How to Breastfeed Step by Step
(with a trick step at the end)
Go straight to trick step to get baby latched on quicker!
or
Watch video first
How to breastfeed?
What?!
You mean to tell me that the act of doing something so natural doesn't come naturally to every mother?
Well obviously not. Because it sure didn't come natural to me.
I wanted to be prepared for breastfeeding before the baby came. So I read a bunch of breastfeeding books and scoured the internet for information, ranging from "How to Breastfeed" to "The Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding".
This was how I learned to breastfeed, considering the fact that I knew no one who breastfed, and had only seen one person in my entire life breastfeeding - a lady in Seattle nursing her toddler.
I didn't really find anything negative about breastfeeding, besides all the
pain associated with it.
But some of this pain could be relieved with the right breastfeeding position.
These are the steps I did when learning how to breastfeed, including a trick step at the end if you still can't get the baby latched on after following all the steps.
After doing these steps many times over (which will happen in less than 24 hours), breastfeeding will become natural to you. Then you will be able to show others how to breastfeed.
STEP 1
Situp (once you become a pro you can learn to lay down and breastfeed), in a chair with arms, on the couch or in the bed.
If you are in a chair with arms, sitting up straight, place either a regular pillow or a breastfeeding pillow in your lap.
If you are on the couch or in the bed, surround yourself with pillows. Put one under each elbow and one on your lap. Or you could just use a breastfeeding pillow.
If you are in the bed, make sure your knees are propped up.
Once breastfeeding becomes natural to you, you won't need the pillows anymore because you will know how to breastfeed without them. Although, I still use them sometimes just to keep my hands free to read or write (or play), while nursing.
Ok. Now that you're set, let's get the little hungry one.
STEP 2
Lay the baby on top of the pillow in your lap, on his side, facing you. His whole body should face you. His face, chest, stomach, legs. His stomach should be touching yours.
The reasoning behind this is simple......
Turn your head to the left or right....as far as it can go....and swallow three times.
Now turn your head back forward, to the normal position, and swallow three times......
Which way feels more comfortable while swallowing?
Exactly. Looking forward with your body and head facing the same way.
Although your baby will nurse regardless, it's just more comfortable this way.
If you continue to breastfeed into the baby's toddler years, you won't have to worry so much about this step because the toddler will be in more control. And you will just know how to breastfeed better.
Now that we have the baby in your lap and turned the right way, let's get this nipple in his mouth.
STEP 3
Your baby's head should be one of 3 ways:
• laying on your forearm
• laying in the inside of your elbow
• you holding it up with your hand this is near the head
If you are doing the last one, place your hand at the back of his neck as to support the head, neck and back at the same time.
With your free hand, grasp your breast with your fingers underneath and your thumb on top.
Rub your nipple on the baby's lips. If he doesn't open his mouth, rub your nipple on his cheek that's closest to you.
The baby has to open his mouth wide. And when he does, bring him towards you stuffing the nipple in his mouth as far back as it will go!
I know that sounds pretty harsh, but it's important to get as much as possible of the dark part around the nipple (the areola) into the baby's mouth in order to prevent sore nipples. Also, because this is how milk gets into the baby's mouth.
The baby's tongue and top gums are basically massaging this area and milk is squirted out through the nipple into the back of the throat.
This video shows you how to latch your baby on.
Voilá! Now you know how to breastfeed!
You are a breastfeeding mama!
Click here for another latching on video.You will know your baby's hunger is being satisfied when you feel the milk letdown and you hear and see your baby taking long deep swallows.
Sounds simple enough right?
Well it wasn't that simple for me and my first child. We couldn't quite get that last part where the baby needed to open wide.
Here was my solution to that.
TRICK STEP
I kept trying over and over to get the baby properly latched on until both of us got frustrated. (Of course he was more frustrated due to hunger).
Eventually he would start crying. This made his mouth open very wide. At this moment I would stuff the nipple into his mouth.
It worked!
Both of us were happy!
It's so funny how babies learn so quickly! From that point on, everytime he would cry to nurse, he would intentionally open his mouth extremely wide in order to help mommy put the nipple in......
So precious!
If you feel pain on your nipples, put your finger in the side of the baby's mouth to break the suction and gently pull the breast out and start over again.
Whatever you do, don't give up! I was at my point of giving up when I finally got it!
Breastfeeding is absolutely painless and effortless once you know how to breastfeed.
In no time you will be walking from room to room while holding your baby in your arms breastfeeding! Seriously. I do it all the time!
