How can you have a successful breastfeeding journey?
Why is breastfeeding important?
Breastfeeding is such a special bonding time for mum and bub and with good, informative antenatal information about feeding and ongoing support it increases a woman’s chances of a successful breastfeeding journey with their baby.
Your breastmilk is the perfect food and the benefits of breastfeeding for both mum and baby are ample.
Benefits of breastfeeding for baby include:
- Provides all your baby’s nutritional needs for the first 6 months of life
- Protects your baby against gastroenteritis and diarrhoea, ear, and chest infections, allergies, diabetes
- Supports baby’s immune system
Benefits of breastfeeding for mothers include:
- Reduces the risk of bleeding after birth
- It helps you return to pre-pregnancy weight
- Convenient
- Quickly soothes a fussy baby
- Protects you against breast and ovarian cancer and osteoporosis or brittle bones
- Helps create a close and loving bond with baby which produces a strong hormonal response
- Linked to higher breastfeeding success and longer breastfeeding duration
We also have an album available for purchase called “Breastfeeding & Bonding with Baby”. This album has been created to help you to reduce tension and enhance your level of relaxation during breastfeeding whilst you bond with your precious baby.
Being a new mother is a beautiful and exciting experience, however it can also be a challenging time. Babies who are breastfed tend to be much happier, well-adjusted and enjoy better health.
Research shows that relaxation can increase milk production by up to 63%. Stress hormones, anxiety and fatigue are also known to inhibit milk supply; and this is why regular relaxation can be highly beneficial when feeding your baby.
It is recommended that you listen to the first track, ‘Affirmations for Breastfeeding & Bonding’, on a regular basis. You can play it in the background as you go about your daily routine. This will help to program your subconscious with positive thoughts and expectations. Affirmations can be a powerful tool to help you change your mood, state of mind, and manifest any changes you desire in your life.
The second track, ‘Breastfeeding & Bonding with Baby Relaxation’, is designed to assist you to relax and have a positive mindset for feeding. It is recommended that you not listen to this relaxation on occasions when you are particularly tired. It is important that you stay awake throughout your feed (for safety). If you feel your attention drifting away, just gently refocus your mind back to your beautiful baby and the messages given in the audio.
Enjoy some special time to release and let go, as you bond with your baby and breastfeed with ease. You can click here to purchase.
How can you have a successful breastfeeding journey?
Position, position, position
Getting the latch right is so important to comfortable breastfeeding. Babies breastfeed they don’t nipple feed, so if the feed hurts you can bet the baby has sucked the nipple to the hard palate, thereby squashing the nipple and causing friction.
Demand feeding
Your baby will feed a minimum of 7 to 8 times and up to 12 times in 24 hours whilst breastfeeding is being established this is very normal and will settle with time.
Using teats, dummies, and complementary feeds
Your young baby is learning to breastfeed and can become confused if offered a teat or dummy before they have learnt to breastfeed well. Offering fluids other than break milk will decrease the time your baby breastfeeds, which will reduce the your breast milk supply.
Exclusive breastfeeding to six months
When babies are exclusively breastfed, they need no other food or drink until at least six months of age. You can be confident that your baby is receiving enough breast milk when you see six or more heavy wet nappies, at least one bowel action a day in the early weeks and your baby usually settles after most feeds.
Breastfeeding Support
While breastfeeding is natural, it is a learnt skill that takes time, patience, and practice. Whilst you have read books about it your baby hasn’t and sometimes your baby may take a little while to get the hang of it, especially if your baby is early.
After your baby is born your baby will start to seek your breast for a breastfeed. Midwives can help you recognise the signs that your baby is ready to feed such as licking, sucking, putting her/his hand to mouth, and making soft noises.
During your pregnancy your midwife can offer you breastfeeding classes. This class or session may be with other mothers or as an individual session if available. We also have a special album available: ‘Breastfeeding & Bonding with Baby’. This album has been created to help you to reduce tension and enhance your level of relaxation during breastfeeding whilst you bond with your precious baby. You can click here to purchase.
We recommend you contact your Hypnobubs Practitioner for recommendations of Lactation Consultants in your local area.
Australia Breastfeeding Association
Click on this link to visit the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is an organisation of people interested in the promotion and protection of breastfeeding. Amongst these are breastfeeding women and their partners and health professionals such as doctors, lactation consultants and midwives. ABA was founded with the primary aim of giving mother-to-mother support to breastfeeding women. The National Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 mum 2 mum (1800 686 268) is available 7 days a week. It is staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors who answer calls on a roster system in their own homes.
If you’re located in Northern NSW and Gold Coast we recommend these Lactation Consultants.
Lactation Consultants
Michelle Walker is a certified Hypnobirthing Australia Practitioner, Lactation Consultant and Doula. Servicing the Northern NSW and Gold Coast area.
For everything you might need to kickstart your positive breastfeeding journey from breastfeeding pads to lactation cookies, you can click here to view.
