How to breastfeed properly: here's a guide that you can apply

When the baby who has been waiting for nine months is born, now is the time for you to enter the breastfeeding stage. However, for some mothers this period can be quite scary.

Maybe you are worried that your baby is not breastfeeding smoothly or if you are worried that the amount of breast milk (ASI) is not very large. In fact, the correct way to breastfeed a baby is not difficult to apply, both when the baby is born and is a few months old.

Yes, breastfeeding, including exclusive breastfeeding, is basically not as difficult as you might imagine. The reason is, once the baby is born, he already has the ability to suck milk and eat independently.

Well, just go ahead, consider the following breastfeeding guide so that you understand the correct method or technique.

Preparation before breastfeeding the baby in the right way

Breastfeeding can be done from a newborn or known as early initiation of breastfeeding (IMD).

Providing breastmilk (ASI) since the newborn is ideally continued without any additional food and drink, aka exclusive breastfeeding.

This is because there are many benefits of breast milk for both babies and mothers. The benefits of breastfeeding for babies include meeting nutritional needs, increasing intelligence, maintaining the baby's immune system, and others.

Meanwhile, for mothers, the benefits of breastfeeding include accelerating healing after childbirth, preventing the mother from getting sick, and so on.

Besides the benefits, there are also various breastfeeding myths and challenges of breastfeeding.

Although babies are advised to breastfeed for six months, breastfeeding mixed with formula (sufor) can also be done depending on their conditions.

However, that does not mean you can mix breast milk and sufor into the same bottle. You can provide breastmilk alternating with sufor alternately.

If the baby is exclusively breastfed for six months, in the following months he can still get breast milk and sufor together with complementary foods (complementary feeding) for the baby.

To be able to breastfeed properly, you are required to be able to prepare everything well. In fact, applying breastfeeding in the correct manner or technique is best before you start.

When you are still carrying a baby, you can actually start to prepare everything so that you can breastfeed smoothly later.

Here's how to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy:

Preparation for breastfeeding during pregnancy

Preparation ahead of time today will certainly help you to be more prepared so you can breastfeed in the right way.

Many asked questions and exchanged stories about the right way with mothers who had started breastfeeding their babies first.
Many ask doctors to get answers about the confusion about breastfeeding. Looking for a lot of information from books, the internet, and various other reliable sources.
Talk to your doctor about your body's health condition. This is especially true if you've had surgery, suffered an injury, or a variety of other medical conditions.
Also talk to your doctor if you have depression or are regularly taking certain supplements or drugs so that later you can breastfeed in the right way.
Prepare a few things that you will need later. Preparations can be a nursing bra, a nursing cover (cover or nursing scarf), as well as a nursing pillow (nursing pillow).
Routinely do relaxation techniques

Preparation before starting to breastfeed the baby

After a new baby is born, this is a good time to apply everything you have learned about breastfeeding.

That way, you don't feel surprised because you understand more or less about the correct way of breastfeeding.

It is better not to miss anything because preparing everything properly can be an indicator of the success of breastfeeding.

Here are the preparations you should do:

Hold your baby close and apply direct skin interaction (skin to skin contact) right after the baby is born.
Try not to give bottles of pacifiers or artificial nipples until the baby can easily find and latch on to your nipple.
Find a nursing room or a quiet corner or room if you are outside.
Use a special bra to make it easier for you to breastfeed.
Use clothes that have slits on the right and left in the area near the breast to facilitate the breastfeeding process.
Choose and provide the type of nursing pillow that is comfortable for you to use as needed.
Prepare a cover or nursing scarf especially if you intend to breastfeed your baby outdoors in the correct way.

Doctors and the medical team usually will put the baby directly on your stomach to initiate early breastfeeding (IMD).

In addition to aiming for direct interaction between your skin and the baby alias skin to skin contactThe IMD procedure will also help the baby to find your nipples on their own.

Apply let down reflex

Let down reflex is a reflex that helps expedite the release of milk during breastfeeding. The success of the let down reflex can help meet the baby's breast milk needs.

Let-down reflex is a process that can occur naturally when you breastfeed your baby properly. The let-down reflex process begins with the baby suction on the mother's breast.

This baby's suction then stimulates the nerves in the mother's nipple. These nerves then cause the hormones prolactin and oxytocin to be released into the mother's bloodstream.

