Your newborn may latch on as soon as you hold him to your breast. If not, don’t be disappointed. To latch on correctly, position your baby’s mouth over the pockets of milk located 1 to 1-1/2 inches behind the nipple. This way, he’ll get the most milk and you’ll be less likely to have sore nipples.

The four steps to latching on are:
 

• Positioning baby’s face and body so he’s facing you, with his head at the level of your breast.

• Gently lifting and supporting your breast with your fingers below and your thumb on top of the breast, well away from the areola (the dark area around your nipple).

• Gently stroking baby’s lower lip with your nipple until he opens his mouth very wide.

• Quickly pulling him onto your breast so his nose, cheeks, and chin are all slightly touching your breast. If his nostrils are blocked, pull his bottom upward and closer to you, so his head will move back slightly.

If you can imagine being able to draw a straight line from his ear to his shoulder to his hip, your baby will be latched on correctly. Since your baby sucks more efficiently on the first breast he uses, alternate the side he starts nursing on from feeding to feeding.

If your baby doesn’t open his mouth wide enough, gently stroke his bottom lip with your nipple in a downward motion. Repeat this stroking until he opens his mouth wide. Then quickly pull him onto your breast so his nose, cheeks, and chin all are touching the breast. He then should begin to suck.

To keep a steady milk supply in each breast, it’s important to switch breasts during feedings. Begin feeding on the breast that was not used last. After five or 10 minutes, try burping your baby, and then offer the second breast for as long as he wants. If he doesn’t seem interested in the second breast, offer that breast first at his next feeding.

When you need to remove your baby from your breast, it is important to first break the suction. Gently slip one of your fingers into the corner of his mouth before removing him from your breast.

In the beginning, you’ll know your newborn is getting enough milk if he stops passing meconium (thick black or dark-green stools) after about four days, and begins to pass yellow, seedy, runny stools three or more times a day.

During the first month he’ll wet six to eight diapers and have two bowel movements a day. Once your milk supply is established, he should gain about 2/3 ounce a day during his first 3 months. Between 3 and 6 months, weight gain tapers off to about 1/2 ounce a day.

Other signs to look for:
 

• He’s sleeping for a couple of hours after feeding.

• He breastfeeds every 2 to 3 hours, at least eight times in a 24-hour period.

• He usually breastfeeds for 10 or more minutes and no longer than an hour (but let your baby, not the clock, decide how long feeding lasts).

• You can hear a rhythm of suck/pause/suck during feedings.

• Your baby usually breastfeeds at both breasts.

• Your breasts feel full before a feeding and softer afterward.

• He appears settled and no longer hungry after feedings.