American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the nutritional source for your baby for the first 6 months. Afterwards, mom and baby can decide whether to continue or ween off breastfeeding. If thinking about trying to breastfeed, discover 5 breastfeeding positions, 5 benefits of breastfeeding, and foods to avoid for first time moms.

Breastfeeding Tips For First Time Moms:

• 5 Breastfeeding Positions

• 5 Benefits of Breastfeeding

• 6 Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Positions

Cradle Hold – Cradle your baby in the inside elbow of the arm. Use that hand to support baby’s bottom. Make sure nose is opposite nipple. Turn belly to belly and raise baby to breast. The other free hand can support the breast.

Football Hold – Cradle your baby facing upward with a pillow under them. Support baby’s neck with palm of same arm and tuck legs and feet under your arm. Lift your baby to your breast. This position is good if the mother had a C-section since less pressure is on the abdomen. Also good position for mothers with twins.

Cross-Cradle Hold – Best position for bottle feeding. Support with the same arm as the breast with baby across your lap. Since you’ll be holding baby’s head you can guide to the breast more easily. This gives a deeper latch, especially good the first weeks of being a newborn.

Laid Back Hold – A comfortable and relaxed position that requires less work. The feeding reflexes are assisted by gravity. Baby lays tummy down in the laid back hold. Baby can lie vertically below, to the side or across the breasts. The variation of comfortability is determined by trial and error.   

Side-Laying Hold – Lay on your side with baby on their side. Use lower arm to cradle baby’s back. Some use a swaddle or baby blanket to tuck baby close to the body. Position baby so nose is opposite nipple. This is a good breastfeeding position for mothers that had a C-section due to less pressure on abdomen.   

Benefits Of Breastfeeding   

Best Baby Nutrition – Breast milk is unique because it contains antibodies that support immune system. So baby enjoys the best of the best. Their tiny immune systems need time to grow. Help it out with vital nutrients and vitamins.

Easier To Digest – Breast milk is easiest to digest for babies. Babies are designed to get maximum absorption from mother’s milk. The digestion system is laying the foundation for life ahead. Formula is harder on the sensitive digestive tract than all-natural breast milk.

Burns Calories For Mom – Baby fat is not the easiest to get rid of after giving birth. Luckily, breastfeeding burns calories. You lose weight when you burn calories. Of course, other fat burning activities and healthy eating habits assist the process. New moms that breastfeed can find comfort knowing they’re burning calories. 

Bonding With Baby – The physical closeness that brings mother and baby together through breastfeeding is a special bonding time. A way to connect with one another. What a great way to build affection and attachment your relationship. If any new moms are worried about bonding with their child, breastfeeding can be a strong bonding activity.

Saves Mom Money – You can save money if you decide to breastfeed.  Think about it. There’s no needless dollars getting thrown away on baby formula at the grocery store. There’s no baby formula shortage. You get the added benefit of not wasting money on formula spending. Save it and start that college savings account for when they graduate high school. It’s never too late to save for the future.

Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding

Caffeine – Caffeine is a stimulant and high consumption amounts should be avoided. This can lead to lousy sleeping patterns, irritability, jitteriness, fussiness and symptoms of colic. The stimulant can be found in drinks like coffee, soda, energy drinks and tea. It’s recommended no more than 2 cups per day if breastfeeding.  

Alcohol – Alcohol can pass through breast milk and should be avoided. The safest option is abstinence. If you do decide you drink, do so in moderation. One drink can remain in the system for 2-3 hours. The higher the consumption, the longer it takes to leave the body. If you do have 1 drink, wait at least 2-3 hours after to breastfeed says the CDC.

Fish – Even though fish can be a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, some are high in mercury and should be avoided. Fish high in mercury can be any of the following: bigeye tuna, shark, king mackerel, marlin, swordfish, tilefish, and orange roughy.

Chocolate – Chocolate is another stimulant that if taken in high amounts can have a negative effect on your baby similar to caffeine such as fussiness. You don’t have to completely eliminate this one from your diet (it is delicious). But it should be noted to err on the side of caution.   

Highly Processed Foods – these foods can be high in added sugars, unhealthy fats and have way too many calories. Not to mention they are lacking in the correct amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Limit these foods as much as possible.

Medications – Consult your doctor or pediatrician about any medicines you are taking or planning on taking if you are breastfeeding. Precautionary safety measures are always the best strategy when it comes to you and your precious munchkin.

Breastfeeding Babies 

As you can see, there are things to consider when breastfeeding your baby. There are different factors to weigh when breastfeeding. What are the pros and cons? What you eat and drink can directly affect the milk (quality and taste) you produce. If you have questions, we recommend reaching out to your local doctor or pediatrician. You can never be too careful.

Balanced nutrition and good digestion unlock huge benefits. And knowing different breastfeeding positions can make the experience more comfortable for mom. Learning the benefits of breastfeeding is worth it. Proper growth and development for your little one is the goal. We hope you gained some value and insight here. And picked up a few breastfeeding tips along the way. Good Luck!