The hormone prolactin reacts to the milk-producing tissue in your breasts, while the oxytocin hormone works to push the small muscles around the milk-producing cells to contract.

These contractions cause the breasts to push the milk out. If the let-down reflex doesn't work properly it can cause problems with breastfeeding.

Is it necessary to tighten the nipples?

In order to breastfeed in the right way, you don't actually need to tighten your nipples first.

This is because the hormonal changes that are increased during pregnancy will help make the nipples easier for the baby to suckle when breastfeeding arrives.

You also don't need to use cream to soften the areola area of the breast or the dark brown area that surrounds the nipple.

Areola will naturally produce oil that smells like amniotic fluid and helps lubricate the nipples.

That way, the baby can suckle more easily and will not feel strange about the smell.

Especially during IMD, the aroma of amniotic fluid produced by the areola will make it easier for the baby to find your nipple.

How to breastfeed a baby properly?

As previously explained, breastfeeding can be started immediately after the birth process is complete or IMD.

The IMD process may take a long time as it waits until the baby finds the mother's nipple on her own to start feeding.

That way, the baby can start breastfeeding immediately after birth.

Doctors and the medical team also will not give babies water, formula milk, or other fluids.

This is unless the provision of these things is necessary because of the medical condition that the baby is experiencing.

If the entire IMD process has been carried out, it means that you can breastfeed the baby by directly holding and directing the baby's lips against the nipple.

You will continue to do this correct method or technique at the next breastfeeding session in the next few months, especially during the exclusive breastfeeding period.

You can do the right way to breastfeed a baby by applying several rules, namely:

Applying attachment or latch on before breastfeeding in the right way

Before starting breastfeeding, it is important to place the baby in the correct latching position (latch on).

Latch on aims so that there is no pain or discomfort and the baby can suckle smoothly.

This is because the correct position of breastfeeding between the baby's mouth and the nipple can cause discomfort which can lead to pain and pain.

As a result, various problems for breastfeeding mothers arise. To do this, here are the steps for attachment while breastfeeding (latch on) right in babies:

Try to keep the baby's ears, shoulders, and hips in position. Make sure that the body is parallel to yours so that it is easier for the baby to swallow while feeding.
Try to keep the baby's nose facing directly against your nipple and not pressured as an attempt to breastfeed in the right way.
Hold the baby's chin slowly, then help to open it while the baby's lips are closer to the breast to start breastfeeding in the right way.
Point the nipple and rub or gently touch the baby's lips using your nipple.
Then wait until the baby's lips are opened wide as if they were yawning, indicating that they are ready to suck on the nipple, as described by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Guide the baby's lips toward the nipple, so that it is easier for the baby to suckle.
Try to keep the baby's lips and mouth sucking on your nipple while feeding.
Pull the nipple out of the baby's mouth and repeat the steps from the beginning, if the baby is unable to suckle properly. If latch on not done properly, you will usually feel pain or soreness in the nipples.

After placement (latch on) done well, now the baby can start breastfeeding.

The signs of attachment to breastfeeding are just right

According to the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), the following are signs that your attachment is correct:

The chin of the baby touches the mother's breast.
The baby's lower lip twists out.
The baby's mouth is wide open.
The lower areola is more likely to enter the baby's mouth than the upper part.
A well-fed baby sucks slowly, rhythmically, does not hurry and does not hear a chuckle. The baby's cheeks will swell and the mother will not feel pain.

Stages of the correct way of breastfeeding a baby

When all the preparations you have done and understand how to latch on, now comes the prime time to properly breastfeed the baby.

Overall, here are the ways to breastfeed properly and correctly:

For the mother, position yourself as comfortable as possible and relax yourself.
After the mother's position is comfortable, hold and hold the baby's head with one hand while maintaining the position of the mother's breast with the other hand.
Then bring the baby's face towards the mother's breast. The correct way of breastfeeding can be seen when the baby's body is fully attached to the mother's body.
Give stimulation to the lower lip area of the baby by using the mother's nipple. The goal is that the baby's mouth is wide open.
Let the baby put the areola (the whole dark area around the nipple of the mother) into the baby's mouth.
The baby will start to use his tongue to suck the milk. The mother just has to follow the rhythm of the baby's sucking and swallowing.
When the mother wants to stop or move to the other breast, place one thumb on the corner of the baby's lips so that the baby releases suction.
Avoid letting go of the baby's mouth or shifting your breasts suddenly as this will make the baby fussy and difficult to feed again later.
Let the baby adjust the speed at which they are fed.
You can do the transfer of the breast during breastfeeding when the breast feels softer after the baby has fed. This is because the milk in the breast has been drunk by the baby so that it feels no longer full.

