Breast Feeding Has Advantages for the Woman

November 18th, 2009 by author

Breast feeding her baby is one of the healthiest andmost natural things that women can do for their baby and yet a lot ot moms, especially in the United States, feel too embarrassed to breast feed their child in public. A lot of this is because of the over sexualization of breasts in our society. Although most areas of the country have laws on the books that allow a woman to breast feed in public, a woman who does so will often find herself the objectsof disapproving glazes. Regrettably, until public attitudes change in this country, a woman can at least alleviate the embarrassment a bit by using a sheet or towel to discreetly cover her breasts when breastfeeding in public.

Every mom, of course, will be making regular visits to her pediatrician who will recommend explicit tips on baby feeding guidelines. But here are some typical guidelines that many experts recommend.

Many new mom's believe that there is some magic schedule that shows which times are best to feed the baby. But, the real key is that you simply feed here when she's hungry. A new mom may feel that she's always feeding her baby, that she has no time to relax, and may begin to feel overwhelmed. But, luckily, this won't last forever. In the beginning, it won't be uncommon to be breastfeeding her every couple of hours. However, gradually, in the following weeks, she will require less feedings.

When breastfeeding your child, it's generally advised to do so until she is at least six months old. But Each baby is different, and it's best to consult your pediatrician about any questions on breastfeeding. Baby's all gain weight at different speeds and dependent on many factors. For the most part, however,  expect to see a two-fold increase in weight by months 4-6.

Many new moms wonder what is the best way to hold the baby while feeding. Also, a lot of women have soreness of the nipples during or after breast feeding. A lot of times this is directly caused by how she holds the baby. If she holds the baby too far away or at an odd angle, the nipple will be pulled and stretched as the baby suckles. The best way is to hold the baby very close so she doesn't have to strain to reach the feed.

When it comes to the health of your baby, a pediatrician is your best ally. And it can be tempting for moms to put off making an appointment to see him simply to avoid the hassle. One of the most important things that you can do as a mom is to make sure that your child sees the pediatrician on a regular basis to ensure that any problems in her development can be found out and acted upon as soon as possible.

A lot of moms don't breast feed their babies simply because of the time requirement. However, many moms might be surprised and pleased to learn that breastfeeding burns calories. And those women who are concerned about getting back to their pre-pregnancy weight as soon as possible, should take note that breast feeding helps to shrink the uterus. In addition, breast-feeding provides other health benefits to women including a lowered risk of ovarian cancer, lowered blood pressure, and less chance of diabetes.

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Breast Feeding Your Child

October 31st, 2009 by author

Nowadays, even if a mother wants to breast feed her baby, it can be almost impossible for her to find the time to do so. Or maybe it's just the inconvenience caused by attempting to breast feed in public areas. To get around this problem, many women choose to use expressed breast milk. Expressing is the act of mechanically squeezing milk from the breast and storing it in a bottle. The expressing is commonly done using a pump. Expressed milk is also convenient at times when the mom cannot be around and has to leave her baby in the care of a baby sitter, nanny, or her partner.

baby feeding schedule

Expressed milk degrades quite slowly and can remain in good shape a while if stored right. For storage, you can find plastic bottles and bags made specifically for holding and storing expressed milk. If you want to extend milk, you can store it in the freezer or refrigerator. This will lengthen it's shelf life. It is true that expressed milk stored in the freezer will lose some of it's nutrients, antibodies, and enzymes, much the same as any other food. But even so, unless you are sick, it will most likely still be healthier for your child than any formula that you purchase from the store.

So how do you determine if expressed milk is still good? Smell it. If it smells ok, the odds are that it's probably still good. You should be able to store expressed milk at room temperature for up to 6 to 8 hours with no bad effects from it.

There are times when babies that have been used to breast feeding will have trouble adjusting to learning to feed from a baby bottle. Most likely this is due to the fact that different oral motions are necessary to suck milk from a bottle than from a breast. As a result the baby has to learn new eating habits, which most infants are reluctant to do after about 4 weeks. Now, nearly all babies will be bottle fed at some time or other. So to avoid or lessen problems later, it's probably best to at least introduce a child to a bottle a few times in the first 4 weeks or so. This way it's not a foreign experience to her when you try to get her to suckle from a bottle at a later time.

You have a couple of size choices when buying a baby bottle in which to store milk. A four oz. size or the eight oz. size. At some point, you'll probably end of using each, so a good idea to to purchase a couple of bottles of each size. You can also choose to buy permanent bottles or disposable ones. One of the most important features to look for in a feeding bottle is one with anti-gas properties. Anti-gas features can do a lot towards preventing your child from sucking in air with her milk which can cause cramps and other discomforts.

Is there a "best" way for a woman to sit when breastfeeding? Experts normally suggest that the woman should sit in a near upright position, leaning slightly backwards. This lessens the odds of the baby swallowing air. In addition it is a very comfortable position for the woman, enabling her to hold the child firmly while she wraps the baby around her.

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