Ways and places to Breastfeed
A good latch
Comfortable ways to breastfeed
So long as your baby is in a position where he can achieve a good latch you can feed in what ever position is most comfortable. I suggest you get one position right first, and stick with this one until feeding becomes second nature... then try others. You WILL feed your baby lying down at some point, perhaps soon after delivery if you needed a ceasarean or you have other problems, but I found this position difficult to get right, and my advice would be to get used to a sitting positions first, if you can.
Always make sure you are comfortable and relaxed yourself, and use as many pillows as you need to support your baby. You can get special breastfeeding cushions for this purpose, and I strongly recommend them, but rolled up coats and jumpers, blankets, large teddy bears or just about anything soft and bulky will work! I also find having a pillow in reserve for your supporting arm is a must. Don't try to hold your baby with out support, a feed may be half an hour and your arms will tire, allowing your baby to drop. He will then be pulled slightly off your breast and you may suffer sore nipples as a result. Here are four good positions for breastfeeding:
SIMPLE SITTING POSITION IN A CHAIR
You need a straight backed chair rather than a lounger, or else plenty of pillows or cushions so that you can sit upright and support your baby. Ensure your feet are on the ground firmly without stretching, use a foot rest if necessary, something like a telephone directory or a cushion would work. Get your baby to the correct height, so his head is in line with your breast, you will probably need two pillows to support a newborn high enough.
Hold your baby across your chest so he is on his side, facing your breast. Swaddle your baby, or if you prefer wrap his lower arm around your waiste and let his upper arm rest on your breast. Support his head with one arm - whichever is most comfortable - it is often recommended that you use the opposite arm to the breast you are using, and allow him to feed!
This is a classic position for breastfeeding but it can be cumbersome, and you have to have a good supportive chair in order to stay comfy. However it is often the first position you try and hence the one people like best.
ALTERNATIVE CHAIR POSITION
Again you need a supportive chair or lots of cushions, and you need to sit upright with your feet resting firmly on the floor. The main difference is the position of your baby, which is "reversed".... you will be holding the baby in a "rugby ball" position! This is fantastic to give your breasts a break from the "classic" position, if you are experiencing soreness in those first weeks. It is also a way to feed twins because there's room for both, or if you just have one wriggly baby it is good because you can hold him more firmly this way! It will feel slightly unnatural at first so some people don't like to feed this way.
Once you are are sitting comfortably tuck your baby under your arm, and rest him on some pillows so he is facing your breast. Your baby's whole head needs to be infront of you, but tuck his feet in behind you. Allow him to feed!
SIMPLE SITTING POSITION ON THE FLOOR
This is basically the same as the simple sitting position in a chair, but I found that I could sit more upright cross-legged with my back against a wall. I also found my legs were able to give the baby some of the support, and so my arms didn't get so tired... and I didn't fall prey to pulling Matthew slightly away from my breasts in the same way as I did when sitting in a chair. The other advantage I found was that I could lay Matthew down on the floor next to me whilst I prepared myself, and I could still reach him very easily. In the chair I really needed someone else there to pass Matthew to me when I was ready.
This was the first position I mastered, and it can also be useful in bed. In fact it is great to be able to feed like this because you can do it anywhere.
LYING ON YOUR SIDE
Where can you breastfeed a baby?
The short answer to this is ANYWHERE, after all your baby can get hungry anywhere!... but perhaps it's fairer to say you can breastfeed whereever you want to. I fed Matthew, amoungst other places...
- In private, in the bedroom
- In a quarry where I was doing some climbing with collegues
- In a church during a wedding service
- At the swimming pool
- In the casualty waiting room at a hospital
- In the middle of the shopping center in Manchester - on a Saturday
- In the bath
- In a restaurant
- In a closed off changing room, when I wanted somewhere quiet
- Walking up a hill, whilst Amber was in a front carry pouch
In fact the only place I don't think I would brestfeed is in a public toilet.
You can be as discrete about breastfeeding as you need to be... I have heard it said, that it can be
difficult to tell whether a woman was feeding or just cuddling a sleeping baby, so long as you dress
accordingly no one need even know. Wear a loose top which can be pulled up over the baby, scarves or
cardigans can also help to sheild you if you prefer. Personally I find it far more embarrasing to sit
there holding a screaming baby in public than to breastfeed: and if you feed before the screaming starts
then nobody's attention will be drawn. I have never been challenged whilst breastfeeding in a public
place, and so long as you are discrete I see no reason for anyone to question your decision.
If you are nervous about feeding, which you are bound to be to begin with, then just have faith...
necessity will probably help you to get over your fears in time! I certainly became more confident in the
later months. However I would not have been comfortable feeding Matthew in public once he was no longer
a "baby", say nine months, but then there wasn't really a need to anyway. It is best to feed where you
personally are comfortable, whether that is in a private room or in total public, just let it be YOUR
CHOICE.
GOOD LUCK!