Question 1

How frequently should I breastfeed?

Accepted Answer

Breastfeeding should be done eight to twelve times a day for the first month or so after birth. Since breast milk is easily digested, babies frequently experience hunger. During the first few weeks, frequent feedings help to promote your milk production.

Question 2

How long should I breastfeed my baby?

Accepted Answer

For the first six months, experts advise breastfeeding exclusively—without the use of water, juice, non-breast milk, or food. After that, if breastfeeding is beneficial to you and your child, doctors advise sticking with it for a full two years or beyond.

Question 3

Is it normal to have cramps while breastfeeding?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When your milk "lets down" (begins to flow), you may experience intense, menstrual-like cramps in your uterus during the first few days to weeks following delivery. It is the uterus contracting back down to its original size.

Question 4

Is it normal to feel pain during or after breastfeeding?

Accepted Answer

At the start of a breastfeeding session, some mothers experience some discomfort when their newborns latch on properly. The discomfort should subside after that. While your baby is nursing, you could feel a slight tug on your breasts, but it shouldn't hurt.

Question 5

How do I store my breast milk?

Accepted Answer

Your expressed or pumped breast milk can be frozen or kept cold. Store it in tight-fitting, clean screw-capped bottles, nursing bags (sterilised bags specifically designed to hold breast milk), or hard plastic cups. To ensure that no breast milk goes to waste, it is preferable to freeze it in 2- to 4-ounce (59.1 to 118.2 millilitre) quantities rather than larger portions.

Question 6

What type of pump do I need for breastfeeding?

Accepted Answer

This depends on how often you plan to use your pump. Electric pumps work better for frequent or daily pumping, whereas manual pumps work best for occasional uses.

Question 7

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Accepted Answer

Breastfeeding has immense benefits for the mother as well as the baby. Nursing reduces a newborn's risk of contracting diseases like type 1 diabetes, obesity, asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding mothers, on the other hand, have a decreased risk of developing high blood pressure, and ovarian and breast cancer.