Oats Porridge

Oats Porridge is yet another wholesome meal for your precious little one. Not only is it super nutritious but it can be cooked in a jiffy also.  Any instant oats (Quaker, Baggry's) that is available in the grocery stores(in India!) can be used to make porridge.

If your child has just started eating solids, then powder the oats finely in a blender and store it in an air-tight container. For new solid eaters the texture of plain oats would not be very appealing and hence you would have to powder it finely. Once your child becomes an expert solid eater, she would start to enjoy oats in its own form (say about when she is 10-12 months old).

The cooking procedure is the same as you make any other porridge. I also have it mentioned in Ragi porridge post right in my blog. Nevertheless, for quick reference here goes the recipe.

1. Take two leveled table-spoons of oats (powdered oats for infants) in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add 3/4th cup water to it.
2. Mix it well so that no lumps are visible.
3. Put the heavy bottomed vessel on the stove and keep stirring the mixture (If you don't stir continuously, Oats could settle at the bottom of the bowl and can get burnt).
4. In couple of minutes you should see the mixture thickening, if you feel the mixture is a little too thick, add water to it. (Children who have just started with solids prefer thin porridge. So add more water to it. Once your child is a Pro solid eater, he should like thicker porridge)
5. Finally when you see the porridge boiling, turn off the stove. 
6. Let the porridge cool to the room temperature before feeding it to the little one. Some kids like the porridge a little lukewarm.

Oats porridge is a great source of fiber. And so if your child is constipated, giving her a meal of oats porridge everyday could ease her constipation (and give us parents the MENTAL PEACE). 

Reading to your little ones

How many of us like Reading books? Many of us, don't we?

Reading, not necessarily those weighty tomes, even Tinkles, Amar-Chitra-Kathas, Archies and Tin-tins provide comfort and let us stay absorbed for at least a wee bit of time. For, the world that we live in today is loaded with distractions in the form of TV, Laptop, Tablets, Smart Phones, Internet (Oh! The list seems endless)...where Multi-tasking rules (read ruins) us...where most of the family dinner times are spent viewing TV...where time with our loved ones is disbursed peeking into the lappie...where time in restroom that gives so much relief is spent looking for Facebook/twitter updates in smart phones...At times, I wonder who our real family and friends are??

Kids of this generation do have a lot of distractions and it becomes the sole responsibility of the parents to instill habits and hobbies in them that will last a lifetime and let them stay focused. Reading is one such therapeutic interest that kids could love right from a very young age, say right from they are 6 months old (and some kids right from they are born). And yes! It is no joke! Take a book (this needn't have to be Alphabets/Animals/Fruits/Numbers book, it could just be a storybook with predominantly bright pictures) and try reading it to your 3 month old everyday. You will be surprised to see that your little one will start to smile and coo every time you begin reading that book.  Once your baby is ready to crawl and reach out for things, you definitely will be awed to see them pull their favorite book out of the clutter of toys and books and gesturing to you to read. My daughter who is now 14 months old pulls down all the books she has and is so engrossed when she flips through them. And slowly she starts the ceremony of fetching the books one by one to me (or to her dad) to read.

I sneak peeked my daughter immersed in her world of bliss

Reading can act as a bed-time ritual too. Read a book to your baby as her nap time or sleep time nears for a few days. She will understand that she needs to sleep when you read to her for a while. And, she does go to sleep; well, at least most days. There could be days when the book could put the parent to sleep and the child would want to read more and more. Reading for toddlers and preschoolers can act as pacifiers, especially when they have temper tantrums and are not in the best of their moods. Pick a book they enjoy reading the most and the moment you start reading you will find that they are calmer and are more inclined to listen to you (After finishing the book, that is!!).

Once a child goes to school and learns to read on his own, he is so happy and enthused to read all by himself. So much so that, he drags his parents to a book store or to the library to get more books home. Books can come as a great companion always. More so, when you have to travel for hours and hours. Older children like to read new books, however toddlers and preschoolers prefer books they have read over and over again. It gives young kids a sense of security in a new place (or as you travel) to do things they are already used to.

Reading if inculcated right a very young age can let a child stay absorbed in his own world
(at least when required), even when the world outside is bombarded with attention craving amusements.
Reading to your child dearest, why not give it a try???

Walk in Solitude!

