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You are here: Home / Breastfeeding information / Breastfeeding Your Baby – Easy Read

Breastfeeding Your Baby – Easy Read

Beginning breastfeeding: baby's first feed

Hold your baby skin-to-skin as soon as he is born. Encourage him to breastfeed as soon as possible.

Latching on

Baby with chin and lower lip touching breast, opening mouth wide to stretch over nipple

  • Get comfortable and relaxed—sit or lie with your back well supported.
  • Keep your breast at its natural level. Bring baby to breast, not breast to baby.
  • Keep baby’s head and body in line, his tummy against you and his nose opposite your nipple.
  • If you support his back and neck, leave his head free to tip back so he can open his mouth wide.
  • Help baby latch on ‘chin first’ with his head tilted back.
  • As he latches on, his lower jaw will be well back from your nipple so that he can take in a really big mouthful of
    breast tissue.Same baby as on previous picture, now successfully latched on the breast
  • Once he latches on, snuggle him in close against you.

It’s ok to ask for help—it can take a while for breastfeeding to become easy.
Call our helpline: 0345 120 2918,

Find a local LLL Leader to talk to, or
Find your local LLL group here.

 

Colostrum

  • Rich milk made in the first few days.
  • Small amounts (teaspoons, not tablespoons).
  • Protects against infection.
  • Clears meconium— helps reduce jaundice.
  • Satisfies baby’s thirst and hunger.

Enough milk?

  • After milk comes in: 6–8 wet nappies in 24 hours (5–6 disposables). 
  • 3 or more poos per day mean baby is getting enough milk.

Newborn a few hours old at the breastMilk too weak? Never!

  • Your milk has everything your baby needs. He will tell you when he’s had enough.
  • Finish first breast first and
  • Offer other breast if baby is still hungry.

How often?

  • Breastfeed baby 10–12 times in 24 hours.
  • Hold him and wake him if he’s very sleepy.
  • The more you breastfeed the more milk you make.
  • Resting the breasts results in less milk.

Engorgement

  • Cold cloths or cabbage leaves between feeds reduce swelling.
  • Warmth before feeding helps milk flow.
  • Soften breasts by expressing some milk.
  • Breastfeed often!

Sore nipples

Baby breastfeeding with hand resting on mother's handRemember: good positioning and latch-on are most important for preventing sore nipples.

  • Break suction before taking baby off the breast.
  • Offer the least sore breast first.
  • Avoid plastic against nipples.
  • Use only plain water for washing.
  • Get skilled help.

Why avoid bottles

Diagram showing why to avoid bottles

click for larger image

Baby needs night feeds

Human milk is easy and quick to digest and babies have tiny tummies—so babies need to wake at night to eat.

Smiling baby breastfeeding, photo courtesy of Kimberly Sears Allers

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Seals Allers

Blocked duct?

You may feel a tender lump in your breast:
• Apply warmth before feeding.
• Feed often.
• Check baby’s attachment.
• Rest. Keep breastfeeding.
• If no better after 24 hours, contact GP.

Growth spurts

Baby feeds more often to build milk production. ‘Frequency days and nights’ often occur around 2–4 weeks of age.

Back to work

• Get breastfeeding going well before starting back.
• Ask about facilities at work for expressing and storing your milk.
• Pump to express milk at work.
• Take milk home for the next day’s feeds.
• Breastfeed often on days at home.

An LLL group mum and baby, with text "If you are going through a tough time, hang on. There is tons of support out there, you just need to reach out"

Kimberly Seals Allers’ photos on this site are used under a creative commons license of Black Breastfeeding 360° http://mochamanual.com/bb/

Further Reading
Comfortable Breastfeeding – easy read

Talk to an LLL Leader

Filed Under: Beginning Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding information Tagged With: attachment, beginning breastfeeding, blocked duct, colostrum, early days, easy read, engorgement, latch, return to work, sore nipples

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