Breastfeeding: 1st Lesson towards Motherhood

Guest Blogger - Neiha Sharma

After a baby is born, the first and the strongest connect it has in the world is with itsmother. And breastfeeding plays the most crucial part in further strengthening this bond. Though a natural process, it doesn’t come very easily to both motherand infant. It’s the first lesson that an infant learns for survival and the first lesson or should we say, skill, for a woman towards motherhood. Like they say, with every newborn, a mother is born too!

To some new moms, the skill comes quite naturally, but others have a really tough time trying to figure out the right way, like in my case. It took me almost 5-6 days establishing Breastfeed. The problem was not of insufficient supply, but the right technique. The guilt of not being able to do the most basic thing a mother can do for her baby was killing me from within! Later on I realized, had there not been added pressure from the people around me, things would have been much easier! I feel it’s very important for grown-ups to understand that the woman who’s just come out of the delivery room might have spent some 20-30 odd years on this earth, but as a mother, it’s her first day! She’s learning too!

I never thought a job that looks so simple could involve so much technique! My daughter was born through forceps delivery and as a result, she had developed a lump in her head, which could have been fatal had it not been treated in time. Doctor had clearly said the only thing that could improve her condition was a good intake of mother feed and NO top-feed whatsoever. BFing itself is a task for any new mom, but when you fear losing your child over insufficient milk intake, the mentalpressure just multiplies by zillions. Time was ticking fast, hours turned into days but she just wouldn’t latch on! All the ‘Experienced’ moms around me kept on giving their valuable tips and suggestions but nothing really helped. Everyone came with their different set of instruction manuals, trying to make things work out for me, while actually only adding to my agony and confusion. This was when my mother decided to put her foot down. Relatives were politely told to stay at bay. A lactation expert was called in. I erased every instruction given by my relatives so far and blindly followed her. To my surprise, 90% of what other moms told me was trashed by the Doctor and it worked just fine for me.... Within hours, I started feeding my baby without much hassle!

So out of myexperience and as per my LACTATION EXPERT, here are some DO’s/DON’Ts and MYTHS about Breastfeeding, so that other new moms don’t face difficulty like I did.

MYTHS ABOUT BREASTFEEDING

1. You must watch your baby’s nose while feeding, else s/he might suffocate to death. WRONG! If your baby was not born premature and had a decent birth-weight, you don’t need to worry about it. The baby will automatically stop latching-on to you if s/he feels breathless.
2. You must keep two fingers around areola while feeding to control flow. WRONG Keeping fingers around it will only put an extra strain on you, physically and mentally. It does not control flow of milk. That entirely depends on how fast your baby is sucking and how relaxed you are.
3. Most of the babies tend to have a favourite side for taking feed. WRONG Babies don’t have preferences when it comes to taking feed. It actually depends on the mother! At times, you don’t have the same comfort level both sides while feeding. And when you are not comfortable/relaxed, it will directly affect the inflow.

DO’s OF HEALTHY BREASTFEEDING

1. Before starting to feed, it is very important for you to relax. Seat yourself comfortably on a chair, giving a good support to your back. Remember not to slouch while feeding. THUMBRULE: After you hold your baby, bring him/her close to your chest instead of you reaching out to him/her. (Those mothers who ignore this minor detail are prone to developing some serious back and neck problems)
2. Besides relaxing physically, it is also important to relax mentally before your feed your baby. So DE-STRESS yourself. If there is any physical/mental tension in your body, you won’t be able to feed properly. This is so because the pores in your nipples open only when the body is relaxed. If there is any discomfort, the pores will not open completely, thus affecting feed. Slow/no feed irritates your baby and thus it becomes fussy or refuses to take feed.
3. While feeding, you don’t really need to hold it for your baby. You just need one hand to support the baby’s head. The second hand can be set free after baby has latched on.
4. For your baby to latch-on the right way, s/he should suck on to a larger area of areola. Don’t forget, your baby will also take some time to learn how to latch-on properly. Have patience. The more you panic, longer it will take!
5. Whether you are feeding in sitting/lying position, it’s very important to make sure the baby is lying on its side while taking feed. If the baby is lying on its back, it will have to turn its neck at 90 degrees to latch-on. This can lead to a lot of problems as the baby is not able to gulp milk properly.

FINAL WORDS: In the end, one final TIP for new moms. Don’t let people around you affect you by their opinion. By falling for these talks, you are actually delaying the process further. Feeding the baby soon after birth is extremely important, but it will only happen once you calm down completely. So give yourself a few minutes, maybe meditate for a couple of minutes and then go back to trying. Above everything else, Right frame of mind is what it takes to feed your baby efficiently!


Happy Parenting!

Neiha Sharma is a confident, strong, determined Ex-Media professional turned into a SAHM for 18 month Old Anika. Based out of Delhi-NCR Neiha has worked with Zee News and Headlines Today Network, currently handling her toughest assignment of being a mom.