It was yet another power-packed evening...between running behind a toddler who has just started to walk (nay run), fixing dinner, folding fresh laundry and end-less chores!!! Phew, I was a piece of dead meat. As we were eating our dinner my DH just looked at me and said, perhaps you should go for a walk. I blurted out a "no-way" defending myself. I said I was way too exhausted to even clean up the table after dinner, let alone go for a walk. He gave me "it-is-for-you" to decide gaze. My DH knows me a little too well, when I am in not one of those good moods he doesn't speak much (Women always win arguments, don't they?).

As I was cleaning the table post dinner, my dad and I were discussing about something that was on TV. When, suddenly I asked my dad if he thought I was gaining weight. And smack came the reply “Of course!” He told me that I did look fatter than how I was a few months back. I knew it was blatant lie, because I weighed myself only a week ago and the weighing scale showed that I had lost a couple of kilograms (Thanks to bundle of energy, my DD!!). But he did tell me that I didn't look fit. I kept pondering over it for a while and decided to go for a walk!!

It was well past 9.30 in the night, I stepped out of the house with my walking shoes on. My ear phones were singing a track from radio. Weather in usually hot and humid Chennai was oddly pleasant. The cool breeze that kept teasing my hair was so welcoming that it wooed me to walk. Not to mention the mind-blowing orchestra of Illayaraja’s track “Rakkamma” from the movie Thalapathy and the occasional lightning shimmering the far away sky took me to a land of paradise. Slowly, as I picked up pace, it started to drizzle…Wow! Mother Nature was being too good to me. It felt as though, it was just meant to be my day.

I was beginning to reminisce about the last time I walked all by myself. Perhaps, when I was pregnant. Motherhood could be demanding and can take away the “ME” time completely…with priorities and responsibilities completely altering life. Most fresh mothers begin to have a feeling that she is inevitable and is plainly frightened to take the “ME” time out. She always thinks of the zillion tasks she has. I was one such mother too. I thought the house would become disordered in just five minutes of my absence. I always came up with excuses to not to be alone despite my family being fully supportive to give me such time. However, this walk in solitude was doing me wonders. Each step I took forward, the clutter and stress inside me was starting to melt away. Ah yes! It was calming…very soothing. By the end of the walk, I felt I had so much inner peace.

Now, I look forward to walking all by myself every night. I have come to realize that spending even fifteen minutes a day in solitude and doing things that one loves, leaves one recharged. I feel so rejuvenated after the walk that I feel fit both physically and emotionally. Taking care of a toddler, DH, Dad and running the house though requires a lot of energy is never too stressful anymore.

Ragi Porridge!

Ragi  a.k.a finger millet is a very wholesome and a nutritious food that can be introduced as one of the first solid foods to your child. To know about the nutritional facts of ragi click here. Ragi is rich in Calcium and other minerals that are essential for healthy bone development in kids. Besides, once you have the ragi flour ready, it usually takes less than 5 minutes to cook ragi porridge. Easy, isn't it???

Ragi is very affordable and can be found in any grocery store/supermarket. You also have an option between organic ragi and conventional ragi, though as many of us are aware, organic ragi is a little more expensive. If you can afford, organic food is definitely a wise option for your baby as it does not contain synthetic fertilizers/insecticides/pesticides. 


How to prepare Ragi flour??

1. Sprouted ragi has more nutrients than normal ragi. So it is worth it to sprout the ragi. I found a wonderful link that gives step by step representation on how to go about the entire sprouting process. 
2. Once your sprouted ragi is ready, let it air dry till all the moisture is gone. During summer it would take about a day or two, during winter it could take longer depending on the part of India/world one lives. While air-drying ensure that sprouted ragi is covered with a thin muslin cloth to prevent it from dirt and bugs. 
3. Add the dried sprouted ragi to a dry kadai. (If you feel the quantity is too much for the kadai to hold, split the ragi into desired quantity). Turn on the stove. Dried roast the ragi till you get the malted flavor.
4. Let the ragi cool for 10 to 15 mins. 
5. Put the ragi into a mixer and powder it till it becomes very fine. 
6. Now take the finest sieve you have at home and sieve the powdered ragi. Store the fine ragi flour in an airtight container. 

Once your child is a little older you can get ragi flour directly from any grocery store. Again, try going in for organic option if you can.  


How to make Ragi Porridge??

