I would love to form a network of breastfeeding families that volunteer to help new mothers overcome the difficulties of breastfeeding. Our core mission would be to support each mother in meeting her individual breastfeeding goals. We would provide education, support, encouragement through mentorship and opportunities to meet and network with other breastfeeding families. Ultimately, we would help to provide a community wide culture in which breastfeeding is supported, encouraged, and the norm for nourishing our infants and young children.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
What the heck is a latch?
Simply put, a latch is the proper attachment of the baby's mouth with your breast!
There are some things that you must know in order to latch your baby properly. First, babies do not just suck your nipple. Lil bubba must access your milk by latching onto your nipple and areola. Babies don't just suck on your breast as they would a bottle, the motion is quiet different. It's more of a compression and swallowing. Have you ever seen someone milk a cow...no seriously! They sort of kneed the breast in order to get the milk to come out. The baby is doing the same thing on your breast.
You might feel like you are stuffing your breast in the babies mouth at first. The baby will take what she needs into her mouth and start to nurse. Remember, as you and baby start to get used to nursing it will hurt less and less. When you remove your nipple from the babes mouth rule number one is "break the latch or wait for the baby to unlatch" also make sure your nipple doesn't look like the tip of a brand new lipstick. If it does, the baby is latch on improperly.
Here is the honest truth...babies are born with the instinct to nurse but they may need a little help learning and they need time to feel out your breast anatomy. If you're really lucky you and your baby will automatically hit it off the first time you put her to your breast. If you're like most moms, you and baby will need some practice. Hit up Youtube to find videos of babies latching (I've posted a link for some videos), it's one thing to see pics but another to actually see a baby doing it. You might be surprised that you and sweet angel are not too far off from the ideal latch.
There are some things that you must know in order to latch your baby properly. First, babies do not just suck your nipple. Lil bubba must access your milk by latching onto your nipple and areola. Babies don't just suck on your breast as they would a bottle, the motion is quiet different. It's more of a compression and swallowing. Have you ever seen someone milk a cow...no seriously! They sort of kneed the breast in order to get the milk to come out. The baby is doing the same thing on your breast.
You might feel like you are stuffing your breast in the babies mouth at first. The baby will take what she needs into her mouth and start to nurse. Remember, as you and baby start to get used to nursing it will hurt less and less. When you remove your nipple from the babes mouth rule number one is "break the latch or wait for the baby to unlatch" also make sure your nipple doesn't look like the tip of a brand new lipstick. If it does, the baby is latch on improperly.
Here is the honest truth...babies are born with the instinct to nurse but they may need a little help learning and they need time to feel out your breast anatomy. If you're really lucky you and your baby will automatically hit it off the first time you put her to your breast. If you're like most moms, you and baby will need some practice. Hit up Youtube to find videos of babies latching (I've posted a link for some videos), it's one thing to see pics but another to actually see a baby doing it. You might be surprised that you and sweet angel are not too far off from the ideal latch.
Breastfeeding can be foreign
Hi nursing mommas & moms to be! Looking back I can remember a time when everything "breastfeeding" was foreign. I read everything under the sun about nursing but nothing would really prepare me for all that comes along with breastfeeding. There are so many emotional changes that you go through just from giving birth. If this is your first baby then the experience of being in a hospital might be traumatizing all within itself. Maybe your birth plan didn't work out like you planned and you ended up having an emergency c-section. Then they hand you the baby and say "feed him, or else" ...you poor thing! All of the unexpected can be scary. Don't fret, all that you're feeling or all that you felt is normal and you can overcome it. The main point is that you CAN breastfeed your baby, with little or no support. Hopefully you're surrounded by your mother who breastfed you, or your sis who nursed her little one, but that isn't reality for most people. Most ladies are depending on their health care providers to help and let me just be honest.......you will be lucky to find a nurse or lactation consultant that will take the time to support you. If you do find one, make her your best friend while you're in the hospital. You are responsible for the health and well being of your tiny, innocent, baby. Empower yourself momma! Read everything you can, supplement with formula temporarily if you have to, give the baby a bottle if you need to, don't for one second feel guilty. Breastfeeding isn't black and white, although many websites and information out there makes it so. Take it from me, although I'm no expert (what does qualify someone to be a breastfeeding expert) YOU CAN DO IT, even if you think you can't!
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