You need to relax and so does the baby while feeding. Let
the infant get used to your posture and be as comfortable as it can be.
Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones once said about breastfeeding her child, “I’m going to do it as long as I can; there is something so intimate about it. For the one hour or 45 minutes it’s just wonderful. It is wonderful bonding and you know they’re getting all those antibodies.”
It is extremely reassuring to see celebrities getting on to the ‘it is important to breastfeed bandwagon’ and being open about their choice.
If you are able to breastfeed your child, nothing could be more natural or wonderful. By the time a woman reaches the end of her term, what is uppermost in her mind is whether the delivery and baby will be normal and healthy respectively and whether she will be able to successfully breastfeed her child.
It is true that breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, but there are many new mothers who find it tough to feed their offspring and turn to the bottle as a substitute. A few years ago, a young mother I know was not able to breastfeed her first-born due to ‘introverted’ nipples and a nervous anxiety that she had to do it, but around four years later took to the task easily when her second child was born.
“I was much more relaxed the second time around,” she said, when we met at my home many years later. “The first time I was tense as I had miscarried previously and was worried about doing everything right as far as my baby was concerned.”
Today, the trend is to frown on bottle-feeding, and rightly so, but lest mothers fret too much, there still are a few cases where doctors recommend it as literally the last resort. So, remember that though a natural skill, it needs to be learnt by both the mother and the baby.
Gynaecologist Dr Pratima Chipalkatti points out, “It will take you a few days to settle into motherhood. Although it does help if you have seen other mother’s breastfeed their babies, it is best learnt only after your baby is born.”
So, enjoy the moment your baby is born. Feel your child; touch him/her for he/she can soon recognise your touch. Once your baby has adjusted to the real world, keep him/her close enough to you for comfort. And remember, your body will not only give the baby the warmth it needs, but will also create a sense of comfort and belonging.
You need to relax and so does the baby while feeding. Let the infant get used to your posture and be as comfortable as it can be. And remember that it will take a few turns to get used to the idea of suckling at your breast. Don’t give up if the first few turns are unsatisfactory.
A baby has a very small stomach, which means that it will feed frequently to be satisfied and full. Initially, it will grow on colostrum till your milk flow is established. Once that happens, do not regulate the number of feeds that your child will demand. Let it take the lead and establish its own rhythm, which you will soon see developing into a pattern. You need proper nourishment as you help your baby grow (more on that next time). Take your time and learn from your baby, even as it learns from you.
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