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Breastfeeding

Unlike labour, which may only last a day or two, breastfeeding is ongoing, and requires dedication, patience and perseverance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that all babies are exclusively breastfed for their first six months, and then breastfed alongside the introduction of solid foods until the second year and beyond.

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There are many ways to access support and assistance, and peer group support is one of the best ways to succeed in reaching your targets for breastfeeding duration.

Consider joining a local ABA (Australian Breastfeeding Association) group, and do as much reading and research as possible before having your baby. There are some wonderful videos showing mothers breastfeeding, and it may help when your baby is born to have seen some of these.

Babies are born instinctively knowing how to breastfeed, and given the right conditions of being placed skin-to-skin with their mums, your baby will move to the breast in his/her own time and get themselves into a good position and start feeding. While our babies have these instincts, and breastfeeding is natural, it is still a learned behaviour for mothers, so please do not hesitate to ask your midwife for assistance.

Ten steps to successful breastfeeding

Peninsula Health is committed to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. We aim to follow these ‘Ten steps to successful breastfeeding’ as recommended by WHO and UNICEF’s baby-friendly health initiative.

  1. We support you in your decision to breastfeed your baby. We acknowledge the many benefits of breastfeeding to your baby, to you and your family
  2. We will maintain a high standard of education, and ensure that care and advice given to you is consistent and evidence based
  3. We seek to provide pregnant women, mothers, their families and the community with clear and factual information about the benefits and management of breastfeeding
  4. We seek to protect the bond between you and your newborn baby from the moment of birth, so that there is no unnecessary interruption to the baby’s instinctive activities in beginning to breastfeed
  5. We seek to assist you and your baby to establish breastfeeding, and to maintain your milk supply for your baby even if you need to be temporarily separated
  6. We will not give your baby anything other than breast milk, unless there is a medical need to do so, and only with your signed consent
  7. We will not take your baby away from you without permission
  8. We support you in feeding your baby when you and your baby are ready to breastfeed
  9. We will not use artificial teats, dummies or other nipple substitutes, which may interfere with your baby’s learning to breastfeed
  10. We support and encourage breastfeeding support in community groups

Breastfeeding difficulties

Whilst many babies will be born with a strong instinct to feed strongly, for some babies this may not be the case. 

Positioning and attachment

Your hospital midwife can assist with positioning and attachment following assisted birth, such as forceps, vacuum, caesarean or if you had used epidural or pethidine for pain relief. Skin-to-skin is a wonderful way to combat this, as your baby’s natural instincts when in this position will help him/her to move to the breast in their own time. At times, it will be necessary to express your breastmilk and offer it to baby by another means until your baby becomes more alert and ready to feed.

Breastmilk supply

Many mothers worry about if they will have enough breastmilk supply for their baby. By allowing your baby to feed as frequently as they choose, you will be able to build up your supply quite quickly, and the majority of mothers will be able to produce the required amount of milk for their baby. Newborn babies usually breastfeed 8-12 times a day, and it is important to avoid restricting these feeds, particularly in the first two weeks of life. It is also not advisable to soothe with a dummy in these early days, as you can miss your baby’s feeding cues. If your baby is very sleepy and not waking for feeds, it is important to wake them every three hours to feed them, until they are more alert and waking for all feeds on their own. If your baby is not putting on adequate weight or you are concerned about your supply, please seek further advice and assistance from the ABA, BFSS or a private lactation consultant.

Tongue-tie

Tongue-tie can affect baby’s ability to breastfeed successfully. Some babies will have no effect from tongue-tie, yet other tongue-ties can cause nipple damage, poor milk intake, and reduced milk supply in the long term. If you have any concerns, you can see the BFSS, a private lactation consultant, breastfeeding specialist or GP, who should be able to assess your baby’s tongue-tie, and advise whether a release would be worth considering.

Lumps on the breast

Sometimes when breastfeeding, you can get lumps and bumps in your breasts. They are very common when your milk is first coming in, and will often settle with heat and gentle massage. However, if this is an ongoing issue, it could be that the milk ducts are filling with milk, and not being cleared effectively, thereby causing a blockage. Massage these gently in the shower, and whilst feeding. It is also important to see a lactation consultant for advice on your baby’s position and attachment while feeding. If your breasts become red, hot, and you start to have flu-like symptoms, please see your GP immediately, as you may have mastitis – an infection in the milk duct.

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