If you make the decision to breastfeed, you should be aware that it may not be as easy and natural as everyone makes out. This is a new experience for you and your baby, so don’t become disheartened if getting the hang of it takes a little time.
There is no pressure to get it right, first time. So the best guidance is to take it slow and keep on trying. Most problems can be overcome with the help of breastfeeding specialists and there are many creams out there to make the experience more comfortable for you.
First of all, let’s get the benefits out of the way. Breast milk is designed to give your baby everything they need when they need it. Feeding your baby with your own body also creates a bond between the two of you and helps your little one to feel warm and safe in the process. From a financial point of view, you spend nothing feeding your baby and the expense of formula is averted. And finally, the benefits to you involve burning up to 500 calories a day just from feeding your baby. It also stimulates the hormone oxytocin that encourages you uterus to contract quicker. So you can get your body back to normal sooner.
Every baby is different with some mastering feeding from the breast straight away while others take a little more time to get the technique right. In this process of getting in to the swing of breastfeeding you can come across a few pitfalls that can set you back a little or make it extremely uncomfortable to continue.
Breastfeeding should not hurt. But some mothers may experience tenderness when the baby latches on. Also if the positioning and attachment is uncomfortable causing your baby to suckle too long leaving your nipples sore and very sensitive. A great way to soothe your discomfort while continuing to carry on with breast feeding is to use a nipple cream that can does not need to be removed before continuing to feed. The breastfeeding experts at Lansinoh have a cream called Lanolin that soothes and protects your nipples leaving you free to carry on if you wish to.
As you can see, the peaks of breastfeeding definitely outweigh the pitfalls so if you do decide to opt for breast over bottle, be sure that your hard work and perseverance is well worth it – for you and baby. If you’d like to read some more about breast feeding, I think a great way is to read what other mothers are going through. I found a great article that lists and describes the various breastfeeding blogs out there on the web. Give it a look here