For most babies, breast is best, but if you would rather not breast-feed your baby for any reason, bottle-feeding can give him a good start, too.
Breast milk supplies all your baby's food and drink needs for the first four to six months of life. It contains antibodies that boost the baby's immune response, so breast-fed babies tend to suffer fewer illnesses, gastrointestinal disorders and allergies. It may also lower the incidence of chronic childhood diseases such as diabetes. Breast milk is always of a high quality nutritionally and adapts perfectly to your baby's needs. Because it is easier for your baby to digest than formula, breast-fed babies are rarely constipated. And there appears to be a lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome among breast-fed babies. Breast-feeding is cheap and convenient: breast milk is always available. Above all else, breast-feeding your baby creates an unbreakable intimacy between you. It is the ultimate experience of bonding.
Breast feeding is good for you too. The hormones released when you breast-feed help your uterus to contract to its prepregnant size. And it burns calories, so it will loose the weight you gained in pregnancy more quickly.
HOW TO BREAST-FEED
Breast-feeding is natural, but many mothers and babies have to learn to do it. You may need skilled help in positioning your baby in a way that doesn't hurt your nipples. Hold your baby chest to chest with you so that he doesn't have to turn his head or flex or extend his neck to take your breast. When his mouth is wide open - as wide as a yawn - bring him gently onto your breast so he gets a good mouthful of areola. This is called latching on. If he has the breast properly, his bottom lip will be curled outward, there will be more of your areola showing above his top lip than below his bottom lip, and he will create a vacuum with his tongue.
Avoid stuffing your nipple in or pushing his head on, and don't try to shape your nipple with your fingers. Any of these actions could make your baby grab only the nipple, which can lead to sore and cracked nipples and ineffective feeding. If you have inverted nipples, you may need extra patience and help to get your baby well latched on.
The baby's suck and the removal of milk from the breasts stimulate hormonal responses that tell your body to make more milk. In fact, the more you feed the more milk you make, which is why mothers of twins make twice as much milk. In addition, effective breast-feeding stimulates the let-down reflex, which pushes the milk stored inside the breasts down into the ducts and out through the exit points on the nipples.
Unrestricted, or "demand," feeding works better for most mothers and babies than scheduled feeding. Allowing your baby to establish the timing, length, and frequency of feedings means that the right amount of milk is produced. Later on, when breast-feeding is established (after about six weeks), you will probably find that your baby wants feeding in a more scheduled way. But in the early days and weeks, frequent feedings - 6 to 12 feedings in 24 hours - are normal.
In the first couple of days after the birth, your baby's sucking will give him colostrum, a mixture of water, protein, and sugar that is rich in antibodies. Your milk will "come in" between days two and five, and you will feel when this has happened; your breasts will be full and heavy.
Colostrum is yellowish in colour, mature milk has a bluer tinge than cow's milk.
GETTING HELP
Many women do have minor problems with breast-feeding in the early days. It can be upsetting to find breast-feeding difficult. If you are still in the hospital, ask for help there; if you are back at home, contact a counselor from one of the support organizations for encouragement and the information you need to help you overcome any problems. Almost all problems are surmountable with the right help.
Sore or cracked nipples are usually caused by incorrect positioning; a counselor can show you how to position the baby and help you to treat your nipples. A baby who seems dissatisfied may not be getting enough milk; again, this may be a positioning problem - he has only the nipple in his mouth, or especially if he is small and sleepy, he may not be feeding enough to guarantee that you have a good supply. You may be advised to feed more often or express milk to keep your supply plentiful.
EXPRESSING YOUR MILK
Expressing is a usefulto learn because it allows you to leave expressed breast milk (EBM) for your baby to be given by someone else. Wait until you and your baby are confident about breast-feeding before you give him a bottle. About six weeks or so, taking a bottle (which he sucks in a different way from the breast) should not confuse his sucking. EBM keeps in the refrigerator for 24 hours and in the freezer for three months.
If you express by your hand, you may need practice to get it going. Choose the time when your breasts are naturally close to their fullest but you are at least an hour or more away from a feeding; wash your hands and relax. Raise your breast with the flat of your hand, massage around it, stroking down toward the nipple and back toward your breastbone. Work around the breast with your fingers and thumb, but don't pull or squeeze the nipple. Once the milk starts to flow, catch it in a sterilized bowl.
You can also express your milk from your breast with a pump (manual or electrical), which works by creating a vacuum to draw the milk out. Follow the instructions supplied with the pump.
If you express by your hand, you may need practice to get it going. Choose the time when your breasts are naturally close to their fullest but you are at least an hour or more away from a feeding; wash your hands and relax. Raise your breast with the flat of your hand, massage around it, stroking down toward the nipple and back toward your breastbone. Work around the breast with your fingers and thumb, but don't pull or squeeze the nipple. Once the milk starts to flow, catch it in a sterilized bowl.
You can also express your milk from your breast with a pump (manual or electrical), which works by creating a vacuum to draw the milk out. Follow the instructions supplied with the pump.
Bottle-feeding
Some women choose to bottle-feed from the start; others switch to it later because they have problems with breast-feeding or they prefer the convenience of formula to expressed breast milk. Bottle-feeding allows your baby's father to take over some of the feedings from the start.
If you know that you do not want to breast-feed, no one should put pressure on you to do so. But if you are genuinely undecided, start breast-feeding and see how you manage. You can always switch to bottle-feeding later, but it takes a lot of support to breast-feeding if you change your mind after a couple of weeks of bottle-feeding. (If you are taking medication, check with your doctor if you want to breast-feed.; do not assume that medication means you must bottle-feed).
Always use a baby formula (most are based on cow's milk, modified to suit a tiny baby's digestive system) and make sure everything that you use is scrupulously clean. Ready-to-use formula is convenient, especially when you are out, but it is expensive to use all the time; most parents use powdered formula, mixed with previously boiled water.
Some women choose to bottle-feed from the start; others switch to it later because they have problems with breast-feeding or they prefer the convenience of formula to expressed breast milk. Bottle-feeding allows your baby's father to take over some of the feedings from the start.
If you know that you do not want to breast-feed, no one should put pressure on you to do so. But if you are genuinely undecided, start breast-feeding and see how you manage. You can always switch to bottle-feeding later, but it takes a lot of support to breast-feeding if you change your mind after a couple of weeks of bottle-feeding. (If you are taking medication, check with your doctor if you want to breast-feed.; do not assume that medication means you must bottle-feed).
Always use a baby formula (most are based on cow's milk, modified to suit a tiny baby's digestive system) and make sure everything that you use is scrupulously clean. Ready-to-use formula is convenient, especially when you are out, but it is expensive to use all the time; most parents use powdered formula, mixed with previously boiled water.
