from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Breastfeeding can be challenging during the first week after birth, even for women who have breastfed in the past. By knowing what to expect and how to increase your chances at effectively breastfeeding in the first week, you can set yourself up for a successful breastfeeding experience throughout your baby’s first week of life and beyond.
Steps
Breastfeed Early and Often To give yourself the best chance at producing sufficient milk in the first week, it is important to try to breastfeed at every opportunity. This will help encourage your body to produce milk and will help you and your new baby adjust to the process of breastfeeding.- Try breastfeeding almost immediately after birth. The sooner you introduce your baby to the breast, the better your chances of having the baby accept and effectively breastfeed. It will also immediately prompt your body to begin the process of producing milk.
- Request the baby stay in your room or be brought in for feedings. Having your baby nearby encourages the stimulation of important maternal hormones that promote milk production.
- If you give birth in a hospital, request that the staff either allow your baby to remain in your room or be brought in every 1 to 2 hours–even overnight–for feeding.
- Do not allow hospital staff to supplement your breastfeeding with sugar water or infant formula unless the baby has a medical need for additional calories, suffers from a feeding problem, or you are temporarily physically unable to attempt to breastfeed.
- Offer the breast every single time the baby wants to feed. Do not offer pacifiers and instruct medical staff at the hospital that you do not want the baby offered pacifiers or bottles. The more frequently you bring the baby to your breast to try to feed, the more your body will receive signals to produce milk and the more accustomed your baby will become to sucking effectively, which encourages the production and let-down of milk.
