A few simple things can help you feel comfortable and relaxed.

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• Ensure Privacy

• Position yourself comfortably in a chair with good back and arm support.

• Lie on your side in bed with your baby facing you. Place pillows to support your back and neck.

• Take deep breaths and picture yourself in a peaceful place.

• Listen to good music

• Apply moist heat to your breast few minutes before each feeding.

• Try different breastfeeding positions.

• Make sure your baby is latched on correctly.

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How often should I breastfeed?

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Most breastfed newborns feed 8 to 12 or more times per 24 hours (once the milk has come in). If the baby isn’t walking on her own during the first few weeks, wake her if more than 2 hours during the day and 4 hours during the night have passed since the last feeding.

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How to know that the baby is hungry?

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• Licking their lips or sticking out their tongue

• Rooting, which is moving their jaw, mouth, or head to look for your breast

• Putting their hand in their mouth

• Opening their mouth

• Fussiness

• Sucking on things

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How can I tell if my baby is getting enough milk?

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• Frequent wet and dirty diapers.

• The baby appears satisfied after feeding.

• Milk is visible during feedings (leaking or dripping).

• Baby is gaining weight from 10th day of life

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Does my baby need anything else in addition to breast milk?

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Breastfeeding babies don’t need any water or other milk supplements for the first 6 months.

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However, vitamin D drops (400 IU per day) should be given beginning in the first few days of life. Iron-containing foods should be given beginning at about 6 months of age.

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 How Long Should mother breastfeed?

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The infants should be exclusively breastfed for about 6 months with continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for 1 year or longer.

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Caring for Your Breasts

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What if I have inverted nipples?

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 When nipples are inverted, a baby may not be able to grasp the areola (dark area around the nipple) properly to get milk.

The problem often clears up on its own during pregnancy, as breasts get larger. Often a baby’s suckling will pull the nipple out. If this doesn’t happen, you may need some special help with breastfeeding after your baby is born.

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What is engorgement?

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It is normal for breasts and nipple to get bigger and to feel tender when one first starts breastfeeding. Engorgement occurs when your breasts become too full. This often occurs if you haven’t been breastfeeding often enough or not draining your breasts adequately. Feeding on demand ensures that your baby’s hunger is satisfied and helps prevent engorgement.

If your breasts become engorged, try

• Breastfeeding frequently.

• Soaking a cloth in warm water and putting it on your breasts or taking a warm shower before feeding your baby.

• Gently massaging your breasts from under the arm and down toward the nipple.

• Express some milk before you breastfeed, either manually or with a breast pump. This may be needed to allow the baby to latch on properly.

• Pain medicines Engorgement is a temporary condition. Once the engorgement passes, your breasts will become soft again. This is normal and exactly what should happen.

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Breast Milk Expression and Storage

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There are several ways to express your milk. One can express milk manually with your hands or with a breast pump.

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How do I express breast milk by hand?

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• Make sure your hands are clean.

• Put a clean cup or container under your breast.

• Massage the breasts gently toward the nipples.

• Place your thumb about 1 inch back from the base of the nipple and your first finger opposite.

• Press back toward your chest, and then gently compress the areola between the thumb and finger, and release with a rhythmic motion until the milk flows or squirts out.

• Rotate your thumb and finger around the areola to get milk from several positions.

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Transfer the milk into clean, covered containers for storage in the refrigerator or freezer. Always label and date the containers.

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How should I store breast milk?

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• Always wash your hands before expressing or handling your milk.

• Use only clean containers to store your milk. Probably a glass container.

• Freshly expressed milk can remain at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

• Freeze milk if you will not be using it within 24 hours. Frozen milk is good for at least 1 month in a freezer attached to a refrigerator or for 3 to 6 months if kept in a deep freezer at 0°F (32°C) or below never in the door section. But It’s Ideal not to use it beyond 24 hours.

• Make sure to label the milk with the date that you collect it.

• Don’t Heat Milk.

• Don’t refreeze your milk.

• Don’t save milk from a used bottle for use at another feeding.

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Will I have enough milk for twins or triplets?

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Remember the phrase demand and supply? Two babies will demand more milk than one! Most women are able to produce enough milk to breastfeed multiple babies. With practice, it’s possible to breastfeed 2 babies at the same time, a baby at each breast.