Newborn Baby Nursing

The joy of nurturing a newborn cannot be expressed in words. It is an ultimate experience for the mom, who feels elated to provide all the essential nutrients to her newborn, by feeding him/her. As a mother, breastfeeding provides her a wonderful time to create the ultimate bond with her child. Nursing your child would be even more thrilling, if you are a first time mom. To get the best experience and ensure that your baby is nurtured properly, you need to consider many things, from hygiene to the best position for breastfeeding. Here we are to help you with some tips on newborn baby nursing.

Tips For Nursing Newborn Babies

As a first time mom, you should be very attentive to the baby during the first few days, post birth. Learn to recognize when your baby is hungry. He/she would probably cry, when he/she wants to be fed.
Feed whenever your baby seems hungry. You would have to nurse your newborn once every two hours, sometimes even more, in the first week.
It is very important to know how to hold your baby, while nursing him/her. Whenever your newborn feels hungry, hold him/her close to your breast and the nipple at the base. While feeding, the nipple should be fixed into your baby's mouth, so that it becomes easier for him/her to drink.
You will feel a surge of milk flowing through your breast, when your baby suckles. Once the breast is drained, you will feel a strong pull. This indicates that it is the time to switch over to the other breast. Change your baby's position for him/her to feed on the other breast.
When you are nursing your newborn, you can offer one breast at one meal and the other at the next. However, if your baby drains one side and still feels hungry, do not prevent him/her from feeding from the other side.
On an average, the duration of a nursing session is 20 to 30 minutes. This can be even shorter, say 15 minutes, if your baby drinks quickly. If your child dozes off in the middle of breastfeeding, rouse him/her up, so that he/she continues with the meal.
Breast milk is liquid at the first (the foremilk) and more fatty at the end (the hind milk). Both are required for the child's brain development. Therefore, make sure that at least one breast is drained out completely during each nursing session, so that the child gets both the types of milk.
Never forcefully take your baby off from your breast, while nursing. The baby will drift away from the breast naturally, when he/she is done.
Drink lot of water before nursing. It will be beneficial for your child, as it helps greater flow of milk during breastfeeding. It is also noted that a mother perspires a lot, while nursing. Drink water will replenish your body.
While feeding your baby, make sure that he/she is actually getting the milk. You can know this by checking out his/her sucking movements.
Apart from monitoring the sucking movements, you need to ensure that the baby burps frequently. Hold your baby up and stroke him/her lightly on the back, so that the trapped air is released. Frequent burps will help the baby suckle better.

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