Nurse Francine Padrid: When you first start up breastfeeding and you're just learning, probably the easiest position is the Football Position. You're literally holding the baby kind of supported under your arm with your hands supporting the back of the baby's neck. So you have very good control of the baby.
In that way you can really help the baby to get on to the breast when he or she opens his/her mouth really wide. You actually, help push the baby on to the breast gently. I find that that's the easiest when you're first learning.
Leticia Huskey Ortega: So far it's terrific. I thought it's going to hurt me and I wasn't going to like it, but it's going very well. I've learned new positions that you're even more comfortable. So, it's great, it's better than I thought.
Nurse Francine Padrid: Then once the baby has learned how to latch on and mom is feeling really comfortable, then you can use your typical cradle that you've seen where the baby's head is in your elbow, because the baby will essentially latch himself on and you're not going to have to be pushing and pulling.
When a mom first starts breastfeeding, I think, some of the problems that moms have are perceived problems. They're afraid that their babies are not getting enough milk; maybe they haven't been shown what swallowing actually sounds like, oftentimes in the very beginning of a baby who is really sleepy. Lots of kids in the first 24 hours are sleepy, sort of nature's way of letting mom get some sleep. But moms don't know that and they want their babies to eat right away so they perceive that as a problem.
Breastfeeding is not for everyone and as long as you're not feeling bad about it and you feel like you gave it a good try, there's -- formula is okay, babies grow up and they're healthy on formalism and as long as it's comfortable for them, I would recommend, should they have another baby, make sure that they get some help right from the very beginning. It's not always instinctual, babies don't always know exactly what to do when they're born and you need help.
Leticia Huskey Ortega: When he's here, and he's just sucking, the way I just look at his face and feel this kid next to mine and I just love him, love him, love him, I mean, I love if was doing a bottle, but this makes me feel closer, it's a bond that is -- it's like we're connected, we are connected, but this is like we're meshed as one.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services