An inquiry into whether infant formula milk might be linked to breast growth in babies found no link, Chinese authorities announced today.

The investigation was ordered after some parents in Hubei complained their babies were growing breasts and one 1-year-old girl in Beijing had premature puberty after drinking formula milk made by Synutra International.

A Ministry of Health spokesman, Deng HaiHua said the investigation found that the hormone levels within the milk powder were within normal standards “(investigators) found nothing abnormal about the amount of hormones contained in milk powder from Synutra and other brands”.

According to Deng, food safety experts from China CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) tested 42 samples of Synutra dairy products and 31 dairy samples from other dairy companies.

One of the samples tested came from the milk residue drunk by one of the babies who had grown breasts – nothing unusual was detect.

The Health Ministry informs that tests revealed no exogenous sex hormones, such as estradiol and prolactin – hormones which stimulate the production of breast milk (lactation). Health care professionals have examined the three babies who had grown breasts and report that their premature developments were “not serious”.

Deng said there were no reports of premature development (premature puberty, precocious puberty) coming in which might indicated a change in statistical incidence.

The current premature development cases should be diagnosed as “minimal puberty”, often seen in baby boys up to 6 months of age and baby girls up to the age of 2 years, said Professor Wu Xueyan, an expert in endocrine research at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. A “minimal puberty” caused by natural hormone secretion, Wu added.

Wu said:

The three infants did not show premature development of bones or height, and the growth of their breasts was within the normal ranges of minimal puberty.

Wu believes that the recent increases in cases of premature development are due to greater awareness in the Chinese population. More people are seeking medical advice, resulting in more cases being reported.

As the theme is currently in the headlines all over China, Wu believes more parents will be seeking medical advice, resulting in a rise in reported cases over the short term.

During the last few years there has been an increase in the number of reports concerning infant formula or milk powder in China. In 2008 melamine (a colourless crystalline compound used in making synthetic resins; 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine. Formula: C3H6N6) was found in milk products produced by 22 different Chinese companies, leading to the illnesses or deaths of at least 300,000 Chinese children. Melamine had been added to alter test results for protein content.

Sources: China Daily, Synutra International, BBC.

When I told anyone who happened to be interested that I was interviewing Ann Sinnott, a mother who had breastfed her daughter for over six years and has now written a book on the subject, reactions ranged from discreet grimaces to outright revulsion.

If I’d said I was about to meet someone who believed swearing at children was to be encouraged along with smacking them daily, the disapproval could not have been greater.

“It’s obviously about her own needs, not her child’s,” a few mothers said, while one or two men, more predictably, homed in on the sexual potential. “She probably gets turned on by it.” My seven-year-old son (keen breastfeeder for seven months) wasn’t exactly neutral. “Yuck. Imagine me coming home from school and saying, ‘OK, Mum, can I suck from your bosoms now?’ It’s weird.”

If we find it weird, argues Sinnott, it’s simply because we’re not used to it. When was the last time you noticed a mother breastfeeding her eight-year-old in the local park? In public, at least, it isn’t done. “But children aren’t cultural creatures like us,” says Sinnott. “Their biological imperatives are intact.” Such an imperative is to feed as often – and as long – as possible, whether that be to two years old, eight or well beyond. In other cultures it is completely natural to respond to such needs, Sinnott claims, with three and four-year-olds continuing to breastfeed in Greenland, five-year-olds in Hawaii and seven-year-olds among the Inuit.

We know from a wealth of research the health advantages of long-term breastfeeding. The World Health Organisation (WHO) now recommends breastfeeding with “appropriate complementary foods” for up to two years or beyond. But what about that key word “beyond”? Physiologically, there is no research, as yet, to suggest that breastfeeding for longer than two years is significantly beneficial. As the WHO says: “We don’t know. There is no evidence either way.”

Sinnott is, however, passionate about the advantages, even though the evidence she cites is overwhelmingly anecdotal, and personal. “A child who has been breastfed to their heart’s content … has a basic sunny aspect to their nature,” she says. “They are amazing; self-confident and outgoing but not in a brash way – the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming.”

At one point she mentions a 16-year-old boy who was regularly fed by his mother and cites examples of even older children. She says breastfeeding adolescents isn’t a practice she would dismiss out of hand.

