How to Get Breastfeeding Off To A Strong Start

1. Make sure your baby latches on correctly (have a lactation consultant show you how). An incorrect latch quickly leads to painfully sore nipples. Don't allow your baby to nurse with an incorrect latch while you wince and bear it. You'll be establishing a painfully bad habit which will soon make you want to give up. Instead, insert your finger into baby's mouth to break the suction, and pull away. Express a little milk onto your nipple, tease baby's lips until she opens wide enough to fit around your entire areola, and quickly pop your nipple in her mouth. The baby's mouth should cover your entire areola, and your nipple should be drawn into the back of his mouth, where sucking motions won't pinch it. If you feel pinching or pain, break away and try again.
2. If you run into any difficulties or questions, ask for help from a lactation consultant. Join a breastfeeding support group like La Leche League for more tips, advice, and encouragement. Keep a copy of "The Nursing Mother's Companion" and "The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding" for more detailed answers to every possible question. Go to www.KellyMom.com for quality breastfeeding advice and tips.
3. Establish a comfortable "nursing station" in your house. This could be a rocking chair or cozy corner of the couch, a nursing support pillow like "Boppy" or "My Breast Friend", a bottle of water, extra nursing pads, and a book or the remote control. Having a cordless phone on hand is helpful, too, so you don't have to disturb your baby to answer it.
4. Follow your baby's cues, and nurse on demand. Your baby knows what he/she needs better than any book or schedule, and your breasts need frequent stimulation to produce the right amount of milk for your baby's changing needs from day to day. Learning to eat only when you're hungry and stop when you're full (instead of when the clock says) is an important healthy habit for life-long moderation and weight control. Forcing a hungry baby to wait for the clock can cause them to gulp down air, eat too much, and distrust that their needs will be met.
5. Remember that most newborns have a growth spurt every 2-3 weeks. You can tell when one is about to start because all of a sudden they'll want to nurse non-stop around the clock. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with your milk supply! Your baby is naturally "priming the pump", so to speak, to make sure your milk supply increases to meet the feeding demands of the growth spurt. Also, crying or constantly wanting to nurse doesn't mean they're not getting enough milk. It can mean gas, teething, reflux, a need for more skin-to-skin contact, or other things. Check with your pediatrician if you suspect a problem.
6. DON'T SUPPLEMENT! So long as your newborn is having enough wet and dirty diapers (6-12 wet, 2-4 dirty in a 24-hour period), and maintaining or gaining weight, resist the temptation to supplement with formula.Breastfeeding naturally works on a supply-and-demand basis. Every time your baby feeds, he/she is stimulating your breasts to produce more milk for the same time the next day. Every time you supplement with a bottle instead of nursing, your body gets the message that there is no demand for milk, and will decrease production to prevent engorgement. The only way to bypass this is to pump every time that you bottle-feed.
7. If you plan to go back to work, wait until nursing is well established before introducing the pump. No pump is as efficient as your baby in emptying your breasts and stimulating them to produce more milk. Skip the pump for as long as you can.
8. Co-sleep. This makes night nursing much easier and helps everyone get more sleep, especially the first few months when baby's tummy is the size of a walnut. If a mother must go back to work during the day, co-sleeping is a great way to re-establish bonding time at night. For safety tips, see my article "How to Co-Sleep Safely With Your Baby".
9. Learn to nurse in public. If you have to stay at home all the time or banish yourself to the car or dirty public restrooms and dressing rooms, you're likely to give up out of loneliness and frustration, and wean too soon. Learning to discreetly nurse wherever you may be is key to establishing a long-lasting, satisfying breastfeeding experience. For more tips, see my article "How to Breastfeed In Public".
10. If you suspect a problem (such as your baby being tongue-tied), consult your pediatrician. If your baby is not gaining weight, or does not have enough wet diapers, check with your lactation consultant and pediatrician.
11. Neither the World Health Organization or the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend introducing solid food (including cereal), before 6 months. A newborn's digestive system is still immature and developing, and introducing solid foods too soon can lead to digestive problems and food allergies. Breastmilk is best!