination of milk is least with this method.

Having the baby close or handling the baby before milk expression may help the mother to have a good let-down reflex. Expressing on the sinuses beneath the areola a few times, milk starts to drip out and may spray out (flow in streams) if the let-down reflex is good. It usually takes about 20 minutes to express both breasts. To stimulate and maintain milk production, you should express milk frequently - at least 8 times in 24 hours, if your baby is unable to feed at the breast. The olden type of hand pumps with a rubber bulb are cheap but the bulbs do not produce sufficient suction. They are difficult to clean, sterilize and are not every effective. The milk which collects in them is often contaminated. Preferably do not use a hand pump.

Mechanical cylindrical pumps that can be autoclaved are available. They are easy to use and empty out the breast in a short period of time.

If the breasts are full, engorged and painful, it is sometimes helpful to use a mechanical pump. The cost of mechanical pump is approximately Rs. 700/-

Nature has provided stores of calories in your babay's liver. These calories together with breastmilk is sufficient for your baby in the first few days. A term baby with a good weight should not require other forms of food. If one is careful to dry the baby soon after birth, postpone a bath and keep the baby close to you your baby will not require any additional foods. Honey, glucose water, other milk are not needed.

The thick yellow milk that comes in the first few days is called colostrum. It has a number of antinfective substances to prevent infections and certain vitamins that are important for the baby. so your baby must be fed this milk.

The amount of milk that is produced depends on the needs of the baby. The more the baby suckles, more the milk produced. If a baby is given prelacteals like honey, glucose water, the baby gets satisfied, does not suckle effectively at the breast and less milk will be produced. These feeds may also be a source of infection.

When the baby is in the mothers womb, the baby is used to a continous supply of food. It is but natural that adter birth, the bay will demand feeds frequently. It could be as frequent as 1 hour or 3 hours.

No, baby can finish a feed in ten to fifteen minutes or may take as long as 30-40 minutes. The first part of the milk which flows when a baby starts to breastfeed is watery and the latter part contains fat. To satisfy your baby's thrist and hunger your baby should be allowed to feed at one breast till satisfied. Allow the baby to feed for as long as she wants at one breast. Thus, there is no fixed duration of a breast feed. When the baby comes off the breast by herself and if she is awake then offer the other breast. If the baby is satisfied by feeding on one side, at the next feed, offer the other breast first to keep up the milk supply in both breasts.

The best place for your baby is by your side. However well qualified a nurse, she can never replace a mother. Germs that are present in hospital nurseries produce infections that are difficult to treat. Your baby is safest with you and it is wise to restrict the number of visitors and not allow them to handle the baby.

You must realise that the only way a baby can communicate with the world is by crying. Any discomfort or pain will make the baby cry. Sometimes a baby cries because she wants to be held. A baby also cried when hungry. If a baby cries after a feed, check for other causes of pain or discomfort. (Adequacy of feeds can be judged by what is said in Q.12.)

The method of sucking at a bottle is completely different from sucking at the breast. When a baby feeds at a bottle, the baby sucks only at the nipple, and there is continous free flow of milk. When a baby suckles at the breast, the baby has to suckle at both the nipple and the areola. Milk first comes in drops and then the flow increases. If the baby is given a bottle feed, the baby will find breastfeeding difficult, will not suckle at the breast and milk production would decrease.

The colour and frequency of a baby's stools change with the age of the baby. The first stool is dark blackish green, stickly and is called meconium. The colour of the stools slowly change to green and then to bright yellow and is soft and curdy in consistency . A normal healthy newborn can pass such stools 6-8 times a day or more frequently each time she has a feed. This is not diarrhoea. Some may pass stools once in 2-3 days. Both patterns of stool passage are normal.

As adults, we eat solid food and there fore require water to quench our thirst. A breastfed baby is totally on a liquid diet of milk which is 89% water. Besides nature has so modified the milk so that the first part of the breastmilk is mostly water and quenches the baby's thirst. The latter part of milk contains more fat and satisfies the baby's hunger. So breastmilk satisfies both the thirst and hunger of the baby does not require additional water.

The best way to find out if your baby is getting enough milk is by checking the weight of the baby. A baby should put on 100 to 150 gms in a wee. Sometimes, weighing machines are not accurate and they indicate different weight in different clincs and hospitals. The simplest way is to count the number times your baby passes urine. A baby who is exclusively breastfed should pass dilute urine more than 6-8 times a day. This indicates that baby is getting enough milk.

Eat well while breastfeeding. You should have a well balanced diet with sufficient proteins which could be in the form of milk, eggs, pulses or meats. You should aslo have sufficient fruits and vegetables, and drink plently of water. Traditional galactogogues (foods that are suppose to increase milk) are nutitious and may be beneficial)

Most illnesses are not a contraindication for breastfeeding. The mother produces antibodies towards any infection that she has and thse antibodies cross over through breastmilk and protect the baby.

The need for breastmilk is even greater when the baby is ill. Breastmilk contains antibodies that help the baby fight infection. An ill baby looses appetite and usually goes off food. Breastmilk provides the baby with nutrition. When a baby has a diarrhoea, breast-milk provides water and salts that are needed to prevent dehydration.

This is a misconception. On the contarary, a mother who breast feeds will lose weight and regain her figure faster. A mother sould wear fitting brassieres that will support her brests.

Ideally a bay should be exclusively breastfeed for thefirst 4-6 months, which means that the babu should not be fed any fruit juices, water vitamins etc. Between 4-6 months other forms of food must be added to the baby's diet by breastfeeding must continue right upto the first year or into the second year of life. Breastmilk contains all that the baby needs for adequate growth and development.

Between 4-6 months, the baby's requirements exceed the amount of milk a mother produces. This is the right time when other forms of food should be started. Fresh home cooked fooeds are best for the baby. They should be soft and mashed which make it easy for the baby to swallow. Mashed fruits vegetables -pureed, cereals like rice soaji and lentils lik dhals should be introduced. By one year of life, the baby should have the same diet that the family follows, except is smaller quantities and with less spices. The rules to be followed are : Only one item should be introduced at a time. Start baby can take. Start a new item every one to two weeks. Depending on the amount of food a baby takes at a time. increase the frequency of feeds. Use a spoon to feed the baby. Breastfeeds must continue.

Try and extend your leave to as much as you can so that you can enjoy your baby and breastfeed him too. If the have to get back to work, you can follow any one of these alternatives :