What is latching?
Latch or latching is the term used to describe when your baby is correctly attached to your nipple correctly and is ready to nurse. To tell if your baby has latched on correctly, look for alignment of your baby and their position at the breast Listen for your baby’s swallowing You may feel uterine cramps, feel drowsy, and tugging/pulling on the... [Read more...]
Breast pumps
Breast pumps come in several general styles depending on their expected use. Hospital-grade electric breast pumps – As the name suggests these are generally used in hospitals or on occasions where an accurate substitute for a baby’s sucking is needed. These pumps are useful to stimulate milk production and larger volume milk collection... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding toddlers
Babies breastfeed, and if they are very lucky, in the West, they are allowed to follow their biological norm and breastfeed into toddler-hood. There is no ‘natural’ time to fully wean an infant, and thus refuse it your breast. All infants give up breastfeeding themselves, when they have finished with it, and move on. This usually occurs... [Read more...]
How often should I breastfeed my baby?
Before your milk supply is established, breastfeeding should be “on demand” (or as often as when your baby is hungry), which is generally every 1½ to 3 hours. As newborns get older, they’ll need to nurse less frequently, and may develop a more reliable schedule. Some may feed every hour and a half, whereas others may go 2 or 3... [Read more...]
Flailing Hands
For some mother’s their child’s flailing hands can present a challenge for latch. A hungry baby can sometimes be their own worst enemy by batting at and inadvertently pushing the breast away. There are several strategies you can try if flailing hands becomes a problem. First you might try giving your baby some time to massage and feel... [Read more...]
How long will a breastfeeding session last?
As a new mother who has decide to breastfeed then it’s very likely that you’ve wondered, how long does it take to nurse? The answer depends on you, your baby and a few other things such as: how developed your milk supply has become how quickly your “let-down” happens, immediately or a few minuted into nursing how fast your milk flows how you... [Read more...]
What are the advantages of breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding provides ideal nourishment and a special bonding experience that many new mothers cherish. What are some of the advantages to breastfeeding: Infection-fighting. A mother who breastfeeds her baby passes antibodies to her child which can help lower the occurrence of many conditions, including: ear infections diarrhea respiratory infections meningitis Other... [Read more...]
How do I begin Relactating and Resuming Breastfeeding?
Circumstances may arise that may cause you to stop breastfeeding or find that being separated from your baby has led to decreased milk supply despite pumping. Regardless of the reason you stopped breastfeeding it is sometimes possible to begin again, to re-lactate, and begin providing all or part of the nourishment your baby requires. Re-lactation... [Read more...]
How often should I alternate breasts?
How often should I alternate breasts? It is important to alternate breasts more for your sake than for your child. Changing between breasts while you nurse will maintain the milk supply in both and prevent one or the other from becoming painfully filled with milk. As for how much time should you spend nursing before you alternate to the other breast,... [Read more...]
Thrush, Candida, or Yeast Infections
The common yeast infection that you or your baby may experience is also called thrush or candida. Infants with thrush have white patches inside their mouths or an angry looking rash on their bottoms. As a mother you can experience sharp shooting pain in your breast with sometimes red and tender nipples. You may also see patches of red or white on... [Read more...]
