Breast Crawl - Initiation of Breastfeeding

This video has been produced by UNICEF to save the lives of babies by making sure they have what they need to begin breastfeeding in the first few moments of life. And what they need is to be placed on their mother, naked skin to naked skin, and left to get on with it.

Do make sure you stay with it until you see the latch happening at the end.

All babies are born to breastfeed, and as you can see, come with the instincts and skills hardwired. Unfortunately, many modern birth practices disrupt this process and prevent it happening. Baby is taken from mother, washed, dressed, and handed around. Well meaning helpers try to push baby onto the breast, or force it to open its mouth before it is ready. Sometimes the baby is trying, and someone will push the back of the baby's head up onto the breast - would you do what was wanted if someone treated you like that? Drugs from modern births pass into the baby's bloodstream, and babies can come out sleepy and disorganised. Sometimes it's a day or two before baby 'wakes up' and by that time, damage has been done by pushing the baby and stressing out the mother.

If your baby doesn't achieve this 'miracle' in the first few moments of life, don't despair! You're not alone! Many mothers have sleepy and uninterested babies and go on to a happy and successfull breastfeeding relationship.

Protect your milk supply by stimulating your breasts and emptying them regularly, and keep baby naked skin to skin on your chest. Babies can find your breast at any point in the first few weeks, so Don't Panic!

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/baby/back-to-breast.html

But it is lovely to see how it can happen, if all the conditions are right. :-)

There is a lovely clip of it happening in a more 'Western' setting, on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLboKrCeVOA

If you are failed by lactation services, or from lack of support, and end up having to use formula, you should know of the risks, and how to minimse them. This video gives the facts and references you'll need.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=M8BjnGCNahU#GU5U2spHI_4

Category:

Education

Tags:

• breastfeeding
• positions
• latch
• baby
• led
• latching