How To Make Your Baby Feel Comfortable While Feeding

Breastfeeding is a natural process but delivering the milk from breast to belly needs a little know-how and a lot of practice. While a few moms get the hang of it quickly, first attempts by some can be haphazard. If you or somebody you know is becoming a mom soon, here’s some advice — make sure both the mom and baby are comfortable at all times. The latch should be accurate and comfortable always — a good sign in getting the feeding established.

START BY SITTING COMFORTABLY YOURSELF

Before you sit down to feed the baby, make sure you grab your favorite magazine, snacks, the TV remote, or whatever might require getting up later on. Secondly, make sure to sit comfortably yourself. You won’t be able to feed your child seamlessly for long if you aren’t comfortable with yourself, to begin with. To make sure the newborn is well-fed, the nursing sessions have to continue for 15 to 20 minutes.

TRY DIFFERENT BREASTFEEDING POSITIONS

It may take a while for you to get the hang of different breastfeeding positions. There’s no right or wrong way to hold your baby while you breastfeed. Each mother has her own preference, depending on what works best for her and the baby.

Knowing a few comfortable positions, however, can come in handy. As your baby gets older, you’ll have to start going out and about more so we suggest learning a few techniques. Remember, understanding the feel and look of a comfortable and successful latch is the core thing in establishing a breastfeeding session.

Following are a few breastfeeding positions you should get familiar with:

• Cradle hold
• Cross-cradle hold
• Laid-back or reclined position
• Side-lying position
• Double rugby ball hold
• Dancer hand rugby position
• Upright breastfeeding

GET A BREASTFEEDING PILLOW

Holding your baby in your lap while keeping the neck, spine, and head aligned is difficult. You need to make sure the posture is right, not twisted. Secondly, the chin should be facing up so the milk can easily flow down.

If you can manage this without any cushion or support, cool. If you find it difficult, we advise purchasing a breastfeeding pillow. It’ll work as a booster bed for your baby and help maintain the required posture.

CHECK YOUR LATCHING POSITION

A poor breastfeeding latch will not only give you sore nipples but it’ll also make your baby gassy. If the baby’s mouth is too far away from the nipple, he or she will have trouble draining your breasts. This can be frustrating and distressing for the baby. It can also lead you to poor weight gain and reduced milk supply.

If the baby’s mouth is too close and the flow of milk is excessive, it may make the baby throw up. So make sure you use a professional’s or senior woman’s help to guide you through the process at first.

SIGNS OF COMFORTABLE BREASTFEEDING

• One sign of a comfortable and accurate latch is that the baby will start with short and slow sucking before moving on to deeper pulls.
• If your baby is positioned comfortably and can cover your whole areola (not only the nipple) with a mouthful.
• The baby starts playing with your nipple.
• He or she may seem satisfied or stop sucking and swallowing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you notice the baby has had enough, you may have to break the suction. You can do this by inserting the thumb alongside the nipple and freeing it. Lastly, before you sit down to breastfeed, don’t forget to have a wee first. You may not get a chance to get up in the middle of a nursing session — say for about the next 20 to 30 minutes.