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Feeding & Breastfeeding

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What you need to know about breastfeeding

away from her breast. His lips would be folded over so that his gums as well as the underside of both his lips would be in clear view. The pinching is felt when the baby sucks while his gums are in contact with the inside of his lips. So after the baby is sucking, just swipe your finger in between his lips and his gums. If that is too difficult you could always just pull the upper lip up and the lower lip down while the baby is nursing. That will also force the baby into proper positioning.




Step #4: Protect your nipples

During the first couple of weeks, our nipples have to toughen up. This process can be very uncomfortable. Applying a healing and protective barrier like 100% lanolin or Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream will help tremendously. Though, if you ever run out you can also just rub a little bit of your own milk on the nipple when you finish a feeding. My advice is to protect your nipples before there's a problem; preventative care is always the best care!





Step #5: Nurse on demand
Many people try to train their babies to nurse on a schedule of every four hours. On demand nursing will usually result in nursing every two hours or so. While this may seem like a lot, if you nurse on demand, the discomfort associated with engorgement is minimal because this is the way we were designed to nurse. Here's how it works: Try not to wait until the baby is crying to feed him. He will let you know that he is hungry with signals such as increased alertness or activity, mouthing, or rooting. The American Academy of Pediatrics sites crying as a late indicator of hunger. If the baby does end up crying for his feeding, don't feel guilty though, you just gave birth and you're certainly quite exhausted and it may be difficult to pick up on minor cues like these. Just keep trying!





Step #5: Protect yourself from yeast
If you experience extreme pain in either of your breasts, you should consult your doctor. If the pain is associated with itching or reddening of your nipples you may have thrush which you can recognize by the patches of white on the inside of the baby's mouth and on his tongue. He may also develop a diaper rash with tiny blisters that look like a heat rash. Yeast infections can be cleared up with a prescription from your doctor and the child's pediatrician. A wonderful homeopathic remedy for a yeast infection in the body which has no negative side effects is Sulphur 30X by a trusted manufacturer like Hylands. With mild cases your doctor may just recommend increasing your


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