Baby Life Topic

Yes, breastfeeding is natural (just like birth), but most people are surprised by how hard it can be.

Wanting to breastfeed is a good place to start, but it requires knowledge, preparation, learning skills, and a level of co-operation between you and your baby. Your expectations of your breastfeeding journey should be the same as you approach any other important, difficult and new task in life. It will involve a whole range of highs and lows, especially when your hormones are fluctuating so much. 

Breastfeeding is a co-occupational activity. It requires both mother and baby to work together during the activity, both participating according to their level of competence to transfer the milk from the breast to baby whilst enjoying the other benefits of the breastfeeding relationship.

Because it is a skill, breastfeeding gets easier for you, the more you practice it, and the more your body adjusts to the demands of breastfeeding. At the same time, it gets easier for your baby as they go from initially relying on innate reflexes to initiate breastfeeding, to developing more control over their body and becoming more efficient at controlling the flow of milk and coordinating their suck-swallow skills.

The learning curve is greatest with your first baby, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed by the responsibility and changes in your body. Any skills you do develop will not only be used in your breastfeeding relationship, which can last years, but also be transferrable to your subsequent babies. So, every breastfeed is a success and can help you towards success for breastfeeds now and in the future. With each breastfeed, you are both learning how to work together and becoming competent. The time you are breastfeeding is a time to give nourishment, comfort, calming, and a full sensory experience (including touch, taste, smell, temperature regulation, breath, and heart rate synchronisation). At the same time that you are developing competence as a breastfeeding mother, your baby is developing competence at all the skills involved with breastfeeding. You grow together.  

Breastfeeding is a skill that you learn through doing and from instruction from other breastfeeding mothers, counsellors or trained consultants. The Australian Breastfeeding Association was formed from a desire to pass breastfeeding knowledge from mother to mother, just as it has always been. This is also why Lactation Consultants train to the high standard of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) qualification, to be able to assess and help mothers and babies facing breastfeeding difficulties, however complex. When you are pregnant and planning to breastfeed, part of your preparation should certainly be to do a breastfeeding course. Even if you don't take all of the information in, you will be able to come back to that knowledge when practising the skills you were taught rather than climbing the steep learning curve on the job. Part of that preparation should include having the contact details for accessing professional advice when you need it. 

There are many factors that contribute to success or failure in the breastfeeding journey. Your baby must be able to stimulate the milk to eject from your breasts using their hands and mouth, and at the same time, you must be able to produce and eject the milk for your baby. One of the most common fears that new mothers have is that they are not producing enough milk for their baby - these fears can quickly escalate to become guilt, desperation, or feelings of failure. There are indeed several physiological processes that need to be worked on both your part and your baby's, but in saying that, most can be overcome with the right advice at the right time. In other words, don't put off seeking help or advice so you can explore your options to choose to do what feels right for you and your baby.

Breastfeeding IS about feeding nutrients to your baby, but it is also more than that. It is an activity that has synchronicity to it in that there is a flow of energy from you into your baby. This flow of energy isn't just the milk. The energy is exchanged through your touch, body temperature, breath, heart rate, eye contact and multiple levels of connection between you and your baby. 

The enemy of flow is tension and stress, so the more comfortable and relaxed you can be, the better the experience and success of the breastfeed. 

Common breastfeeding positions

Laying down on back (baby across body)

Sitting up (baby can be across body or football held underarm)

Laying down on side (baby on side laying down)

Breastfeeding can be done sitting, lying or standing, with support from pillows or a carrier, soft surface or just in arms. At first, your baby will benefit from their body being fully supported with lots of touch, including skin to skin so that they can focus on activating their feeding reflexes. It is important to be prepared for breastfeeding by being fed and watered, finding a comfortable position, and being mentally ready to commit to the time it takes to feed your baby. Your baby then needs to be ready to feed, and you need to be ready with a supply of milk and ability to eject more milk as the breastfeed progresses.

Each breastfeed is more successful and enjoyable when you can focus on each other and be in the moment. One of the more special parts of breastfeeding is the eye contact and facial expressions you can exchange whilst feeding. This attunement can happen when you are not distracted or frustrated because you are stuck in one spot and have unmet needs. Once you and your baby become competent at breastfeeding, it can become a time where you can connect, slow down and relax in each other's company.

Please note: Above all, any information on this website aims to provide general ideas for informational and educational purposes only. We encourage users to investigate several information sources, including, where necessary, independent individualised medical advice before making any decisions that could affect you or your child’s health or wellbeing.

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