One of the first nurturing duties as a new mother would be to feed your newborn baby - and for most women, this means breastfeeding. Even though breastfeeding is natural, it is normal to worry and stress out whether you provide enough and proper nutrients for your baby through your milk. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to your worries - a confinement meal offers healthy food for you and your little one and directly promotes the volume of milk and nutrients your newborn receives!

While breastfeeding is an intimate bond and a beautiful experience for a mother and a newborn, it may not be the case for some mothers. Holding and feeding your newborn after enduring one of the most physically and emotionally tiring stages of motherhood can create a mixture of emotions. These emotions are carried during the first few weeks, which are the most critical and challenging moments of establishing milk supply - especially for new mothers. To help you, here are five breastfeeding tips that every new mum should know of.

1. Observe and await your baby's mealtime

Crying is one indication that your baby is hungry; however, instead of waiting for your newborn to cry, you can observe and anticipate their needs by keeping an eye on some tell-tale signs. When your child is hungry, they may:

· Repeatedly turn or raise their head

· Open and close their mouth

· Stick out their tongue

· Suck on whatever is within reach

If you often see your baby doing these, feed them right away. Your baby would be happy knowing that they do not have to cry for their needs to be met; this establishes a level of connection and understanding that only you and your baby will have.

2. Let your baby decide how long to breastfeed

It may not seem like it, but your baby understands their needs better than you do. So, let them determine how often and how long they should breastfeed. Avoid setting a specific time interval between feedings or duration of the feeding and deny your baby food just because the time you set has already exceeded.

Similarly, you don't have to wake a sleeping baby just because it is time to feed them on your clock. Let them sleep peacefully and feed when they are awake. Babies have different breastfeeding methods, so don't worry if your baby feeds faster or slower.

3. Help your child find the suitable position

Through the course of breastfeeding, your baby will likely find a position that is most comfortable for them. Pay attention to their position and try following that position next time. Every baby has different preferred positions, but there are a few guidelines to help you and your baby find the best breastfeeding position:

· Your baby should be positioned where their mouth levels with your nipple

· Your baby should not have to turn their head at all

· Your baby's head should be tilted backwards slightly

· Your baby should latch onto your entire areola and not just the nipple

· Your baby's chin should be right beneath your breast

4. Relax

Your milk production depends significantly on your baby's needs. Your child's sucking stimulates the release of your hormones called prolactin and oxytocin, responsible for stimulating milk production. As you breastfeed, try your best to relax and not worry because you will have enough milk. Keep in mind that the more your baby breastfeeds, the more milk would have.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding can be overwhelming at times, but practising the tips above will help you make the most of your time with your little one while breastfeeding. To have healthy breastfeeding with your newborn, you must restore your body after giving birth - one way to do this is through eating healthy food and doing moderate exercises.

Here at Yue Zi Le, we understand how challenging it is to resume your daily life in a new normal while taking care of your newborn, balancing your responsibilities. As Singapore's leading confinement food-only caterer, we offer a wide array of choices and provide confinement meal delivery to help you ingest nutritious meals that supports your dietary requirements. Feel free to contact us at +65 8448 1177 to learn more.