I wonder what sort of woman Sinnott can be before I am due to meet her on a snowy afternoon in Cambridge at a hotel near where she lives. Her book is exhaustively researched and argued, if not a little evangelical at times, and can seem defensive when anyone – including two child psychotherapists – is sceptical about her views. Will she be, as my son would say, “weird”, fanatical and humourless on the subject? Not at all. She is older than I expected, in her late 50s, with auburn, silvery hair and speaks softly with a faint Irish lilt. She works as a part-time administrator at the university, and is dressed in a black velvet top and a pearl necklace – the effect is more affectionate aunt than breastfeeding hardliner.

We sit in the glass foyer sipping hot chocolate, watching falling snow drift across the quad of Queen’s College, while she chatters warmly about her only daughter, now nearly 18 and hoping to study history at Oxford university. “When Maeve was two, the thought of breastfeeding five or six-year-olds seemed horrific to me,” she admits. “Then I spoke to an ex-colleague who told me he had been breastfed until about eight and the scales just fell from my eyes.”

When Maeve was six months old, Sinnott, then a health writer, knew she wanted to continue breastfeeding long term. “Her need to feed was evident, and I knew even then I would go well beyond a year. I realised I’d be treading outside the norm and decided to join a breastfeeding group who would support me.”

Sinnott was a single parent by the time Maeve was born, devoting herself to her daughter’s needs exclusively. “For the first three years, we lived a life when night and day were blurred. It was wonderful. She fed whenever she needed to. As she got older – around three – she was so strong physically. I remember visiting relatives and they would ask, ‘How come she eats like a bird but she looks so robust, so strong physically?’” she recalls proudly.

Wasn’t she eating solid meals by that age? “Well, it comes and goes at that stage if you’re still feeding. I hear mothers and fathers anxious because their child doesn’t feel hungry and I think they’re probably too full up on solids. Whereas breast milk is perfect – it changes to meet the needs of children whatever their age.” Sinnott admits that her style of parenting isn’t realistic for many mothers. “My circumstances allowed me to mother how I wanted.”

The longer she breastfed, the more women she met – of all ages and social classes – discreetly feeding older children well beyond primary school age. Although she is convinced that their numbers are on the increase, they are, she says, a hidden phenomenon, driven behind doors because they are so fearful of being misinterpreted and misunderstood. “I think the internet has helped. Women have recourse to much more information and support. But many are still really afraid and worried about other people’s reactions,” she says.

Ruth (not her real name) would have felt distinctly uncomfortable breastfeeding her six-year-old son in public. “I wouldn’t want to shock people, and just because I understand the health and emotional benefits, it doesn’t mean everyone else will feel the same way.” Ruth recalls how one of her male friends asked her if she “got off on it”. “He didn’t understand and didn’t want to listen to my views anyway.” Her partner found that as the father, other people tended to be less judgmental. “Any comments we got were almost always directed at Ruth,” he says. “For some women I felt there was actually a degree of guilt as well as envy, which they didn’t recognise.”

Whatever the reason, there is something about breastfeeding older children that makes many of us feel awkward and, irrationally, uneasy. On some level it touches darker fears about a mother pursuing her own needs, potentially sexual as well as emotional, over and above that of her child.

Our general ambivalence on the issue is crystallised in that Little Britain sketch where an extremely adult David Walliams cries “Not bitty later, bitty now”, before latching on to a middle-aged mother to the horror of polite onlookers. This makes me wonder if Sinnott feels there is a limit to the upper age at which children should be breastfed? If, for instance, Maeve came home from college and still fancied the occasional feed, why not? Maeve, as it happened, decided she was no longer interested at around six-and-a-half but had she wished to continue, Sinnott says she would have, happily.

“I wouldn’t pre-judge,” she says and cites a historical example she found during her research, of a daughter in her early 20s, “suckled” by her mother for “comfort” during a bereavement.

Doesn’t she worry that older children could be confused by the physical intimacy of breastfeeding? “No, no,” she insists. “I know it’s not a sexual act. Anyway I don’t see it as ‘intimate’. If I hugged you, there’s an intimacy there too.” Not quite the same level of intimacy as a mouth latching on to your nipple, I suggest, but she won’t acknowledge a difference.

Sinnott does admit that she was rather surprised that around 18 of the 181 women she approached in her research did, “have an experience they could equate to sexual feelings”. Maybe, she reflects, it is part of a “reward system”, in other words, nature’s way of “ensuring women will breastfeed because it’s a source of physical pleasure to them.”

