Breastfeeding Basics

Our little guy is exclusively breastfed so far, and I'm really pleased with how well it's going, how much I enjoy spending time feeding him (even though I wish he'd let me sleep a bit longer at night), and how easy it has been. So far, at least, we've had no problems - he learned to latch on properly his first day in the hospital, and he's been eating well ever since then - he regained his birth weight and more by the time of his 10-day checkup, and he already weighs more than 10 pounds!

I like knowing that I can provide for our baby like this and seeing how well he is growing from the nourishment I'm giving him. One other nice thing about breastfeeding is that the body burns calories making all that baby food! Though I haven't had time to exercise since Ari was born (unless you count a couple of ab exercises and a few walks to the park), and though I have a ways to go in this regard, I am slowly and steadily losing the baby weight!

I skimmed a few sections of my copy of The Nursing Mother's Companion (which I highly recommend as an excellent reference to have on hand) before Ari was born, but I didn't read much on breastfeeding ahead of time. For any other moms-to-be who are in the same boat, here is what I think you basically need to know:*

• Make sure your baby is latching on properly. Every nursing book and website gives the same general guidelines for a proper latch, including pictures of proper latches, so I won't repeat all that here, but if have time to read nothing else about breastfeeding ahead of time, just make sure you know what a proper latch looks like. If you can help the baby get this right, it's more likely that everything else will go well - you won't be sore, baby will get enough milk, etc. In short, if it hurts when baby is latched on or if he doesn't seem to be drinking and swallowing, you probably need to adjust the latch. Either help baby adjust his latch (for example, I sometimes need to gently push down on my baby's chin a bit to open his mouth a little more), or detach him from the breast and try again. 
• Don't always use the same nursing position, but put the baby in different nursing positions (football, cradle, side lying) as you nurse throughout the day. For me, at least, this helps make sure the baby evenly drains the milk and has helped keep me comfortable and prevent blocked ducts.
• If you think you may be getting a blocked duct, the next time baby nurses at that breast, aim his or her chin at the area that feels too full. So if the outside edge of the breast feels uncomfortably full, use the football hold the next time you nurse, for example.
• This isn't absolutely necessary, but I think it's helpful to encourage your baby to completely finish one side when he nurses. This will help keep you more comfortable, will ensure baby is eating enough, and will help prevent your baby from wanting to "snack" constantly. If the baby starts to fall asleep shortly after starting nursing, stroke his face, remove excess clothing to make sure he is not too warm, or put a cool cloth on his forehead to wake him up so that he will finish nursing.
  

*Obviously, if there are special considerations that might interfere with nursing - the baby is premature, a difficult delivery made it impossible to get started with breastfeeding right away, mom's nipple shape makes latching difficult, or baby is "tongue-tied" - you should know more than a few general guidelines. These are just the basics, and the tips I've found most helpful so far!