Getting started - breastfeeding basics

Welcome to the wonderful world of breastfeeding! I admit there is a bit of sarcasm dripping off those typed words - using your body to feed another human is really, REALLY hard work and it's not always wonderful. There won't always be sunshine and butterflies surrounding you as you lovingly gaze down at your precious, rosy-cheeked infant (who is latched perfectly and feeding calmly, of course!). Your baby will never say thank you for enduring all the sacrifices and struggles that can come along with breastfeeding. But guess what? For so many people (including myself) it is completely and totally worth it. 

Here are some basic ideas to keep in mind during those first crazy days/weeks/months:

- Hello, mommy milk machine!

Welcome to your new job: mommy milk machine! You will feed your baby allllll the time. Babies have to eat every two hours, and sadly for us this means two hours from the beginning of the feed. Add this to the fact that your little critter might take 45 minutes to eat, and you can see that feeding will be your primary job for at least a month or two. Learn to ignore things like clutter and laundry, or pay or bribe someone else to take care of it for you. This was really hard for me, but you just have to accept it as yet another change that has come your way.

- Positioning

Your baby’s ear, shoulder & hip should be aligned and you should be lined up with your baby belly to belly. Pick somewhere comfortable to sit that has a lot of back support (eg: a rocking chair, against the bed headboard). To minimize neck and back pain, bring the baby to you instead of leaning over to the baby. Also, support your arms in some way (pillows, Boppy, chair with arms). My wrists were KILLING me after only a few days of breastfeeding because I tried to support the weight of his little noggin in my hands only.

- Latch

There are lots of good resources on the web to show you how to latch your baby properly. The keys to a good latch are making sure the baby’s mouth is open wide, your breast is inserted far into his mouth, his lips are flipped up and his chin and nose are touching the breast. Someone told me it should look like a fish kissing a wall. Hey, whatever image floats your boat. 

Here's a good video from ameda.com showing a proper latch. Just beware that if you're having trouble, the babies shown would definitely earn those A+ Breastfeeder stickers I talked about earlier. Resist the urge to throw something and try to learn from them instead :). 

Kellymom.com is one of my favorite breastfeeding websites because it presents so much information without being pushy or preachy. Check out What is Normal? to see some good articles on common concerns during breastfeeding.