1. Take two tablespoons of Ragi flour in a cooking bowl. Add 3/4 th cup of water to it. 
2. Mix it well so that no lumps are visible.
3. Put the cooking bowl on the stove and keep stirring the mixture (If you don't stir continuously, then Ragi flour could settle at the bottom of the bowl and can get burnt).
4. In a couple of minutes you should be able to see the mixture thickening, if you feel the mixture is a little too thick, add water to it. (Children who have just started with solids prefer thin porridge. So add more water to it. Once your child is a Pro solid eater, he should like thicker porridge)
5. Finally when you see the porridge boiling, turn off the stove. 
6. Let the porridge cool to the room temperature before feeding it to the little one.

Ah yes! You don't need to add sugar/salt to the porridge. 

Your baby should like the natural taste. Again, if your child does not eat the porridge for the first time, give him some time. He perhaps needs to get used to the texture and taste of ragi. If he still does not eat even after relentlessly trying for a few days add expressed breast milk to the porridge.  

Once your child it accustomed to ragi, you can add barley, rice, jowar, wheat (one by one though!!) and other millet to the ragi flour. 

Introducing complementary foods

Once your baby completes six months (in some cases 4 or 5 months, if recommend by the pediatrician), along with breast milk complementary foods should be introduced. The wide variety of options available are mind boggling; right from organic to conventional, from different types of millet,  cereals, fruits, vegetables to processed cereals. It becomes the prime responsibility of a parent to inculcate healthy eating habits in children and so it is very important for a parent to choose food that is balanced, healthy, locally available and yet easy-to-cook. It is wise to choose natural food over processed food for many reasons. Natural food has ingredients that we are aware of (Unlike processed food that demands a masters in Chemistry to decipher its ingredients!!!). It has more fiber and is safe on your little one's tummy.

What do I start with?? 

Million dollar question, ain't it? Some go for cereal, some go for fruits and some vegetables. I would suggest, you go with what the pediatrician says. 

It is always a good practice to check with the pediatrician before you introduce any food to your child, especially if the child is between 4 and 8 months or if the child is prone to any allergy. 

My daughter was 6 months old when I introduced her to the first complementary food; Banana. I picked a banana that was fully ripe to an extent that its skin had black spots all over. I took a tiny piece of that banana (it's edible part of-course) and mashed it well with my fingers so that it did not have any lumps. I gave her a tiny portion of it. Her facial expressions explained it all. Her tongue and palate were exploring the new texture while her taste buds were relishing the sweetness. She was looking forward to eating some more :-)

Never expect kids to take to eating solids right away. If they balk, give them sometime and don't force. Keep trying the same food for a few days, they would like it (Should I say, they would end up liking it!). However, if they still seem to hesitate, perhaps it is time to introduce some other solid food. 

Points to remember

• Always introduce new food in small quantities
• Familiarize your baby with just one new item at a time
• Let your child take a week to get adjusted to the new item. That way if it does not go well with your kid, you can stop offering that food temporarily and try it once your child is a little older.    
• Never add sugar/ salt to your child's food until he turns one. After which it is wise to use sugar/salt super sparingly. Let him enjoy the natural flavor and taste. 

More on solid foods to continue...

Yield of the elixir!

The demanding days and sleepless nights seem eternal for most fresh mothers. The little stranger becomes your LIFE (You think, breathe and even smell of the little one!). You nurse, burp, change her diaper, exhaust singing all the lullabies you know to put her to sleep, only to find her eyes wide awake (but your eyes are shut!). You just pray she sleeps and she does sleep finally. Slowly, very slowly you put her on the bed (Subtlest twitch could have all your efforts in vain). 

Yay! You think it is time for your power nap. Just as you doze, you hear the wail piercing your ears…

Off goes your sleep…

You wonder why this little creature can not SLEEP! You probably think it is hunger but can not accept it! You trust nature, you exclusively breastfeed! However the family plus the extended family that intends good and ONLY good nourishes the very thought that the baby cries and does not sleep well because she is hungry!  They tell, perhaps you are not producing enough milk. Boom, goes your trust in nature! You give up; you offer the baby a bottle of warm formula. The baby seems happy and content for a while, there again she goes, BAWL! Was it really hunger??

 Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA 
Hasn't Mother Nature sculpted these hoodoos so beautifully???
Yet another break from the usual text!

Babies don’t necessarily cry because they are hungry. They could cry because their nappy is wet or they just need to be burped or they have a small discomfort in their stomach or they are too warm/cold. Or they cry because they just want to be held. So DO NOT resort to formula right away. Most babies fuss during the initial few weeks apparently for no reason. 

Answer these questions.

* Is your baby gaining enough weight?

* Does he wet around 6 to 8 diapers a day?

