Understanding First Few Weeks Of Breastfeeding

By Author: mom Love Guide
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Breastfeeding for the first time seems to be a wonderful experience, at the comfort of the hospital facility. You keep telling people how beautiful it is to watch your baby feeding and sleeping. After some time you welcome your little one at home, where you and your baby go through various changes, the sleeping pattern of the baby is changing, the feeding pattern is changing, and often you tend to feel that if you are doing something wrong? Well, no. You aren’t doing anything wrong, it's all about the changes you and your baby are going through. But one thing you can set on track is getting your baby adjusted to getting the feed from breasts. In this post, we will understand more about breastfeeding in the initial first few weeks. Let’s go through some of them:

Initial first few weeks of breastfeeding:

Maintaining a bond while feeding on breasts
Maintaining skin contact with your newly born helps them be warm and steady breathing, making them calm and comfortable around you. Maintaining skin-to-skin contact with your baby means holding your baby to your skin making their baby feed. The first experience ...
... of feeding with breasts is a memorable experience that helps to bond you with your baby. The bonding made in the initial few days is helpful for you and your little one to know each other better.

Milk coming out at the time of feeding on breasts: colostrum
Colostrum is the milk that your breast will produce in the initial few days after giving birth to your baby. It is thick yellowish-colored milk that is very nutritious for your baby. Your baby needs this in small quantities to develop its immune system. Your baby may want to feed after every hour in the initial few days or weeks.

Leaking at the time of feeding on breasts
Sometimes, at the time of feeding you feel your breasts are full are leaking from your nipples. Usage of breast pads can be a help at this time, they will help you save your clothes from being wet with the best milk. Remember to keep changing these pads frequently so that you don’t catch any infection. Breastfeeding is all about being comfortable, if your baby is not taking a feed, you may offer him by yourself.
Adjusting your milk supply while feeding on breasts
In the initial few days, you may notice that the size of your breasts has increased, stiff, your body is making adjustments to feeding milk from breasts. This is known as an endorsement; it gets fine with time when you and your baby are used to the process of feeding. It is important to feed your baby at night because it is when your hormone to produce milk is being produced.

Painful feeding
Breast endorsement and sore nipples may be uncomfortable in the initial few days of starting the feeding process. If you feel that the nipple is not recovering in a few weeks, consult a doctor. If your baby is not well latched then your feeding can be painful. If there is a clogged milk duct, then there can also be pain in the breasts. A breast infection can also be another reason for painful feeding from breasts, if you have a fever then you must consult a doctor to understand why there is pain and what can be done to cure it.

How often should breastfeeding be done to the baby?
In the initial few days, your baby might want to take feed at regular intervals, it could be every hour. You should feed your baby as and when they want to. With time after a few days, the bay will start taking longer feeds at fewer intervals. So, you will not need to feed your baby every hour. Feed your baby when they are hungry but don’t overfeed them too. When your baby is hungry, they may get restless, or put their fingers in their mouths. Don’t let your baby cry.
There can be different nursing patterns for every baby and there can be a change in the same pattern of feeding on the previous day in your baby's routine, don’t worry.

How much breastfeeding is enough?
If your baby is getting enough weight then your feeding is correct, you may check-in with your doctor for the weight of your baby. If your baby is passing enough stool, the baby is getting enough feed. The stools are usually yellow and runny in the initial few days. If your baby is gaining weight with time, consider everything is done right.

Don’t worry about your milk supply as long as your baby is healthy and is gaining milk, no. of diapers used will give you an idea of if your baby is getting enough feed.

Some tips for beginning with breastfeeding:
● Caring for the baby and yourself is important even before the baby is born or if your baby is born premature, you need to take special care of both of you.
● Please consult a doctor to help you start the process of feeding, they may guide you and provide you with any resources for help. You may clear your doubts with your doctor even after giving birth to your newborn.
● You may take breastfeeding classes or ask someone older to guide you through.
● For the process of giving feed from breasts, you will need a specific list of items like a pillow for nursing, a nursing bra, some nursing covers. And breast pumps if needed.

Concluding lines

Hope you enjoyed reading the post. we have tried proving as much information as we had about breastfeeding in this post. feeding on breasts is recommended at least till the child turns one. However, consulting your doctor is always the best thing to do in case of any doubt. Babies need love and bonding with you that doesn't come from bottle feeding. Breastfeeding from the breast is a very special process in which you and your little one develop their bonding. Try to take care of yourself in the whole process of feeding and the little one to avoid any problems.

Mom Love Guide is a blogging website that provides information about mom and care.