Top Ten Tips for Successful Breastfeeding

It is a complete food for the newborn and, therefore, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life. In addition, breastfeeding can be continued even if complementary feeding has been introduced and for as long as the mother or baby wishes. In fact, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics recommends extending breastfeeding up to two years. Based on this, there are a series of tips that should be taken into account so that the experience is a success and is pleasant and beneficial for both of you.

1-Good habits: during breastfeeding the mother should not do any special diet, just avoid alcohol and exciting drinks such as coffee or cola. If the mother is and during the pregnancy has not completely abandoned the habit, this is a good time to quit. If it is impossible for you to do so, it is preferable to smoke right after taking it and not to do it in the presence of the baby.

2-On demand: there are no schedules or strict guidelines but it is the baby who decides when and how much he wants to eat. It may be normal for the child to nurse every hour or less in the first few months. But every child is different, so do not rely on the experience of other children or other mothers' babies. During the first 15-20 days of life, the breast should be offered at least every three hours to stimulate milk production and avoid a drop in glucose to the child. The suckling of the child and skin-to-skin contact with the baby are the main stimuli for milk production.

3-The duration of the feeding is determined by the baby: the feeding should last until the baby spontaneously leaves the breast. Some children get everything they need from one breast and others from both. In the latter case, the baby may not completely empty the last one, so the next feeding should start with this one.

4-Make sure the breast is emptied: the amount of milk that the woman produces varies and it will tell us how many times the baby empties the breast per day. The quality of milk also varies during the day and with the age of the child, adjusting to its needs. During the first days, it is more yellowish (colostrum) and contains more protein and anti-infective substances; later the mature milk appears. It may seem watery, especially at the beginning of the feed, because it is towards the end that the fat content increases. That is why it is so important for the baby to empty the breast.

5-At first, neither pacifier nor bottle: it is important not to offer pacifiers or bottles to the baby until breastfeeding is well established, which happens in approximately three or four weeks.

6-With breastfeeding is enough: with exclusive breastfeeding and, you do not have to give water or other liquids to the baby.

7-If cracks appear, correct the posture: the cracks arise because the child clings badly to the chest, and that is why it is important to correct the posture. At this point it is important to ask our pediatrician, midwife or pediatric nurse for help. The hygiene that the breasts need is the daily shower with a mild soap.

8-Position the baby well: mother and child, regardless of the position adopted (sitting, lying down ...), should be comfortable and very close together, preferably with the child's whole body in contact with the mother's (navel against navel ). A bad position can be responsible for back aches and pains. The correct way to latch onto the breast is facilitated by placing the baby turned towards the mother, with the head and body in a straight line, avoiding having the neck twisted or excessively flexed or extended, with the face facing the chest and the nose in front of the nipple. In a sitting position, the mother should keep her back straight and her knees slightly elevated, with the child's head resting on her forearm, not on the crook of the elbow.

9-Make sure he sucks well: Once the child is well positioned, the mother can stimulate him to open his mouth by brushing his lips with the nipple and then gently move the baby towards the breast. The child he will take more easily if he approaches from below, directing the nipple towards the upper third of the mouth, so that he has to bend his head slightly back to take the breast. The intention is for the baby to introduce as much breast as possible into the mouth sucking on the nipple and part of the areola.

10-Expression, an option: sometimes it can be useful for the mother to learn how to express milk, to save it and have someone feed the baby when the mother cannot do it, or to reduce the discomfort caused by an excessive accumulation of milk in periods when the baby's appetite decreases, and thus prevent mastitis from occurring. Expressing milk can be done manually or through a breast pump.

HOW TO PRESERVE BREAST MILK

Breast milk can be stored for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer (up to 6-8 months in more powerful chest freezers).

To save it:

Put it in milk bags or sterilized bottles with the date of the extraction day noted. Fill with a maximum of 60-120 ml (this way it defrosts more easily and is less wasted). If we have used freezer bags, it is advisable to put them in hard and closed containers to prevent them from catching bad odors or breaking.

To defrost it:

Do it under hot water from the tap, in a bain-marie or in a bottle warmer. Heat until it reaches body temperature, about 37ºC. Breast milk should never be thawed in the microwave oven or allowed to boil (this causes the destruction of vitamins and important milk defenses). Once defrosted, it can be kept in the fridge for up to one more day and should never be frozen again.