Sinnott herself never enjoyed breastfeeding in that way. “Once she was latched on, I had no sensation,” she recalls. Did she miss the experience when Maeve decided to stop? “No, but it was great. We were both ready at the same time, although she has no memories of it, which is a shame.”

Stephanie Heard, a health visitor, breastfed her son Wilfred for 16 months but her twin daughters continued to feed until they were six, stopping two months ago.”They are very proud and really enjoyed it,” says Heard. “It was never a taboo subject, and when they decided to stop it was a mutual decision between the two of them.”

When they were younger, they would feed at the same time but even at six, it was something of a shared experience. “Kizzy said ‘I’m not going to have dee-dee – that’s what they called breastfeeding – any more.’ So Jenna said, ‘If you’re not having it any more, can I have your side?’

“Soon afterwards they said, ‘We’re not having dee-dee any more’ and that was that. It was just another thing really, like sucking their thumb or needing a particular toy.”

Stella Onions, 45, stopped breastfeeding her daughter last March. Now nearly seven, she still remembers it well. “It was delicious and yummy,” she enthuses over the phone. “It made me feel happy.”

Onions decided to carry on breastfeeding because she was convinced of the continuing nutritional value of breast milk to older children. “The more you read about it, the more you think what it does for the immune system is incredible.” She also found it an effective way to offer comfort. “It does help when they’re toddlers and they’re upset, angry or tired.”

Yet emotionally the advantages of extended breastfeeding are difficult to measure. One could argue that a mother’s role is to steer her child towards independence, and that breastfeeding until well beyond primary school age could hinder the delicate process of emotional maturation and separation. Modern parenting theory would suggest that it is the parent, rather than the child, who should set boundaries, and by the age of eight, the mother should be able to rely on less physical means of gratifying and meeting the needs of her child.

“It isn’t necessarily productive,” says Louise Emanuel, a consultant child psychotherapist and head of the under-five service at the Tavistock Clinic in London. “They may feel that to say no is cruel and heartless. I think parents who breastfeed for a very short time or a very long time may be displaying a manifestation of something similar.” In other words, a difficulty to feel confident in what they have to give to a child. “Parents need to help their children cope beyond the physical presence of the parents, to internalise a helpful parent in their mind, even when the parent is not physically there.”

Long-term breastfeeders believe the opposite. Helen (not her real name), now 50 and a lecturer who breastfed her son until he was eight, feels that not rushing the separation process is what gives a child a stronger sense of independence later on. “The general fear is that the mother is overly dependent on the child, keeping them young or immature. I’ve spoken to enough people to know that isn’t the case. More people are damaged by premature separation than by allowing someone to move on in their own time.”

Helen’s son stopped of his own accord, even though he used to say he would like to carry on for ever. “I do remember asking him, ‘When do you think you’ll stop?’, to which he replied, ‘When I’m married’, and once he said, ‘When you’re dead I’ll stop feeding.’”

But where does this leave the father when the physical bond between mother and child is so close for so long? Helen says her partner never felt excluded. “He was fine about it when I explained what I was doing and why.” Stella’s partner is also supportive. “It’s a natural, really, and makes perfect sense for the baby. I don’t feel left out – I think my wife can be sexy and a mother.”

Other men, says Sinnott, can be less tolerant when their partners continue to feed for years. “It’s a common scenario in the US when a relationship flounders – breastfeeding is used as a means for a father to gain custody.”

One has sympathy for many of Sinnott’s arguments when they relate to her own personal experience but less so when she makes a more general case. “Look at what we’ve done to the world, the catastrophes around us … to say breastfeeding is the answer to our social ills is, of course, too simplistic, but I feel fairly sure that, in time, it will come to be acknowledged as a major component.”

I’m more swayed by one mother who stopped breastfeeding her 14-month-old for the simple reason that “once they’re old enough to walk across a room and ask for it, I think it’s probably time to stop.”

Breastfeeding Older Children by Ann Sinnott is published by Free Association Books

Once your baby starts sleeping more and has already skipped the middle of the night feeding there is still that inevitable night waking from time to time.

In the middle of the night when your baby wakes up check if the baby has leaked without moving him/her or without lifting baby from the crib. If there is no leak, stroke baby’s head for a minute to soothe them back to sleep or give a pacifier. Then leave the room and go back to bed.

