~Getting Started With Breast Feeding

 When you hold your baby for the first time in the

delivery room, you should put his lips to your

breast.  Although your mature milk hasn't developed

yet, your breasts are still producing a substance

known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby 

from infections.

If your baby has trouble finding or staying on 

your nipple, you shouldn't panic.  Breast feeding is

an art that will require a lot of patience and a

lot of practice.  No one expects you to be an 

expert when you first start, so you shouldn't 

hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you

what you need to do.

Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn't

be painful.  When your baby latches on, pay attention

to how your breasts feel.  If the latching on 

hurts, break the suction then try again.

You should nurse quite frequently, as the more

you nurse the more quickly your mature milk will

come in and the more milk you'll produce.  Breast

feeding for 10 - 15 minutes per breast 8 - 10 times

every 24 hours is an ideal target.  Crying is a

sign of hunger, which means you should actually 

feed your baby before he starts crying.

During the first few days, you may have to wake

your baby to begin breast feeding, and he may end

up falling asleep during feeding.  To ensure that

your baby is eating often enough, you should wake

him up if it has been four hours since the last 

time he has been fed.

Getting comfortable

Feedings can take 40 minutes or longer, therefore

you'll want a cozy spot.  You don't want to be

sitting somewhere where you will be bothered, as it

can make the process very hard.