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Home › Articles › Breastfeeding Basics › Breastfeeding 101

Breastfeeding 101

How Well Do You Know the Basics of the Breast?

By Heather Johnson Durocher

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2. True. Unlike bottle-feeding, breastfeeding doesn't provide moms with a definite idea of how much her baby is drinking. To feel confident your baby is getting enough, keep an eye on her diapers.

Typically during the first few days while your baby is receiving your immunity-boosting colostrum, he will wet only one to two diapers per day. Once your milk comes in, your baby should begin to have six to eight wet cloth diapers (five to six wet disposable diapers) per day. (An easy way to feel the weight of a wet disposable diaper is to pour 2 to 4 tablespoons of water in a dry diaper.) In addition, most young babies will have at least two to five bowel movements every 24 hours for the first several months, although some babies will switch to less frequent but larger bowel movements at about 6 weeks.

Avoid the temptation to pump your breasts in order to "see" how much milk you are making. Breast pumps – even the good ones – aren't a match for your baby's natural sucking rhythms and power. A baby will get more – much more – from the breast than a breast pump will.

3. True. Finding nursing positions that are comfortable for both you and your baby is key to a successful breastfeeding relationship, as when you're relaxed, your baby will sense this and latch on more effectively. This process may feel overwhelming at first – perhaps a position you thought would work great isn't so wonderful after all – but rest assured that with practice and patience, you'll find one or more that works for both of you.

If you feel pain when your bby latches on, gently remove her from your breast by breaking the suction with your little finger, and try again. Four positions to consider:


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