Breastfeeding 101
All the information you can get the better! Amy and I, well Amy signed up for a breastfeeding class and then I was dragged along. The class was very good and started out somewhat slow, but after the break it really cruised along. It was a 3-hour evening class.
Yes, there is that amount of stuff to talk about and there were things that Amy would have liked to go more into depth on. Unfortunately, it was the stuff near the end of the class when the pace was picked up. This was our first taste of what life will be after birth. The amount of feedings per day (8-12 in a 24 hour period) and the fact that the baby will be fed every 1-1/2 to 3 hours. A big issue that we didn't know was that no bottles or pacifiers should be used because you don't want nipple confusion ;)! Positioning, latch on, etc. was demonstrated in a video and the mom's were able to practice with a larger than newborn baby. Don't worry!! Everyone was always fully clothed, at least in class. The videos were a different story...
Any of amount of breastfeeding is much better for the baby than none at all. This is due to the reduction in the potential for allergies, asthma, etc. A benefit for the mom is that the uterus goes back to its original size quicker and she will also burn about 500 calories per day while producing the breast milk. This will assist mom in losing the baby weight gained during pregnancy. The ideal breastfeeding time was noted to be six months for 100% breast milk and then partial feeding from the breast, formula and/or solid food for the next six months. Every mom and baby are different, so we will just take one day at a time. Another statistic is that 95% of woman can breastfeed without any issues. Patience and "latching on" properly are the keys to success.
The class was very informative and well worth the money. We are now in the process of discussing whether to buy or rent a pump and what kind. They can be pretty inexpensive to relatively expensive. We won't need to get a breast pump right away since we shouldn't be using bottles, so it will give us time to determine what we want to do and if we can do it. The only downfall of breastfeeding is that dad really won't be able to feed the baby for at least four weeks when "nipple confusion" is no longer a concern.
Let's wish Amy luck!! I am looking to forward to the time I can feed him too!!
Yes, there is that amount of stuff to talk about and there were things that Amy would have liked to go more into depth on. Unfortunately, it was the stuff near the end of the class when the pace was picked up. This was our first taste of what life will be after birth. The amount of feedings per day (8-12 in a 24 hour period) and the fact that the baby will be fed every 1-1/2 to 3 hours. A big issue that we didn't know was that no bottles or pacifiers should be used because you don't want nipple confusion ;)! Positioning, latch on, etc. was demonstrated in a video and the mom's were able to practice with a larger than newborn baby. Don't worry!! Everyone was always fully clothed, at least in class. The videos were a different story...
Any of amount of breastfeeding is much better for the baby than none at all. This is due to the reduction in the potential for allergies, asthma, etc. A benefit for the mom is that the uterus goes back to its original size quicker and she will also burn about 500 calories per day while producing the breast milk. This will assist mom in losing the baby weight gained during pregnancy. The ideal breastfeeding time was noted to be six months for 100% breast milk and then partial feeding from the breast, formula and/or solid food for the next six months. Every mom and baby are different, so we will just take one day at a time. Another statistic is that 95% of woman can breastfeed without any issues. Patience and "latching on" properly are the keys to success.
The class was very informative and well worth the money. We are now in the process of discussing whether to buy or rent a pump and what kind. They can be pretty inexpensive to relatively expensive. We won't need to get a breast pump right away since we shouldn't be using bottles, so it will give us time to determine what we want to do and if we can do it. The only downfall of breastfeeding is that dad really won't be able to feed the baby for at least four weeks when "nipple confusion" is no longer a concern.
Let's wish Amy luck!! I am looking to forward to the time I can feed him too!!
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