Breastfeeding for New Mothers
Imagine how it might feel to be a new mother who has decided to breastfeed her baby. There are so many thoughts and questions swirling around in her brain. Is she doing it right? Is the baby getting enough milk? Perhaps most importantly, how to hold and position the baby. These are just a few of the questions that as an expecting mother, I wonder about. Although breastfeeding is a natural process, each new mother will go through her own process of trial and error and of course plenty of practice before she considers herself a pro. Learning the ins and outs of breastfeeding before that first day should help to lessen the fear and uncertainty. While many women are familiar with breastfeeding, the new mother must become acquainted with the traditional cradle hold technique as well as the alternatives; cross-cradle hold, football/clutch hold, and laying down methods.
Breastfeeding is a natural method of providing nutrition for a newborn baby that is both widely used and highly recommended:
A woman may use one of the several positions to hold her infant while breastfeeding. There is no one "best" position for every infant and woman; the best …show more content…
Also called the transitional hold, this position requires the baby to be held flat against the chest and is usually done while sitting down (“Proper”). It is very similar to the cradle hold technique but allows for more control of the baby’s head. To feed from the right breast, the mother will support her baby’s head and body with her left forearm. Mothers should be cradling their baby’s head in the palm of their hand (Schanler and Enger). Again, mom can use her free hand to guide her baby to a proper latch. This is a good position to use for premature babies and babies who suckle weakly, however, mothers should not bend or lean forward while feeding, instead cradling the baby to their
Imagine how it might feel to be a new mother who has decided to breastfeed her baby. There are so many thoughts and questions swirling around in her brain. Is she doing it right? Is the baby getting enough milk? Perhaps most importantly, how to hold and position the baby. These are just a few of the questions that as an expecting mother, I wonder about. Although breastfeeding is a natural process, each new mother will go through her own process of trial and error and of course plenty of practice before she considers herself a pro. Learning the ins and outs of breastfeeding before that first day should help to lessen the fear and uncertainty. While many women are familiar with breastfeeding, the new mother must become acquainted with the traditional cradle hold technique as well as the alternatives; cross-cradle hold, football/clutch hold, and laying down methods.
Breastfeeding is a natural method of providing nutrition for a newborn baby that is both widely used and highly recommended:
A woman may use one of the several positions to hold her infant while breastfeeding. There is no one "best" position for every infant and woman; the best …show more content…
Also called the transitional hold, this position requires the baby to be held flat against the chest and is usually done while sitting down (“Proper”). It is very similar to the cradle hold technique but allows for more control of the baby’s head. To feed from the right breast, the mother will support her baby’s head and body with her left forearm. Mothers should be cradling their baby’s head in the palm of their hand (Schanler and Enger). Again, mom can use her free hand to guide her baby to a proper latch. This is a good position to use for premature babies and babies who suckle weakly, however, mothers should not bend or lean forward while feeding, instead cradling the baby to their