World Breastfeeding Week 2021

World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992 and is now celebrated in over 120 countries. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration signed in 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF, and other organisations, to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

It aims to highlight the huge benefits that breastfeeding can bring to the health and welfare of babies and benefits to maternal health whilst promoting and protecting the rights of mothers to breastfeed anywhere and at any time.

Below are a few tips on breastfeeding to get you started by Rakibul Niloy:

• Try Skin-to-Skin Contact:

There have been proved numerous benefits to skin-to-skin contact in the early stages of breastfeeding, be sure you look into your baby's eyes and give her lots of cuddles during the feeding session.

• Switch Sides:

It is important to switch sides whilst breastfeeding but if you are also bottle feeding it’s also important to switch sides in between feeds and burping.

• Sore or Cracked Nipples When Breastfeeding:

If you get sore nipples when breastfeeding your baby, it can be because your baby’s not perfectly attached or positioned properly at the breast leading to bleeding or cracked nipples. It's okay to continue breastfeeding your baby however, to help relieve your discomfort there are many tips out there but if you find it too painful to breastfeed or if you've tried home treatment for 24 hours and it doesn't help then you can your doctor or a lactation consultant.

• How Often Should I Breastfeed My Baby?

How often your baby needs to breastfeed will depend on your baby’s needs. You can begin breastfeeding your baby as soon as possible after birth but it is ideal within the first hour or two. Most babies need to breastfeed 6 to10 times in 24 hours from their second or third day of life. The average amount of a breastfeeding session can take about 10 minutes to 45 minutes. The most important thing is that you breastfeed your baby whenever he or she is fussy or hungry. An early sign of hungry including wiggling, squirming, and sucking on fingers or fists. 

• How Can I Tell if My Baby is Getting Enough to Eat?

No matter how prepared you think you are, you’ll still have questions in your mind once your newborn arrives. One of the most common worries new parents have is whether their little one is eating the right amount or not. A few signs that they are full:

They pull away from your breast or bottle.

They fall asleep during feeding

They keep their mouth closed or shake their head

• How to Supplement Breastmilk with the Formula:

For some moms, a combination of breastfeeding and formula is one of the best solutions for them and their little one. You’re probably wondering how exactly to begin if you consider starting your breastfed baby on a bit of formula. How do you feed the baby both breast milk and formula? For better understanding read more.

Finally breastfeeding is a really hard journey for many mothers so please do not benchmark yourself against others, every mother/baby union is unique and you just need to figure out that journey for yourself! If like me there comes a point you can not go any further, please do not beat yourself up about it but enjoy those moments whilst you have them.

Author Bio:

I’m a Rakibul Niloy Owner of parenting blog Family Smart Guide. Writing is my passion, particularly if it can help parental life in a positive way. I write about grown stuff too but the essence of the blog is about motherhood journey.