Hi
moms you’re back with Carrie from
http://www.naturalbabyworld.com. I’m sharing my happy breast
feeder success tips. Today we are going to talk about getting your
mom or mother-in-law on your side. We talked a little about your
husband or significant other last time. Another tip that has worked
for a lot of moms when it comes to getting the baby’s daddy to
support breast feeding – make a list of things that your partner can
do for your baby other than feeding her.
He’s not equipped to breast feed
obviously, I mean some men have tried but I don’t know if I would
recommend that. Some examples of things that he can do – he can
take baby for a walk while you take a nap or take a bath or paint
your toenails or whatever. Baby’s love to walk outside, they just
get wide eyed and interested in the leaves on the trees and
everything, even a newborn baby seems to just calm down when they go
outside.
He can give baby a massage, also
free tips that you can get online about baby massage, it’s kind of
hard to mess up massaging a baby if you just have a light touch. He
can give baby a bath. He can wear the baby in a sling or another
soft cloth carrier and walk her to sleep or dance around the living
room. He can read baby a story. He can change the diapers and make
it a big special ritual with tickles and songs and whatever, however
you want to do it just make it special.
You’re in charge of input and he can
be in charge of output. I have this idea that dads have to feed
baby’s to bond with them – dads have been bonding with their babies
without feeding them. He does not have to give baby a bottle to
bond with her. Bottles in the early weeks can be damaging to the
breastfeeding relationship.
Some babies can switch back and
forth with no problem some babies can not. I’ve heard stories of
babies that got one bottle in the hospital and rejected the breast
there after. You don’t want to try that right away, wait until
breast feeding is established before you offer any other nipple. If
your mom or mother-in-law is going to be helping you after the baby
is born be sure to communicate with her in a very calm but firm yet
non judgmental way that you feel very strongly about your choice to
breast feed and let her know that your partner is backing you as
well especially if it’s your mother-in-law.
Let her know that while her help is
greatly appreciated that you’re in charge of feeding. Again you
might make a list of things that she can do to help you. IF she is
coming to stay with you after your birth write down some helpful
chores that she can take care of or explain to her that she can help
take care of your older child, your toddler.
Sometimes your mother or
mother-in-law if she did not breast feed she may feel bad about the
choices she made with her own babies and because of the negative
feelings she might discourage you. Trust that she only wants what
is best for you. She may not have had the information and support,
in fact it’s likely that she did not have the same type of
environment that you have now.
She might want to tell you a little
bit of difficulties that she experienced. IF you have this
situation the best thing that you can do is just be empathetic.
Whatever the question, love is the answer. Just have acceptance for
her, show love and realize that she didn’t likely have the same good
information support for her mothering choices, maybe none at all.
She did the best she could in the circumstances that she was in.
Just deal with her as empathetically as you possibly can.
And so that’s my tips for today. If
you want more information about breast feeding you can visit
http:///www.naturalbabyworld.com. I’ll talk with you later.
Happy Breastfeeder Part Three