* Does he pass motion regularly? If you breastfeed the baby exclusively, this could be a tricky question. Babies pass motion frequently (around 3 to 4 times a day) only during the initial few weeks. After the baby is one/two/three month(s) old babies do not have bowel movement that frequently. Some have every day, some every other day; some don’t have a bowel movement for a week. It is because breast milk gets so well digested that there isn't enough bulk for a bowel movement.

If you have answered “Yes” to the three questions, then you and your baby are just doing fine. Mother nature is taking care of you very well by producing the right amount of breast milk for your baby! Jai Ho, Breastfeeding! Just continue to exclusively breastfeed the baby for the first 6 months. 

Just have this in mind, being positive, happy, healthy and cheerful helps in Oxytocin reflex that makes the milk flow! Even the slightest worry or stress could hamper the milk flow!

However, if a mother has even the slightest qualm that her baby cries due to hunger or she thinks that the baby isn't gaining enough weight/wetting 6 diapers a day, she should plan a visit to the pediatrician at the earliest (Mother's instinct is right most of the times). And yes, go by what the doc says!

Breastfeeding - Challenges! - Breast Engorgement

Right after the child is born, in just few hours a mother starts to produce Colostrum. Colostrum is rich in antibodies, it has many white cells that fight against infection, it helps in clearing meconium, prevents jaundice, it is rich in Vitamin A and also helps the intestine of the babies to mature. So it is very important that the babies are breastfed right after they are born. The often the better... 

Only right when the mature milk starts coming in (usually after 3-4 days a child is born), does the mother have the possibility of facing Breast Engorgement. But don't worry Moms!! being a little meticulous you will sail through the initial few days very smoothly. The good news is, usually this condition does not happen once the feeding is well established (after 20-30 days).

Mommy Elephant and Baby Elephant bonding! 

This picture was taken in Dubare Elephant Camp, Near Madikeri, Karnataka. I just thought this picture would make this post more Jazzy!

Symptoms

• Breasts become extremely heavy, hard and painful. 
• Nipples become very tight that the baby has difficulty suckling. (The baby keeps crying by not being able to latch on to the areola despite all your effort trying to feed the baby)
• Breasts may look red
• Mother might run a temperature

Causes

• Abundant milk supply
• Poor latching mechanism
• Infrequent feeds
• Restricted length of feeds

Treatment 

• The moment you feel that your breasts are getting engorged or for that matter even full, you should try to feed the baby if the baby is able to suckle. 
• If the baby is not able to suckle, it is best to express the milk from the breasts right away. If you have a breast pump nothing like that, use it to express the milk NOW. If you do not have a breast pump, express the milk manually. Expressing out even few ml (10 - 20ml) of milk can make the nipple supple for the baby to suckle. And so the mother should be able to breast feed after the nipple becomes supple. 
• If the mother (with engorged breasts) has severe pain as she feeds/expresses, she can be recommended to have a warm shower or to have a warm compress on her breasts. It is not only very soothing but also enhances the feeling of let-down.
• If the fever persists beyond 24 hours along with chills, rush to the doctor immediately.  

The best way to avoid breast engorgement is to feed the baby every two hours during the day and every four hours during the night. The more the number of feeds, the more often the breasts will be emptied. Also, ensure that the baby empties the breast completely before she is put on the other breast (An empty breast is usually light and soft). During the initial few days your baby is still learning the art of suckling, so she could take a long time to get the milk out of the breast. Let her suckle as long as she 

wants to, say around 30-45 minutes, never more. And also as long as you hear her swallowing milk! 

More on breastfeeding challenges to follow...

Breastfeeding - Challenges! - Sore Nipples

For many women breastfeeding is very easily established without any hitches and for some it could be a great challenge. If breastfeeding seems challenging; it is all about taking the challenge up fighting it and winning it! At the end of the day, it is worth the fight as the mother gets a sense of FULFILLMENT breastfeeding the baby. 

Listed in this post and the next few posts that are to follow, are some of the common problems that many breast feeding women under go.

Sore Nipples

Many women do experience sore/cracked/bleeding nipples during first few days of breast
feeding. Sometimes nipples hurt so much that the mother just dreads the next feed the baby is due and wishes to just give up breast feeding... But mothers, don't give up yet...

Causes: 
First of all, check if you are holding the baby in the right position. Please refer this article in babycentre*.

Secondly, check if the baby is latching-on to most part of the aerola, not just the nipple. 

