All about breastfeeding in the first year

Breastfeeding is extremely important to your baby's health in the first year of life. Do not forget to learn the following extremely important tips for your baby to fully enjoy the benefits of breast milk.

Month 1: Breastfeeding position

If your baby doesn't latch on properly, your baby may not be getting enough milk and your nipples may be cracked and painful. You can practice breastfeeding in a certain position

- The posture to breastfeed is for the baby to lie on his side, the baby's abdomen touches the mother's womb.

-Support the baby with a pillow and hold the baby in front of the mother's chest; do not bring the mother's torso towards the baby. Place your thumb and fingers around your areola (dark skin around the nipples).

-Remove the baby's head gently, let the baby's upper lip gently touch the mother's nipple.

-When the baby's mouth opens, put the nipple of the mother into the baby's mouth. First, locate the baby's lower jaw and place it under the mother's nipple.

-Love the baby's head forward, bringing the baby's upper jaw deeper into the mother's breast. Make sure your baby is able to latch on to her nipples or at least 3 cm deep into the mother's areola.

When breastfeeding, you need to pay attention to how your baby latches on to the nipple and give him the most comfortable position

Month 2: How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?

This is the most common question asked by mothers when breastfeeding, because unlike bottle-feeding, you cannot tell how much milk your baby is getting. To make sure your baby is on the right track, you should carefully monitor your baby's weight , especially during the first weeks.

At the same time, pay attention to your baby's diaper: every day your baby will usually throw out 6-8 wet diapers and at least 2 "go heavy", with a light yellow color like mustard, when the baby is 7 days old. onwards. And keep this in mind: As long as your baby is steadily gaining weight and his dirty diapers still shows he's full, you can be confident he's getting enough milk. If you are still concerned, plan a routine weight check-up for your baby with your pediatrician.

Month 3: Get acquainted with the breast pump

The breast pump will help you build a milk supply for your baby. It also resolves chest tightness and helps preserve breast milk when you return to work. You should start pumping milk when your baby is 3 - 4 weeks old, allowing your baby to get used to feeding or drinking milk from a bottle, and to help you store more breastmilk in the refrigerator.

When you return to work full-time, you may want to rent or buy an electric breast pump with twice the capacity because it can pump breast milk from two breasts at the same time and so on. Reduce the time to pump. When you return to work, try to pump regularly and at the same time, consistent with previous breastfeeds.

Expressing breastmilk: The secret for you Still breastfeeding your baby, but you don't have to stay with your baby day and night. It is convenient to choose how to express breast milk instead of the traditional direct lactation. The following experiences will help make the job that mothers still call "making a cow" fun easy

4th month: You can get back to the party

In general, a single glass of alcohol - about 230ml of beer, 180ml of alcohol, or a small glass of brandy - usually tends to be metabolized (and therefore will not persist in breast milk) for about 2 to 3 hours, and it is a safe time to breastfeed. But a clearer guideline is this: if you still feel any effects from alcohol, even if you only feel a little light-headed and dizzy, don't breast-feed.

5th month: Practice sleeping through the night

In fact, many babies have been able to sleep through the night from month 3, but for babies starting later, the fifth month is usually the time when they are ready. First, remember that “sleeping all night” for a child of this age is usually 5-6 hours of sleep, not 8-9 hours. Some babies will start sleeping like that when they are three months old; the rest of the babies will start later. Babies will sleep all night when they are ready, it does not depend on whether they are breastfed or not.

Because breastmilk is easier to digest completely and quickly than formula, babies who are breastfed are more likely to go hungry quickly - hence wake up - and more often than babies who are formula fed. Breastfeed whenever your baby needs it, friends.

6th month: Breastfeeding in combination with breast feeding

Note, breastmilk is still the most important component in your baby's diet at this stage, so feed your baby right before you feed your baby with nutritional powder or porridge and other foods. Your baby may only eat a few spoons at a time, as this is still just getting used to it.

7th month: Avoid pregnancy while breastfeeding

You can only opt for progestin-only pills, because conventional birth control pills that contain estrogen can reduce your breast milk supply. You should wait about 6 weeks after giving birth before using birth control pills. Before that, you can use condoms to ensure effective contraception. You can also choose a progestin-only contraceptive implant.

8th month: Coping with clogged milk

One of the factors that can cause blockage is changing when and how much milk you feed your baby, such as when your baby starts sleeping through the night or starts to eat solids. The best way to deal with obstruction is to breastfeed or pump regularly from a blocked breast, and apply warm compresses, drink plenty of fluids and get adequate rest. If you have a fever or have flu-like symptoms, you should see your doctor because this could be a sign of mastitis, an infection that often requires antibiotics.

Clogged with breast milk: A mother's suffering is a great suffering for any mother who breastfeeds her baby. How can tension and pain improve? Tips to release breast milk? You can find useful information right here!

9th month: Dealing with biting babies

Remove the baby from the mother's chest as soon as she starts to bite and say clearly "Don't bite me!" and keep the baby away from the breast until the next feeding. Usually, babies only bite when they are almost finished feeding, so when you know your baby is about to be full, move the baby away from the mother's chest before he bites.

10th month: Baby breastfeeds less

This is completely normal at this stage. Your baby may be distracted by the sounds he hears that prevent him from breastfeeding; Or the baby may be learning to crawl, so he moves continuously, in this case he really wants to explore. These can be frustrating, but this phase will pass shortly. This also does not mean that the baby is ready to wean.

11th month: Breastfeed 4 times / day

A baby this age usually needs 470 - 600ml of breast milk a day. By the end of the first year, half of a baby's calories should come from breast milk.

Month 12: Consider weaning your baby

There are many reasons for continuing to breastfeed, but one of the best is for your baby's health: breastmilk will continue to protect your baby from many diseases, it also helps your baby recover faster if he or she gets sick. Sick. Breastfeeding not only helps your baby have a source of nutrients besides weaning, provides your baby with valuable immunity, but also creates a bond between mother and baby . As long as your baby is happy while breastfeeding, there's no reason to wean when your baby is over 1 year old.