How to Tell if Breastfeeding is Going Well

Breastfeeding can be a challenging process for a new mom. Many new moms are willing to stick with it, but want to know if they are doing it correctly. This article highlights different ways to tell if breastfeeding is going well.

Instructions

1

You can recognize your baby's feeding cues. Babies do different things to signal their hunger. Some of the early cues are sucking on their hands, bringing their fists to their mouths, making smacking sounds with their lips and sticking out their tongues. All of these things signal early feeding cues. The more time you spend with your baby, the better you will be at recognizing these cues.

2

You are able to nurse in more than one position. This is a sign that you are comfortable with breastfeeding. There are four main positions for nursing: cradle, cross-cradle, football and lying down. Nursing your baby in different positions will also help alleviate nipple soreness.

3

The baby is positioned properly on the breast. When feeding your baby, make sure that his ear, shoulder and hips are in alignment and that he is facing you, tummy to tummy. Positioning your baby correctly on the breast will make breast feeding more effective and less painful for you and him.

4

The baby latches on well to the nipple. Your baby should be taking all of the nipple and about one-half to one inch of the lower areola in her mouth when nursing. If your baby is just sucking on your nipple, it will get sore very quickly and milk production will not be as productive.

5

You are making a sufficient supply of milk. In the first few days after delivery, you will make colostrum, which is enough to feed your baby. After the second or third day, the milk supply will increase.

6

Your baby is getting enough milk. This is hard to gauge in the very beginning, but you should watch to see if your baby is satisfied. If so, he will break himself off of the nipple at the end of a feeding or simply fall asleep. He will also be producing wet diapers daily and nursing anywhere from 8 to 12 times or more in a 24 hour period.

7

You are comfortable nursing. Nursing can be quite an uncomfortable experience in the beginning, but the more you feed, the better it will become. Just remember that you are new to this process and so is your baby, so give each other some time to adjust and have faith in the process.