Congrats, mama! You’ve brought a beautiful baby into this world, and the journey of motherhood awaits with open arms. As your body recovers, you may look forward to breastfeeding your baby for the first time. All the time you’ve invested in preparing to nurse and pump while waiting for your bundle of joy will finally pay off.
After birth, nursing will come sooner rather than later. Babies are typically ready to eat one to two hours after birth, which is why you need to understand breastfeeding basics to make this transitional period more manageable. Read below to learn more about how to breastfeed for the first time after birth in Pumps For Mom’s handy guide.
Know What Comes First
Shortly after birth, your doctor or nurse may place your baby on your chest for some skin-to-skin contact if you are physically able. During this time, your baby may naturally seek out your nipple and try to suckle. Your body will work with your child and help them nurse. Your body produces a type of milk called colostrum during the first few days, so real breast milk won’t come in until days later. If you’re anxious, that’s totally fine. Breastfeeding may be daunting, but there are plenty of breastfeeding tricks to help you get the hang of it.
Prepare For Latching
Support your baby’s head in the crook of your arm and support their back with your forearm. Your baby should latch on by covering their lips around your areola. To make sure your baby is feeding, check for jaw movements and swallowing noises. Sometimes you may need to guide your baby, and a way to do this is to let the baby’s lips touch your nipple until they open their mouth. This should not be painful.
Monitor Your Milk Supply
Your body will undergo massive changes, so you need to give it time to adjust to your baby’s feeding needs. It’s very common for your milk supply to be low or fluctuate as you get used to breastfeeding. By monitoring your milk supply and informing your health professional of its trends, you can help ensure your baby gets all the nutrients they need to grow and gain weight. If you need to increase your milk supply, expressing milk as often as possible may help.
Assessing Your Nursing Plan
Are you a working mom? Do you have an active lifestyle? These may affect your breastfeeding plans. Now is the time to test the waters and approach breastfeeding as a journey that may not go according to plan. However, you should embrace any changes that come along the way. You may want to consider getting a breast pump that supports your lifestyle and has the features that are a must-have for your breastfeeding goals.
Breastfeeding is a magical moment between mom and baby. Pumps For Mom wants to make breastfeeding even more magical by offering moms a free breast pump through insurance. Our form is short and simple, so you can focus on bonding with your baby. Fill out or form or get in touch with us today!