- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
The Nursing Mother's Companion
By Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S.
A baby is correctly positioned at the breast when his gums are on top of the areola, the dark area around the nipples. In this position he will compress the sinuses located beneath the areola to draw out milk. If he instead latches on only to the nipple and starts "chewing," the nipple will probably become sore and cracked, and perhaps even bleed. The baby will also be unable to compress the sinuses beneath the areola and may therefore get too little milk.
Probably the most important skill for you to master, initially, is that of getting the baby on the breast correctly. Some mothers can do this easily, but many need practice. It helps to unwrap the baby first. This will encourage his interest in latching on and make it easier for you to check his position.
The "cradle" or "cuddle" hold, in which the baby's head is held in the crook of the mother's arm, is considered the classic breastfeeding position. I have come to believe that for most new mothers and babies this position is usually not the easiest or most effective for getting a baby well latched on to the breast. In the first few weeks after birth, a baby hasn't developed enough muscular coordination to easily latch on without help; she needs a good deal of direction from her mother. But it is difficult to direct a newborn's head accurately with the inside of one's frearm. Although most mothers sooner or later begin using the cradle hold for most of their daytime nursings, in the early days of breastfeeding the cross-over and football holds are generally more useful.
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
