Guide to Breast-Feeding

By Kiya Sama

If you have decided to breast-feed, the main rule of thumb is to be comfortable and relaxed during feeding. Pick a favorite chair or area of your home and set up a feeding area with all the necessities you may need.

1. A cushioned rocker, armchair, or sofa with low arms will help to make you comfortable while nursing.

2. There is no rule that says you can't catch up on your reading while you're breast-feeding. If you are a tense person, reading may actually be relaxing and help you with the flow, so to speak. Remember, being comfortable and relaxed is important for your flow of milk.

3. If baby falls asleep while nursing at the breast or bottle, take a tip from a mother cat. If you gently stroke the baby, especially on the cheeks and chin, you'll activate the baby's natural suckling mechanism so that feeding continues.

4. Leakage of milk from the breasts can be absorbed by nursing pads, but even these will become soaked occasionally. To prepare yourself for such an occurrence in public, wear printed tops as much as possible. The stains from the leakage will be less visible than if you're wearing a solid color. Also print tops don't show baby-carrying wrinkles as much as solid colors do.

5. If you run out of nursing pads, cut circles from one of baby's disposable diapers or panty liners to substitute for them.

6. To ensure privacy when nursing away from home, place the baby on the lower corner of a receiving blanket instead of the middle as usual. Take the top triangular part of the blanket and place it over your shoulder when placing the baby to your breast. Baby won't smother and you can avoid the stares and curiosity of onlookers. You can also pin a small patch of self-gripping tape to the shoulder seam of your clothing, and sew a similar patch to the top corner of the "nursing" blanket for added security and privacy.

7. While shopping at your local mall or clothing store, ask an attendant if you can use one of the dressing rooms to feed your baby privately and comfortably. It's more pleasant than the rest room.

KiyaSama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.

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