by Yzzy Quarker

Created on: June 20, 2008

Once you have made the wise decision to breastfeed your baby you need to educate yourself. As with any other aspect of parenting, it does not come instinctively. There is valuable information that will help things go as smoothly as possible, and since we are talking about humans you must be prepared for the unexpected while knowing what to expect.

Supply and Demand

It is vital to understand that breast milk is created by the body on a supply and demand basis; the more the baby nurses, the more milk your body will make. Be sure your doctors and the hospital nurses know you will be breastfeeding your baby, that you do not want your baby to have either water or formula, and you would like to breastfeed your baby immediately and frequently after birth. Hospital staff is notorious for offering supplements to newborns for reasons known only to them, but these supplements are unnecessary and can cause problems.

Milk flows from a bottle with almost no effort on the part of the newborn, but baby must work really hard to get milk from a breast. This builds jaw muscles, develops better jaw structure, and any number of other good things. Offering a bottle can cause unnecessary confusion and mess with the supply and demand system.

Colostrum
The first liquid produced by your body is colostrum; a magic potion for baby that your body will make for only the first few days after baby is born. It has a mild laxative effect on your baby that will clean meconium, bilirubin, and other impurities from baby's intestines. Colostrum delivers, in a very concentrated low-volume liquid, carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies with low fat, making it easily digestible for a newborn's very small digestive system. It contains all five immunoglobulins found in all mammals, and many beneficial proteins, including those related to growth factors. You want this nutritious elixir in your baby, not wasted on a breast pad.

Latch-on Technique
One of the most important elements of breastfeeding is to be sure your baby is latched on well. The proper latch-on technique does wonders in staving off sore nipples.

While sitting comfortably with plenty of support for your back and the arm holding the baby hold your breast with your thumb on top and hand cupping underneath. Pull your baby in close and stroke the cheek nearest you with your nipple. Instinctively baby will turn with open mouth and bobbing head to try to grab for food. Once the mouth and nipple are lined up, pull the baby in close to be sure to get as

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