Will I Make Enough Milk to Breastfeed?
The first few days after birth, your breasts make an ideal "first milk." It's called colostrum. Colostrum is thick, yellowish, and scant, but there's plenty to meet your baby's nutritional needs. Colostrum helps a newborn's digestive tract develop and prepare itself to digest breast milk. Most babies lose a small amount of weight in the first 3 to 5 days after birth. This is unrelated to breastfeeding.
As your baby needs more milk and nurses more, your breasts respond by making more milk. Experts recommend breastfeeding exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. If you supplement with formula, your breasts might make less milk. Even if you breastfeed less than the recommended 6 months, it's better to breastfeed for a short time than no time at all. You can add solid food at 6 months but also continue to breastfeed if you want to keep producing milk.
What's the Best Position for Breastfeeding?
The best position for you is the one where you and your baby are both comfortable and relaxed, and you don't have to strain to hold the position or keep nursing. Here are some common positions for breastfeeding your baby:
• Cradle position. Rest the side of your baby's head in the crook of your elbow with his whole body facing you. Position your baby's belly against your body so he feels fully supported. Your other, "free" arm can wrap around to support your baby's head and neck -- or reach through your baby's legs to support the lower back.
• Football position. Line your baby's back along your forearm to hold your baby like a football, supporting his head and neck in your palm. This works best with newborns and small babies. It's also a good position if you're recovering from a cesarean birth and need to protect your belly from the pressure or weight of your baby.
• Side-lying position. This position is great for night feedings in bed. Side-lying also works well if you're recovering from an episiotomy, an incision to widen the vaginal opening during delivery. Use pillows under your head to get comfortable. Then snuggle close to your baby and use your free hand to lift your breast and nipple into your baby's mouth. Once your baby is correctly "latched on," support your baby's head and neck with your free hand so there's no twisting or straining to keep nursing.
