Baby Correct Feeding Position and Mother Training

Best Practices and Training for Breast Feeding 

How to Put a Baby to the Breast in the Correct Position Sucking for Comfort Rooming-in Prelacteral Feeds.

How to Put a Baby to the Breast in the Correct Position

    Let the mother sit or find a comfortable position for herself. Let her hold the baby in her arms so that she faces the breast and her stomach is against the mother's. The baby's entire body should face towards the breast. Make sure the mother holds and offers her whole breast and not just the nipple or areola. Make the mother touch the baby's cheek or the side of her mouth with the nipple to stimulate the rooting reflex.

    An incorrect sucking position may lead to sore nipples, refusal to feed and the feeling that there is not enough milk. This may lead to engorged Infants. Many mothers prefer to breastfeed while lying down. As long as the baby has easy access to the breast, she can be ted satisfactorily in any position.

    Remind the mother to start the child on a different breast each time to help both breasts produce the maximum amount of milk The mother should pick up the baby and feed her whenever she cries or whenever she feels a need to feed her both day and night. 

    Some mothers are afraid that if the baby gets used to taking a feed at night, she will always demand it, disturbing their sleep. Many mothers try and "train their babies not to demand a feed at This is wrong and should be discouraged. Many babies learn to sleep through the right by the time they are three to four months old.

    All babies are different-some feed more often than others and may want a feed every hour or so, but most babies settle into some kind of a rhythm after about a month. Frequent sucking stimulates the production of prolactin, which helps the milk to come in sooner, and prevents problems like engorgement.

Finishing a Feed

    When a baby finishes a feed, she usually comes off the breast by herself. There is usually no need to take her off the breast. It is better to let her continue as long as she wants, so that she gets plenty of energy rich hindmilk.

Sucking for Comfort

    Babies suck not only out of hunger but for pleasure and comfort as well. They suck on anything that goes into their mouth-their fingers, a piece of cloth, a pacifier, and of course, a nipple or a teat. 

    Many mothers believe that a baby who wants to suck must be hungry, so they give her a supplement that she does not need. Pacifiers should not be given as they are difficult to keep clean and unnecessary. A little extra suckling at the breast can be suggested as an alternative as this is better than any other.

Rooming-in

        Rural and many urban women deliver at home and the mother and the child are kept together. The mother can feed the baby, hold her or clean her when she wants to. It is quite safe for a baby to sleep in the same bed as the mother. In many hospitals, however, the babies may not be kept with the mother at least for the first day especially if the delivery has been difficult, or it is a cesarean delivery. 

    In a majority of cases, the baby would have been given a prelacteal feed so that mother can rest. This practice should be discouraged, and the mother and the baby should be allowed to be together. This is called rooming-in and is essential to encourage proper breastfeeding.

Prelacteral Feeds

    Many mothers give the baby prelacteal feeds, such as fresh milk or powdered milk in the belief that there is no breast milk. They fear that the baby might be hungry. However, the small amount of colostrum produced at the time is all that a baby needs and prelacteal feeds are not necessary. 

    As a matter of fact, babies who are given prelacteal feeds may not want to suck from the breast. The feed may be contaminated and the baby may because the baby does not suck vigorously. Health professionals should get diarrhea or develop an allergy. The breast milk also gets delayed make sure that no prelacteal feeds are given to the baby.