Important Things to Know About Breastfeeding

Are you aware that the size of your breasts are not a reliable indicator of whether you can breastfeed? Women with delicately sized breasts can feed beautifully, as can many women with flat nipples. Every woman has her own different set of breasts, and every baby has their own facial structure and individual appetite.

It's all about the amount of glandular tissue in your breast, the majority of which is within 3 cm of the areola - right underneath the area of breast that has been traditionally sandwiched to be placed into a baby's mouth once they open with a wide gape.

With Possums fit and hold, flat nipples are not a barrier to successful breastfeeding either, as a baby can incrementally draw the nipple and breast into his mouth with the suction created by his jaw action. This is one particular area where the beauty of a deep face bury comes into its own.

Once suckling, your baby will get the bulk of the milk he drinks during ‘let downs’ triggered by the hormone oxytocin, which is when short bursts of milk flow more freely. Some women feel them, many don't. There can be multiple milk ejections throughout a feed, spaced apart by anything between 3 to10 minutes, with about 60% of the feed being taken during the first couple.

When baby is transferring milk from your breast into his body during a let-down, you will notice the muscles at the angle of his jaw near his ear move more deeply and rhythmically. He will be swallowing with almost every suck because the milk is flowing to him. Leading up to this starting, you may notice more of a suck, suck, suck, suck, then swallow pattern. You might see this pattern again at the end of a feed when he is drawing on the more concentrated milk and feeling pretty contented.  Both types of sucking are an important part of a feed.

If you are feeding by Gestalt principles, you will not need to pay attention to your baby's sucking patterns. He will readily take care of this himself as milk transfer will be fully supported.

The three things to pay attention to that confirm for you that your fit and hold is good are - the comfort you feel in your body, your baby's behaviour at the breast and whether his cheeks are symmetrically buried with his head is in a straight line with where the nipple and breast want to naturally fall.