Getting Started: The First Month
The first few hours after a baby is born are very important. Babies come out of the womb eager to breastfeed, in fact when placed on their mother’s belly some babies will use their senses and instincts to crawl up their mother’s chest to find milk, how amazing is that?
Babies should be placed on their mother’s bare skin right after birth, this is known as skin-to-skin. By initiating skin-to-skin, mom and baby bond, baby is nice and warm, and breastfeeding can be initiated for the first time.
If your delivery hospital has an IBCLC on staff, be sure to request that they meet with you shortly after the baby is born. The IBCLC or nursing staff can help you learn how to position and latch your baby and help answer any questions you may have.
Baby’s belly is only the size of a marble at birth and your body has just enough milk to fill it up. Baby will be learning how to latch onto your breast and breastfeed. Your nipples may be sore in the first few days, but pain should not be excruciating or unbearable. In the coming days baby will begin to shift from learning how to breastfeed to demanding milk every 1-3 hours. Breastfeeding may be new to you but it also new to your baby, remember that you are on this new journey together.