I nursed my six children for 9 months(the first), to 2 1/2 years(the last).... I would say that the last five probably never had a bottle, in fact, most of them would not even accept one if offered.
For that I give credit to my mother, because when she babysat, she could appease them until I returned home!
At that time, I was able to participate in La Leche League for 13 years....such a big help for me.
Initially, nurse as often as you can in order to establish your milk supply and to avoid painful engorgement. Nurse on both sides, 10-15 minutes each, and burp in between.
If your baby is a "sleeper", it is a good idea to wake him/her up every 2 1/2-3 hours, so that you do not become overly full.
If your breasts are engorged or too full, you may have to gently massage around your nipples to soften them enough that you can manually express some milk, so that baby is able to fully latch on, and not " chew" on your nipples.
Pure lanolin or the oil from Vitamin E capsules can be put on sore nipples to help heal them, and it will not hurt your baby.
Breastfeeding means that your baby will most likely have less allergies and more protection against viruses, colds, ear infections and the like.
For you, it means help with your recovery from childbirth( your uterus back in shape), and in the long term you are less likely to have breast cancer.
Drink plenty of liquids and a glass of wine or beer won't hurt once in a while either.
If you find that certain foods seem to cause your baby to be colicky or restless, it is best to avoid those for a few months. Some culprits may be spicy foods or cabbage, cauliflower or bean soup, and so on.....
Around 6 weeks and 3 months of age your baby will experience a growth spurt....you might have to nurse every hour or two for 1-3 days in order to increase your supply to keep up with baby's growth. It is important to know this so that you can anticipate it and prepare for the temporary accelerated schedule!
More random thoughts on this subject later.........
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