Breastfeeding – The beginning!
Excerpt from New Baby 101 Pages 37/38
Every mother and baby combination is unique, and there is no single way to breastfeed that is right for everyone. Research into babies’ instinctive feeding reflexes and behaviours has informed us over recent years. We now understand how these reflexes enable babies to feed in the most comfortable way for themselves and their mothers, and to optimise milk transfer in the process. I emphasise the following information is provided to guide the process of learning to breastfeed comfortably and successfully, and mothers can adapt their personal method to suit their own anatomy and their baby’s individual preferences, which will change as they grow.
SKIN TO SKIN AND BREAST CRAWL
This is the starting point of the intimate relationship between mother and baby, but it is much more than a warm-fuzzy-feeling thing to do. Skin to skin contact with baby laid on mother’s bare chest is the natural protective ‘habitat’ of the newborn baby, and this positioning switches on baby’s brain to instinctively search for the breast. Baby begins by lifting his head, bobbing and stroking his face and cheeks on her skin, and with upper body movements and perhaps crawling motions of his legs and feet, he begins wriggling purposefully towards a breast. The mother instinctively gives baby gentle support of his body keeping him closely snuggled against her body. As his face touches the breast and his chin contacts the breast tissue under the nipple, he will gape his mouth widely with his tongue down, and “launch to latch” to the breast. In the seconds that follow baby’s latch creates a vacuum as he draws breast tissue in to fill his mouth, and suckling begins.
This is an inborn ability that all well newborns can demonstrate when given the opportunity and right environment. In ideal circumstances for a well newborn baby and mother, baby can “self latch” following a breast crawl, or when being held with his face resting against the mother’s breast. This is an awesome sight and experience when it happens! Even if the first hour after birth has been interrupted and baby has not breastfed in that time, recreating the skin to skin environment and supporting mother-baby natural interactions and responses may result in an unassisted latch and suckle. Midwives are experts at enabling mothers to breastfeed their newborn babies. It is essential, of course, that these early breastfeeds are comfortable for the mother too.
The advances of Biological Nurturing and baby-led, mother-guided approaches, recently referred to as the physiologic approaches to breastfeeding initiation, help empower both women…and are now widely applied in breastfeeding initiation. However, physiologic approaches are not enough to ensure successful breastfeeding for many women in the weeks and months post-birth.
In the early hours and days of life babies do best if they are cuddled frequently in skin to skin contact, and this will enhance the baby’s instinctive responses and the mother’s breastfeeding skill development. Beginning breastfeeds with a breast crawl will ensure baby is ready and natural feeding reflexes are ‘switched on’.
Mother can help baby to attach to the breast however she finds works best for her baby and her own comfortable breastfeeding experience. Watch the New Baby 101 video: “How to breastfeed your baby”. https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=NTblsdJ_qck
Note: The mother in the video uses her hand folded beside her areola to assist the baby to latch. She has found this is what works for her. Techniques such as gently shaping the breast or placing a finger or thumb above the nipple to tilt it upwards and into baby’s mouth may also work well, provided her fingers are not placed anywhere that obstructs baby’s face, chin and mouth contacting the breast.
breastfeeding, newbaby category