Thirdly, whenever the baby is done feeding, slowly insert the little finger between the baby's mouth and the aerola to unlatch the suction. Pulling out the baby's face from the breast will not release the suction and could result in severe sore nipples. 


Remedies:
a. Don't let them wilt!!
It is always a good idea to apply breast milk on the nipples and let it air dry after every feed. Also it is best to avoid direct application of soap on the nipples right from the third trimester of pregnancy to as long as you breast feed (as it takes away the natural moisture, resulting in cracks). 
Applying Lanolin cream (brand name Nipcare in India) to the nipples after every feed comes of great help too.  Use it sparingly, though!!

Despite having the right hold, right latch and unlatch methods and keeping the nipples moisturized (ONLY with the help of breast milk/lanolin, DO NOT use petroleum jelly or other creams, they could be harmful to the baby), if the soreness persists or worsens, it is always a good idea to make a trip to your doctor or to a lactation consultant. 
The doctor will evaluate the nipples and can recommend medicines and/or nipple shields*.

b. Guard the nipples!
If nipple shields are recommended it is wise to buy one that gives your baby maximum contact with the mother's aerola (the one on the left). 

 

(Image courtesy http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/112/nipple-shields)

They could be more expensive than the regular ones but they are worth it!  It gives the baby a very close experience as that of direct breastfeeding. Sometimes nipple shields also help in enhancing the baby's latching technique. 


c. Extract it!
Severe sore nipples require a break once in a while. It is a good idea to feed the baby expressed breast milk, but hey! use ONLY cup and spoon. Introduction of feeding bottles during the initial few days could make the baby lazy to suckle from the breasts. Try expressing the milk using breast pumps, manual extraction could be even more painful!


Remember mothers, this is only a passing phase... with a tiny bit of endurance breast feeding will turn out to be a gratifying experience. Just like the first picture of this post, in the end, bright red roses will stay in the memory not prickly thorns...
* Click on the words that are star marked to know more about them

Breastfeeding - One of Nature's wonders - Diet

Did you know that diet plays a very important role in breast feeding?? A mother who exclusively breast feeds her baby spends an extra 500 calories a day (Wow, isn't that so much more than an hour of brisk walk or half an hour of sweating out on a tread mill?). 

A watchful diet can do wonders to the milk secretion as well as shed those extra flabs gained during pregnancy. Breast feeding actually contracts the uterus and brings you back in shape! Ah, yes breast feeding is "win-win" for both the baby and the mother. It provides the BEST nutrition for the baby in the process of mommy losing weight!

All the lactating mothers who breast feed their babies should ensure that they eat a well-balanced diet. It should have the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibers that would take care of those extra 500 calories required during this blissful period. But yes, do not over indulge yourself in eating table spoons after table spoons of ghee, you would only be adding cushions to the flabs!

Here are few items that I ate during breast feeding and they have done wonders to me. I pretty much ate everything that I have been eating all thru' my life with no restrictions to any food items whatsoever.

1. Aqua!
Drink a lot of water, especially if it is summer. If you are dehydrated the quantity of milk could suffer. Besides, it doesn't hurt to make those extra few rounds to the restroom than to produce less amount of milk if you drink few extra glasses of water. Well, drink at least 1.5 liters to 2 liters of water a day.


2. Moo Juice! 
Milk, of course! Breast feeding saps a lot of calcium from the mother's bones and teeth. So it is important that you replenish your reserve of calcium to avoid bone related problems as you grow old. If you are not lactose intolerant and like milk products drink 3 glasses of milk and eat 2 cups of yogurt. It is recommended that you take 1 liter of milk/milk products when you exclusively breast feed. If milk doesn't go well with you, ask your doctor for calicum supplements. 


3. Fruits and Veggies!
Ensure there are 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables in your platter everyday. You can eat any fruit or vegetable you like. Especially choose veggies that have a lot of water content in them (like bottle gourd, white pumpkin).   



4. Galactogogues!
Galactogogues are substances that enhance lactation. There are many galactogogues that are gifted to us by nature.


a. Garlic
Eat garlic in what ever form you like. Be it eating raw or drinking the aroma rich garlic rasam or adding the sauteed garlic to dosa or chapati. But if you do not like garlic (for that matter, any other galactogogues) do not force yourself into eating it. Try eating other galactogogues that you enjoy!

b. Oats
Make a porridge out of oats and eat it with milk or butter milk. You could even try eating oats upma.

c. Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
Season all your food items (ones that can be seasoned, ofcourse!!) with an extra teaspoon of cumin seeds. Otherwise, you could also drink Jeera water. Method to prepare jeera water is available online. 

d. Almonds
8 to 10 almonds a day does wonders! Eat them just like that. It is not necessary to soak them over night and to remove their skin. 

e. Fenugreek 
Did your eyes just pop out in shock??? Yes, it is true. Soak two teaspoons of fenugreek for 3 to 4 hours and eat it with curd. Trust me, it tastes pretty good. If the very idea still does not sound very inviting, try seasoning the food items with fenugreek. 

