by Jennifer Levitsky Kasoff |
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Essentials
Here's a pretty, practical way to keep track of feedings! 
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Nature's Way of Satisfying Your Child
Don't worry that your milk supply will be inadequate. "It's a matter of your
child's demand driving your supply," Lawrence explains. "As the baby sucks, your
body automatically produces more milk." If your baby is not waking you first,
wake her every few hours at night for nursing. Staying on a regular feeding
schedule will also help regulate your milk flow, ensuring that enough nourishment
is available at the times your newborn has an appetite.
How will you know when your infant wants to eat? "Babies give visual cues when
they're hungry," says Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam, Ph.D., an ICEA-certified childbirth
educator (ICCE) in Newton Center, Massachusetts. "They'll start squirming in
their cribs or bassinets and will move their mouths and tongues around. After
that, they'll start putting their hands in their mouths. The last thing they do
is cry."
Your newborn instinctively knows how to nurse. Babies are born with what's called
a rooting reflex. If you rub their cheeks, babies will open their mouths.
Brushing a nipple against their lips will also spur the rooting reflex. Once your
infant's mouth is open, place your nipple and part of the areola (the darker or
pinker skin around the nipple) in the mouth. "You'll know you're in the proper
position if your child's nose and chin are touching your breast," says Kathy
Swift, MSN, IBCLC, coordinator, Breastfeeding Center at Rapides Women's and
Children's Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana. "If she's only latched onto the
nipple and not the areola, your nipple will feel sore and uncomfortable as she
sucks." (For more on breast discomfort, see "Breast Care Tips" on page 64.)
Your mental and physical well-being while nursing are of the utmost importance,
experts agree, because your milk will flow faster when you're relaxed and
comfortable. To get started, sit in a rocking chair or other cozy spot, turn off
the telephone if it distracts you, or play soothing music if it helps you feel
calm. Cuddle your baby on your lap and support her head with your forearm or in
the crook of your arm as you bring her to your breast. This is called the cradle
hold. (Make sure your child is positioned high enough to reach your breast
without straining - put cushions or pillows on your lap if needed.) You don't want
to be tugging your breast down to your child or it will make it harder for your
baby to latch on properly. Another position you can try is called the football
hold, where your baby's midsection is tucked under your arm and her legs and feet
stick out behind you.
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Related Articles:
 Express Yourself
Got Milk
Breastcare for Nursing Moms
Breast Friend Buying Guide
New Parent Report: Breastfeeding for Working Moms
New Parent Report: Neck Relief for Nursing Moms
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