Breastfeeding Benefits for Mother and Baby- Natural Bonding

Overview

Of all, there is about pregnancy, childbirth, and what comes after, breastfeeding was the one thing I did not worry about or research. Yes, I noticed there were a lot of articles, tutorials, and people were discussing it endlessly, but I thought- it is the most natural thing on earth, what could be even more difficult about it? Apparently, I had no idea. There we are, just having been giving birth and already out on another task to master. The first time nursing feels anything but natural and easy..So are the Breastfeeding Benefits for mothers and babies worth the struggle?

On this page, you can read about:

The beginning of your breastfeeding journey
Talk to a lactation specialist
Why it is important to stick to it
Successful Nursing
Positions and latching
Statistics
Understanding the importance
Health Benefits for your Baby
Health Benefits for you

In the beginning…

There were interesting studies that showed babies when left alone on their mother’s belly, crawled up to the chest and found where to drink, and the babies that went through this experience had the least latching problems after.

Check out this amazing video!

Talk to a lactation specialist

There are lactation specialists at every hospital and it is recommended we seek their help, especially if it`s our first baby…

Why is it so important to stick to it

Evidence on the breastfeeding benefits for mother and baby has been increasing steadily over the last decades and by now it can be said with full confidence that exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months is the recommended food for our babies and up to the age of two years or beyond in combination with complementary food.

Successful breastfeeding

With some basic steps followed, we can successfully nurse and will be able to enjoy it. With a little effort and training, it can become one of the most beautiful experiences in our lives and a beautiful present for our baby. The best start to giving our precious little ones a healthy life and bonding with them deeply.

First, position yourself comfortably with back and arm support
Position your baby belly to belly with you (skin on skin is great if you like) his mouth facing your nipple
Support your breast
Latch your baby onto your breast- encourage wide mouth opening by rubbing your nipple gently on his lips

Positions

Cradle position

The cradle position is the most common. Your baby lays on his side touching your belly while you support him with his left arm when giving the left breast and the other way around. The opposite hand supports your breast.

Cross-cradle position

This position is recommended during the very first weeks as you have more control over holding the baby`s head close to your breast and directing him. Your baby lays on his side while touching your belly while you support him with your left arm when giving the right breast and supporting his neck with your hand. the opposite hand supports the breast.

Clutch position

A great position for women who had c-sections as your baby doesn`t lie directly on your belly. Your baby is tucked under your right arm at your side when giving the right breast. Belly attached to your side, feet around your back.

Side-lying position

A very comfortable position after your baby has grown a little bit, especially at night. Face to face, belly to belly, you and your baby lie down. you may support your back or feet with pillows to be comfortable and hold or cuddle your baby however you both like.

Latching on correctly

Encourage your baby to open his mouth widely by tickling his mouth with your nipple.
Gently bring your baby`s wide-open mouth to your nipple
Make sure your baby latches onto not only your nipple but also as much as possible of the dark area around it.
If you feel pain, gently detach him putting your finger between his gums and try again until you feel comfortable.

The right latch is crucial for successful breastfeeding — **the correct latch for breastfeeding**

Within a little time, you and your baby will figure out what works best for you both. Just make sure to always support your arms and back, bring your baby in nipple height, and not lean over your baby. This way you prevent back and shoulder pain and ensure breastfeeding is successful and pleasant for both you and the baby.

Click here for a short video about the correct attachment.

References:

https://www.lllili.org/breastfeeding-info/positioning/

Statistics

Breastfeeding our baby is hard work in the beginning. Especially first-time moms have so many questions and we feel unsure about so many things that it can be quite difficult to just enjoy our baby and listen to our guts. Not always are people in our surroundings supportive of everything, and not always do they share our opinions and like our intentions, and that also can make us very uncertain and insecure. Our babies don`t speak so they cannot reassure us how well we are doing and in the beginning, it can be hard to tell if really everything is okay for them.

No wonder so many women give up after a while and go along with bottle feeding. In fact, 60 % of women do not breastfeed as long as they intended.
While over 80% of women say they have breastfed, when we look at the number of women who were still nursing their babies at 6 months the percentage drops to 57% and at one year to even 35%.
When we look at how many women breastfeed exclusively, only 47% do at 3 months and only 25% do at 6 months…

Understanding the Importance…

Considering that breastfeeding is the healthiest way of feeding our baby and the countless benefits for mother and baby, those statistics are really low numbers. When asked what the reason was for giving up early most women mentioned lactation/ latching issues, unsupportive family, hospital, or work policies. Other studies showed a positive connection between the status of education of mothers and breastfeeding rates, which only shows that the more the importance of the topic is understood, the bigger the effort to do it.

Health benefits for your baby

BREAST MILK…

has all the right ingredients for our baby to grow and develop in the right way
changes to the baby s needs as he grows
is always with us, at the right temperature and sterile
protects our babies from diseases like diarrhea, infects, overweight, diabetes, leukemia, and more
lowers the risk of SIDS
prevents allergies
promotes cognitive development
Studies suggest psychological and emotional benefits from the early and steady physical contact
Breastfed babies tend to have a higher IQ
promotes faster cognitive development as the digestion of breast milk is easier and leaves the body dealing with more important stuff than the digestion of heavy formula
Even today there are ingredients in breast milk that cannot be produced synthetically to make formula precisely like it
The distance between a mother and her nursing child is exactly the distance a newborn can focus

Health benefits for us

Breastfeeding helps the uterus contract and return to its original size more quickly
May help lose weight
May reduce the risk of ovarian and breast cancer
Helps prevent postpartum depression
Helps bond with the baby
Breastfeeding families are less sick

What can we do to succeed better?

Initial feeding as soon as possible after birth
Exclusive breastfeeding, which means not even water
Feeding on baby`s demand day and night
No bottles or pacifiers for at least one and a half months
Ask family and friends to be supportive
Talk about the difficulty and ask for help
Consult a lactation specialist

How do I know if my baby gets enough milk?

One big concern is not knowing how much milk our baby gets with each feeding. While this really is something we cannot estimate, there are ways to tell if our baby drinks enough:

Days 1 and 2: One or two bowel movements per day and blackish stool
Days 3 and 4: green to yellow stool and bowel movement
Days 5 to 7: yellow stool several times a day, frequent bowel movement
After the first two weeks, it could happen that our baby has one or more stools a day
Most important- we have to check the baby`s weight gain

We may often read that babies should rest and seem satisfied between feedings for a certain time, but I really don`t like to generalize here as each baby is unique and has his own demand. So many babies cluster feed in the first few months or during growth spurts and it is okay if our baby wants to be nursed more frequently, as long as the said above applies. A lot of babies just want to be close to their moms and nurse to pacify them, not only for nutrition.

Conclusion

Every beginning is hard. Breastfeeding in the start is just not as idyllic and natural as we may imagine. And just like that it seems only logical that so many moms give up too early or earlier than they intended to, and start feeding formula.

That is okay, too. The most important thing is that your baby is fed and both of you are healthy.

In most cases, the difficult time is only the first couple of months and even less with each further child. Having in mind all the advantages and benefits of breastfeeding, getting through it totally pays out in the end.

If it is what YOU want for your baby, get through the struggle, and earn to enjoy one of the most beautiful and bonding journeys with your child.

Do you have a special breastfeeding experience you would like to share?

Cluster feeding