Remember, the alternating act of breastfeeding can prevent a breast that has not yet been expelled from becoming painful because it is completely filled with milk.

Conversely, breastfeeding in the correct way or technique must be done by alternately using both sides of the breast.

The right way to know if the baby still wants to breastfeed

Usually, babies don't get enough on just one breast. If you are still showing signs of hunger, your baby will appear to want to suckle.

To ensure correctly that the baby still wants to breastfeed, the various ways that are recommended are as follows:

Do the same steps as the previous steps. Give stimulation to the lower lip area of the baby by using the mother's nipple.
When the baby is still about to suckle, he will insert the areola into his mouth and return to sucking. Meanwhile, when it's full, the baby will stop on its own.
In applying the correct way of breastfeeding, let the baby determine how long to breastfeed according to their wants and needs.

Babies who feel they have had enough breastfeeding will usually stop or fall asleep on their own. This is when you can release the nipple from the baby's mouth.

So, all the correct ways to breastfeed a baby are valid from the time he is born until the end of the breastfeeding period.

In fact, when in any situation, for example while on vacation, the method of breastfeeding the baby can still be applied.

The correct way to breastfeed a baby also applies to those of you who have twins or two children who are still breastfeeding (tandem nursing).

Tandem nursing is the process of breastfeeding two children at the same time, namely brother and sister at the same time.

This can happen because the pregnancy is close enough so that you have given birth to your younger sister even though you are still breastfeeding her sister.

So, whether you are at home, on vacation, having twins, a cesarean delivery, or breastfeeding two children at different ages (tandem nursing), you can still apply these methods.

What should be done after breastfeeding?

Even though the baby has finished breastfeeding, your task in applying the correct breastfeeding method is not finished here.

After the baby feels full, it is a good idea to gently pat the baby on the back.

This is so that the baby expels excess air by burping after breastfeeding.

The reason is, if the air is in the baby's stomach for too long, of course it can cause discomfort.

In fact, babies can feel awful and very full, so they tend to be lazy to breastfeed again the next time.

That's why burping can help expel the excess air to make room in the baby's stomach so they can drink more breast milk.

Burping also helps expel excess air. However, not all babies need to burp.

There are some babies who do not swallow too much air while feeding and so do not need to burp.

However, if the baby is drinking enough milk, it is likely that the baby has swallowed a certain amount of air.

In this case, try to burp the baby afterwards as the correct method of breastfeeding.

Also, pay attention when the baby seems fussy during feedings and often stops in the middle of sucking.

This condition indicates that the baby is uncomfortable because there is enough wind in the stomach.

For babies who are breastfeeding from both sides of the breast, you can help the baby to burp during the breast change.

Meanwhile, if only one breast is used for feeding, the baby can burp at the end after he feels full.

Various other important things that need to be known

Apart from making sure that the way you breastfeed your baby is correct and according to the guidelines, there are a number of things that still need to be considered.

It is intended that the process and method of breastfeeding the baby runs smoothly and feels meaningful.

Here are some important points to note:

Postpone the use of a pacifier bottle to provide breast milk for the baby. It would be better, using a bottle of a pacifier after the baby is able to breastfeed the mother in a good and correct way.
Take care of the mother's nipples and avoid using soaps that contain too many chemicals in the areola area. This is because soap can make the skin dry and cracked.
Maternal nutritional intake is very important to maintain the nutritional content of breast milk. Therefore, it is recommended that mothers eat nutritious foods and drink enough water.
Nursing mothers also need adequate rest.
Avoid taking medicines that are not necessary or that your doctor does not prescribe for you or your baby.

If the baby has finished breastfeeding but milk is still accumulating in the breast, it is best to pump the milk and then store the milk.

Try to apply the correct way to store breast milk so that it lasts for a certain period of time.

Also pay attention to the baby's breastfeeding schedule so that breastfeeding is more optimal.

After knowing the various things that should be done before, during, and after breastfeeding, it means that you have applied the right method.

If you have further questions or complaints regarding the correct way to breastfeed a baby, please consult further with your doctor.

When the breastfeeding period is over, you can apply methods of weaning children to stop breastfeeding.