Breastfeeding by Joanna Lee On Babyopus.com
Breast milk is the best food for your baby, it gives your baby all
the nutrients he needs until he or she is about 6 months old. You can start feeding your baby as soon as possible after birth or within 1 hour of
delivery. This is necessary to get your milk production started.
Starting around 4 to 6 months, your baby will need a supplementary source of iron. This iron can come from cereal for example. Discuss
breast feeding with your doctor to ensure there are no complications.
Feed your baby as long as he or she wants to. If you baby is hungry, the automatic response is to cry. If you baby is contented, he or she will fall asleep or release your nipple spontaneously. Feed your baby as often as and whenever she or he wants to be fed.
Feeding Tips:
Start breast feeding as soon as possible after giving birth. Your baby’s sucking reflexes are strongest immediately after he’s born.
In the beginning, you will be feeding whenever your baby is hungry. That’s about every 2 to 3 hours.Feed your baby from both breasts at one feeding. You will produce the most milk if your breasts are emptied during the feed.
Avoid dieting, drinking alcohol and smoking, especially while breastfeeding.
Breast feeding should not hurt, so if you experience soreness, cracked skin, or inflammation ask your doctor about it.
If you can’t or don’t want to breastfeed your baby for the first months, you can choose to feed him formula milk.