Five Secrets to Successful Breastfeeding for the New Mom Nursing Her First Baby or Subsequent Child

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When my kids were babies, I breastfed my four children -- triplets plus one more born within a year. My kids may all be teens now, but I still strongly advocate making a concerted effort to at least give nursing baby a try prior to deciding to exclusively bottlefeed.

My Triplets in an old photo: Talk about having lots of mouths to feed

For some time now there has been scientific evidence that breast milk strongly impacts not only a baby's nourishment during the first months of life and but also may actually increase her/his intelligence later on. What's more, as a nursing mother, you can potentially reduce your chances of breast cancer by breastfeeding your little one.

In this post an international expert shares her advice for new mothers. I think all these ideas provided by Sara Chana Silverstein, IBCLC, will be helpful and encouraging both to those of you breastfeeding for the first time and those who may have been unsuccessful with a previous child but want to try again with a subsequent baby. Sara's essential hints come from a woman who is not only a very experienced mother of seven children but also a board-certified lactation consultant, birthing instructor, classical homeopath, herbalist and popular speaker who splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.

Mommy Blog Expert's babies after about 3 months of nursing

Sara Chana's Breastfeeding Dos and Don'ts

• Don't believe breastfeeding is supposed to hurt and that sore nipples are the norm, or perhaps even a badge of courage for toughing-it-out. If the baby is latched on properly and draining the breast, it shouldn't hurt! 

• Do teach your baby to "breastfeed" and not "nipple feed." To do so, start by holding your breast steady and compress it into a pointy shape with your hand.

• Don't stuff your breast into the baby's mouth. Instead, bring your baby "to you". To accomplish this, support the baby well, holding him along his spine and at the base of his head.

• Do use RAM (rapid arm movement), and bring your baby (or RAM him) onto the breast in a quick-swift motion, allowing the baby to take the breast as deeply into his throat as he can.

• Don't get discouraged. With practice, a mom will be able to nurse pain free, when she and her baby share the experience of being on the breast deeply.

In the video above lactation expert Sara Chana goes into greater detail about nursing in an interview with mom blogger Daphne Brogdon of Coolmom.com

The benefits of nursing properly are clear. Breastfeeding can be not only a natural, positive and healthy experience it can also be a pleasurable one both for you and your baby.

You might also want to check out 4 Tips for Transitioning from Nursing Mom to Career Woman Returning to the Workplace

What advice would you add to Sara's helpful lactation hints? Feel free to share additional suggestions for new moms on this subject as a comment to this post. 

FTC Disclosure:  The Dos and Don'ts in this post were provided by lactation expert Sara Chana Silverstein. I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.