This response to waking should be consistent. If baby cries 5 minutes later, try it again. If baby cries again a few minutes later there is probably a burp stuck or gas. At this point pick baby up for a minute and pat their back staying near the crib. By going to rock the baby, you just create another habit to break.

Rock baby in the morning, during the day or early evening, not in the middle of the night just for comfort because it will become a habit. Usually the gas or burp will just come up by picking your baby up.

Since there is not much you can do about gas besides gas drops and/or distraction, (the distraction in this case will be sleep) it is best to put your baby back in the crib and leave the room once more. Once your baby goes back to sleep, gas subsides for a while and will seems to disappear with the morning meal.

I always found it amazing how much gas hurts a baby, while we would assume a bowel movement would hurt more. When a baby has a BM, their face can turn red and they seem to strain like they are constipated, yet this is normal. It is tempting to give the baby an early meal knowing that this will help the gas situation. Try to stall the baby with the feeding until you are within 30-60 minutes away from the early morning feeding.

If the baby wakes at 3am, it might take until 4am or longer to get your baby back to sleep, but this will decrease with time. In the long run your baby will rarely wake during the night or at least until teething strikes. So just keep going with stroking the head and giving the pacifier no matter how tedious this seems. I am also assuming the baby is not sick with a cold or a temperature.

Infants communicate by crying. They are new to the world, and every sensation, every feeling is something new. New parents often have a hard time determining what an infant needs when he cries.

There are some basic needs that the new parent can check when an infant is crying, to be sure that they are met. Any one of them, or a combination, can be the reason the infant is crying.

First, check to see if the baby’s diaper is wet or soiled. That can make an infant very uncomfortable. If the baby needs a change, then change his diaper. Often, that will solve the problem.

Infants often get very upset and cry hard during a diaper change. That is usually because being uncovered can be uncomfortable for him. Do the change as quickly and efficiently as possible. Then, cover the baby back up with a blanket or the baby’s clothing.

Infants like to be warm. Being too cold or hot could be a reason an infant is crying. Often, the most soothing thing to an infant is being held close to a parent. It is not possible to hold an infant too much; infants cannot be “spoiled” by lots of love and attention.

Check to see if he is too hot. If the baby’s skin is very red, or if he is sweating, he may need to have his clothing or blanket adjusted to cool him off. Temperature is an important thing to check to make the baby comfortable.

Is the infant hungry? Perhaps he needs to nurse or have a bottle. Offer a feeding. Small infants need to eat often, as they are growing rapidly. Eating is also soothing and comforting. An infant will never overeat; so do not worry about overfeeding. He will stop crying when his hunger is satisfied.

Once infants eat, gas develops. An infant’s digestive system is very immature – eating is a new experience! The infant’s crying could mean she needs to be burped. Place the infant against a shoulder so that her stomach is up against the adult’s shoulder. Pat firmly on her back to see if she needs to burp.

Sometimes, walking the baby in this position can help soothe her. Remember, she was used to movement in the womb. Another way to help relieve gas is to sit the baby with the palm of the hand against her stomach, and the infant leaning up against that hand. Pat firmly on the back repeatedly to see if that helps the baby to expel air.

Infants like to be swaddled in a small blanket. Swaddling means that the blanket is wrapped around the baby’s body fairly tightly so that the arms are held close to the body. Remember that the baby was all curled up inside the womb not so long ago, so the feeling of being held together is comforting. The feeling of flailing could be the reason for the infant’s crying.

There are easy ways to fold a blanket and wrap it around a baby so that the baby is comfortably swaddled. Always make sure that the head and neck are not wrapped in the blanket!

If you have checked the baby’s temperature, and checked whether baby is hungry or needs a burp, and the baby is swaddled, if he is still crying, you can try making a rhythmic “Shhhh” sound near the baby’s ear. That sounds like the womb, and can help the baby to settle down as well. The overwhelming sounds in the room could be the cause of the infant’s crying.

All of these techniques can be helpful for soothing a crying infant. Always, if you suspect that the baby is in pain or sick, or if he won’t stop crying after trying all of these things, check with the baby’s pediatrician.

The best time to do this is while he’s sleeping. (You may want to leave nail utensils in the car so you can do the job while your baby’s asleep in his car seat.) Another good time is right after a bath, when your baby’s nails are at their softest.

Make sure you have enough light to see what you’re doing. Use a pair of baby scissors or clippers made especially for the purpose. Press the finger pad away from the nail to avoid nicking the skin, and keep a firm hold on your baby’s hand as you clip.