At times, despite eating the healthiest of food, a mother could feel that she is not secreting enough milk. Although most of the times it is only psychological(baby ) , it doesn't harm to check with your doctor for herbal and natural drugs that enhance milk production.  I am aware of two drugs in India; Lactare and Galact granules (online link unavailable) that enhance lactation. Please check with your doctor before you use any of them. 

More on breast feeding to continue...

Breastfeeding - One of Nature's wonders - techniques

A mother forgets all the trauma and pain that she undergoes during labor just when she holds the baby for the first time.    

The small hands to hold onto,

The tiny little feet to tickle,

The chubby cheeks to kiss,

The twinkling eyes to look deep into,

The beautiful face to unconditionally smile at!!!

It is such a divine feeling and it can not be expressed in words. 

Life becomes complete… it becomes more beautiful!

Right from the day the baby is conceived a mother takes care of supporting the nutritional requirements of the baby internally. After the baby is delivered and right when the umbilical cord is cut, mother’s body starts to produce enough nutrition to support the baby externally. In fact, a mother can start feeding the baby in couple of hours right after giving birth, unless it is medically not recommended. 

However, breast feeding might not be as easy as it seems for many of us (hey! new mothers/mothers-to-be, don't get worked up!!!), but we can work towards making it as easy or as natural as it is. Once it is established, it is good both for the baby and the mommy!  

Did you know that WHO* recommends exclusively breast feeding the baby for the first 6 months and continued breast feeding for 2 years or above along with complementary foods?? 

A mother produces colostrum* for the first three or four days, after which milk secretion starts. A baby should ONLY be breast fed for the first six months (Remember, a strict NO to formula milk/sugar water unless recommended by the Paediatrician).

The first few days for most of new mothers and babies are at the hospital. So it is always a good idea to check the latching position and the feeding posture with a trained nurse/ lactation counselor/ lactation consultant/ OB/GYN. 

Here are few tips that I have collated through my experience. 

1. Just chill!

Some women take deep breaths, some read books, some listen to music. Do what it takes for you to relax five minutes before you start feeding.

2. Is my posture comfy?

Some like to sit, some like to lie down, just get yourself comfortable. Especially mothers who have had C-section would only be able to lie down for the first few days.

3. Hold the baby right! 

There are different positions and hold the baby in whichever position you are comfortable with. I found this article in babycentre* regarding different holding positions, a useful one.

4. Latch on, baby!

Pinch your entire areola* region and guide most of the areola region to your baby's mouth. If only your nipple is inside the baby's mouth, then the baby would have trouble suckling which will result in sore nipples (Mind you, they can be extremely painful). Keep in mind to do this exercise until the baby becomes a feeding Guru (Until he is able to take most of the areola region inside his mouth by himself). 

5. 30 minutes max!

Nurse on each breast for not more than 30 minutes during the first 30 days and 20 minutes there after. 

6. Swap the Sides!

If you started nursing the baby on the left breast last time, start with the right breast this time and vice versa.  

7. Hey pinky, help me!

To remove the baby's latch from your areola, slide the little finger gently between your nipple and areola so that the suction is released. If you just pull your baby's head away your nipples would be in deep trouble (Again, sore nipples!!!). 

8. Baby, Burp!
Ensure the baby is burped before the baby is put down. 

9. 8 times a day rule!

The baby should ideally nurse a minimum of 8 times during a 24 hour period (i.e. whenever the baby demands). This is very important so that the breasts do not get engorged, especially before the feeding is well established. A mother should pick cues given by the baby. Some of the feeding cues include rapid eye movement sleep when the eyeballs move fast, sucking movements of lips and crying. However it is best to avoid till the baby cries as it is a late sign. A crying baby has to be calmed down before she can latch on. 


10. Support me, will you?
Family members especially the husband should encourage the new mother to breastfeed. A husband should be with her and the baby; and support them as much as he can so that breastfeeding becomes a great success.

Check out this blog for more about breastfeeding!

* Click on the words that are star marked to know more about them