Breastfeeding support in Western NSW

Narrator: Getting a good attachment is an important step towards getting breastfeeding working for you and your baby. Becoming skilled at it can take time. Having you and your baby calm and relaxed is the first key step towards getting a good attachment to the breast. One thing that can help is to recognise the things your baby does to tell you he’s ready for a feed, like turning his head from side to side with his mouth open.

To start the feed, hold your baby in close, along your forearm so that her chest is touching yours. Remember to bring your baby to your breast and not your breast to your baby.

Onscreen tip: Diagram

Narrator: Bring your baby’s nose directly opposite your nipple. As your baby tips her head back, her top lip brushes over your nipple. This encourages her to open her mouth wide. When her mouth is wide open, hug your baby to your breast and she can take your breast into her mouth with her chin leading. When your baby attaches well, she will have a large mouthful of breast in her mouth and your nipple will be positioned far back in her mouth, towards her soft palate. Breastfeeding will more likely feel comfortable and she can get the milk she needs.

So here is how it will look to you. Bring your baby’s nose directly opposite your nipple. Allow your baby’s head to tip back. As it does, her top lip will brush over your nipple. This encourages her to open her mouth wide. Sometimes it can take a few goes to get the timing right. So you can encourage her to open her mouth wide again by brushing your nipple over her top lip.

When her mouth is open wide, quickly hug her onto your breast directing your nipple towards the roof of her mouth. This helps achieve a deep attachment where your nipple is deep inside your baby’s mouth towards her soft palate.

When your baby is attached well to your breast, her chin will be touching your breast and her nose is clear or only just touching your breast. Her lips are flanged out, not sucked in. There will be more of your areola showing above your baby’s top lip, as compared to her lower lip.

You also know you have good attachment if there is no pain, although it is common for some mums in the early weeks to feel some nipple pain that ceases after the initial attachment.

At the start of the breastfeed, your baby sucks will be fast and shallow as she gets the milk flowing, by triggering the reflex that allows the milk to flow. After this, she will do groups of deeper, slower, suck and swallows.

Swallowing can be identified by a soft tick sound and also by a pause in her chin when it drops down to its lowest position when she has a mouthful of milk. The longer the pause in her chin, the bigger the mouthful. Rest periods between sucking are a normal part of breastfeeding too. As the breastfeed continues, the groups of sucks and swallows gradually become shorter and the rest periods longer.

Most of the time a baby will come off on her own accord when she is finished with that breast.

If you feel nipple pain beyond the initial attachment, you can try attaching your baby again. To break the attachment, avoid pulling your baby away from your breast. This could cause more pain and damage your nipple. Instead, break the attachment by inserting a clean finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth between her gums. Gently but firmly press down on her lower gums and remove her from the breast.

Every mother and baby have slightly different ways of attaching to the breast. Doing what works best for you and your baby is important. So long as breastfeeding is comfortable and your baby is getting enough milk, exactly how you position and attach your baby doesn’t matter. You can find out more about whether your baby is getting enough milk in our common questions video.

Narrator: Breastfeeding gives your baby the best start in life. It has health benefits for you and your baby, so the longer you can breastfeed, the better it is for both of you.

Along with the health benefits, breastfeeding is free and convenient and it’s also a unique chance for you to bond with your baby. In Australia, it’s recommended that babies be exclusively breastfeed until around 6 months of age when solid foods are introduced.

Most babies will show signs of being ready for solid foods by around 6 months, but solids don’t replace breastfeeding. It’s recommended that breastfeeding be continued to 12 months of age and beyond. Breastmilk is a complete meal and contains all the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months of life.

Breastmilk is easy to digest and is readily absorbed into your baby’s system. It’s also a living fluid with fatty acids that are best for your baby’s developing brain. Both the colostrum that you first produce, and mature breastmilk, contain antibodies and other agents that help to protect your baby from infection and disease, including gastroenteritis, respiratory tract and ear infections, and type-1 diabetes.

Breastfeeding is important for baby’s eyesight, speech, jaw and mouth development. Babies who breastfeed also have a lower risk of sudden, unexpected death in infancy. Mums who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer, osteoporosis and type-2 diabetes. Breastfeeding can also help some women lose weight after birth.

Breastfeeding is much more than just food. It’s a time for cuddling, comfort, nurturing and bonding. It’s a time for getting to know each other and developing trust and for talking and singing to your baby.

To help breastfeeding get off to the best start possible, it’s ideal for you to have skin-to-skin contact with your baby straight after birth. In fact, skin-to-skin contact at anytime is good for you and your baby. It helps you connect with each other and with settling and learning your baby’s feeding cues. This close contact also makes it more likely that your baby will attach well to your breast without any help. Good breast attachment is important for your baby to get enough milk and can also prevent you from developing complications like cracked or sore nipples, blocked milk ducts, and mastitis.

Breastfeeding might not be as you expected at first. While it’s the natural way to feed your baby, it’s also a learned skill and can take time, practice and patience. Some women breastfeed without too much difficulty and others have challenges. At some point you might worry about having too little milk, or even too much milk, but you might find it reassuring to know that your body will adapt and produce as much milk as your baby needs.

Most women find that problems with breastfeeding can be worked out with the right help. Overcoming challenges can increase your confidence, making it more likely for you to breastfeed for longer. But if things don’t go to plan, it’s good to know that breastfeeding for a shorter time still has benefits for you and your baby. When you get the right care, along with respect and encouragement from family, friends and health professionals, you’ll feel supported to breastfeed. And when you feel supported, it’s more likely that you’ll be able to breastfeed for as long as you and your baby want to.