Cut fingernails along the curve of the finger. Cut toenails straight across. Then use an emery board to smooth out any rough edges. In fact, if you’re patient and your baby’s nails aren’t too long, you can skip clipping them altogether and simply file them to the right length with an emery board.

If you decide to give your baby a manicure while he’s awake, get someone to help you hold him and keep him from wiggling too much while you work. Or have someone distract him so he’ll let you hold his hand still for the clipping and filing.

Some parents bite their baby’s nails into shape, but if you do, you run the risk of introducing germs from your mouth into any little cut your baby may have on his finger. You also won’t be able to see what you’re doing, and you’ll find that your baby’s finger is minute compared to your teeth! Still, some parents rely on this method.

If I do cut a fingertip, how do I stop the bleeding?

In the harrowing event that you do nick a tiny fingertip, don’t be too hard on yourself — it happens to lots of parents. Simply wrap a tissue around your baby’s finger and hold it with a little pressure. The bleeding usually stops within a couple of minutes.

Resist the temptation to try to put a bandage on your baby’s finger. It’s likely to come off when he puts his finger in his mouth, and he could end up choking on it.

If you want, you can use a liquid bandage product that’s approved for children. These are nontoxic, and they dry quickly and slough off with the dead skin cells when the wound has healed.

Now, in the latest bit of research, mothers who were pregnant with babies who were born between June and October had children who, when studied at the age of 9 years, were taller and had wider bones than those born in the darker months.

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) –  which is also known as Children of the 90’s – is a long-term health research project based at the University of Bristol, England. All of the more than 14,000 Children of the 90’s were born during 1991 and 1992, and their health and development have been followed in great detail ever since.

Originally, all of the ALSPAC families lived in England around Bristol and Bath. Now, some live as far away as Kenya, Brazil and Australia, but they remain in the study.

The families have provided answers about a wide range of health issues such as the benefits of eating fish during pregnancy, peanut allergy, eczema, and childhood ear infections. You can find a list of research findings here.

Based on this latest study, and consistent with my previous posts, pregnant women and children would do well to go outside in the sun, without sunscreens for 15 minutes a day.

Jon Tobias of Bristol University, and a lead researcher on the ALSPAC project, said “Wider bones are thought to be stronger and less prone to breaking as a result of osteoporosis inlater life, so anything that affects early bone development is significant. Pregnant women might consider talking to their doctor about taking Vitamin D supplement, particularly if their babies are due between November and May, when sunlight levels are low.”

The good news is that heartburn usually goes away once the baby is born. In the meantime, there are several diet and lifestyle changes—as well as certain medications—that can make expecting moms feel better.

Most pregnant women have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), especially heartburn, at some point during pregnancy. These symptoms may begin at any time during a pregnancy and often may become worse as the pregnancy progresses. Heartburn is common during pregnancy because hormones cause the digestive system to slow down. The muscles that push food down the esophagus also move more slowly during pregnancy. In addition, as the uterus grows, it pushes on the stomach and sometimes forces stomach acid up into the esophagus.

Although these symptoms are common during pregnancy, they rarely cause complications, such as inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis). Most of the time, symptoms of heartburn improve after the baby is born.

Treatment for pregnant women with GERD is similar to treatment for other people who have GERD, focusing first on lifestyle changes and nonprescription medicines. You can make changes to your lifestyle to help relieve your symptoms of GERD. Here are some things to try:

• Change your eating habits.
  • It’s best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
  • After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren’t a good idea.
  • Chocolate and mint can make GERD worse. They relax the valve between the esophagus and the stomach.
  • Spicy foods, foods that have a lot of acid (like tomatoes and oranges), and coffee can make GERD symptoms worse in some people. If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better.
• Do not smoke or chew tobacco.
• If you have GERD symptoms at night, raise the head of your bed 6 in (15 cm) to 8 in (20 cm) by putting the frame on blocks or placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. (Adding extra pillows does not work.)
• Use nonprescription antacids such as Rolaids or Maalox for relief of heartburn symptoms. Antacids that contain sodium bicarbonate should not be taken by pregnant women because they can lead to fluid retention. Antacids that contain calcium carbonate (such as Tums) are okay to take.

Along with making lifestyle changes and taking nonprescription medicines, some doctors may recommend the prescription drug sucralfate for treating GERD symptoms during pregnancy. Although they are generally safe during pregnancy, don’t use the following prescription and nonprescription medicines without first discussing them with your doctor:

• Acid reducers, such as cimetidine (for example, Tagamet) or ranitidine (for example, Zantac)
• Proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole (for example, Prilosec) or lansoprazole (for example, Prevacid)

1. If your baby is hot to the touch and feels warm when you kiss his or her forehead, you might want to check to see if there is a fever. This can most accurately be done with a rectal thermometer. It is important that you purchase a thermometer that has a rounded bulb and is specifically termed a rectal thermometer.
2. Step 2

   To ease the pain and discomfort associated with a rectal thermometer, you should use some petroleum jelly on the end to lubricate the thermometer. This will help the thermometer slide more easily and gently into the baby’s rectum. Petroleum jelly is not harmful to the baby so use it to provide more comfort.

3. Step 3

   It is important that you do not insert the thermometer too far into the baby. The goal is to insert just the end of the thermometer into the baby’s rectum about one inch. After insertion, hold it there for about two minutes to ensure an accurate reading. You should always keep a tight hold on the thermometer, so the baby doesn’t squirm and push it further inside. If the temperature reading is below 101 degrees, the the baby does not have a fever that is of any concern. If it is above 101 degrees, contact your local physician for further instructions.

I am writing this post as a continuation of a previous post “Kids Need Sleep“.  So if you’re new to this post, I’d suggest reading that first to get a better understanding of my very strong position on sleep and children – although the title itself already states it.

Let me begin by talking about how Vanessa gained independence into sleeping.  She established it completely at the age of 2 years and 3 months.  Some may think that it’s too long, but in all fairness, every child is unique and every parenting method of that child is unique, so because I was the main caregiver and she’s a normally developing child, I will say NO, it wasn’t too long FOR HER.

Because she was the first child and the first grand child (on both sides), I must admit that my inexperience and her grandparents spoilage that we apted to not let her cry too much.

This meant that she had to be rocked to sleep with a pacifier until she was in such a deep sleep that whence putting her down, she wouldn’t stir.  I think many parents go through the problem of putting their child down, only to have them jolt awake and the cycle begins anew.

It got to the point where it would take a good half hour of pacing up and down my hallway until she slept deep enough to be put down.  Then when put down, she would only sleep for 20 minutes and then wake up crying.  My goodness!  I did try cry-it-out, lasting a solid 8 minutes before I broke down and then called my husband home.

Eventually, we migrated to a co-sleeping arrangement that worked much better, but this arrangement won’t last long because of baby #2.  Finally, we got Vanessa into her own room (via accompaniment) and then convinced her we needed to leave the room for various reasons, only to find that she’s fallen asleep.  Perfect.

1. Make sure you are in a comfortable position. If you aren’t comfortable, then the baby won’t be either. Sometimes it helps to sit in a rocking chair or lay sideways on a bed.
   You might also try playing some relaxing music and dimming the lights.
2. Step 2

   If you are sitting up, make sure baby is sideways facing you. Her stomach should touching your stomach and knees pointing toward your waist. Her head should be cradled in your arm with her ear pointing down. I have found this is the easiest position for myself. You can also try laying on a bed. She should still be facing you and her body should be parallel to yours with her stomach touching yours. It helps to have the arm that is between you and the bed up above your head. This is a great position for night time feedings.

3. Step 3

   Now it’s time to latch on. Making a c shape, cup your hand over your breast close to the nipple. Try to flatten the breast like a sandwich so that baby can easily fit the nipple into her mouth. Point the nipple just above the top of her upper lip and wait until her mouth opens wide, then direct it down into her mouth. Doing this ensures that the majority of the areola is in her mouth. If you find it continues to hurt after a few seconds, put your finger in the side of her mouth and pull your nipple out. Try this again until you feel she is sucking well.

4. Step 4

   Breast feeding can be enjoyable but sometimes it does take practice and a little bit of patience. At times you might feel like the pain is too much to bear. If this is the case, there are ways that you can minimize the discomfort. You can try using nipple shields. They are thin, flexible silicone barriers that fit over the nipple. It is used to draw the nipple out while baby nurses. You can also try lanolin products that you rub onto your nipples to soothe and heal them over time. Keep in mind that the adventure has only begun with your new baby and the journey should be an enjoyable one. Making sure that you are well informed is a great step in enjoying the tiny moments in your newborns life.