Why Breastfeed Your Baby?

Breastfeeding is a special gift you can give your baby. It will give your baby the best possible start in life.

• Breast milk is easy to digest and provides nutrients in the amounts your baby needs to grow.
• Breast milk changes as your baby grows.
• Breast milk helps protect your baby from illness and infections.
• Breastfeeding may protect your baby from food allergies.
• Breastfeeding brings you and your baby close. It's a special relationship between mother and baby.
• Breastfeeding costs a lot less than formula.
• Breastfeeding is convenient. The milk is always ready for your baby and at the right temperature.

Almost all women can breastfeed. Breastfeeding takes time and patience in the beginning. Both you and your baby need to learn how to breastfeed. Support from your partner, your family, and other women who have breastfed can help. After the first month or two, many women find breastfeeding easy, convenient and enjoyable.

Before Your Baby is Born

Here are some things you can do before your baby is born:

• Discuss your plans to breastfeed with your partner, family or friends.
• Wear a comfortable bra with good support and wide shoulder straps.
• If your breasts "leak" fluid during the weeks before delivery, tuck nursing pads into your bra. Change them often to keep them dry. Avoid nursing pads made with plastic as they trap moisture which can result in sore or cracked nipples. You can make your own washable nursing pads from soft cotton or flannel material.
• Shop for at least two nursing bras to take with you to the hospital.
• Plan for help after you come home. This will give you extra time to spend with your baby and to rest in the first weeks.

At The Hospital

When you go to the hospital to deliver your baby:

• Tell the hospital staff you plan to breastfeed.
• Plan to nurse your baby within an hour after delivery if it's possible. Most babies are ready to breastfeed right after delivery. Ask for help with starting to breastfeed.
• Most hospitals encourage you to keep the baby in your room. You can begin to get to know one another and breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry.
• Ask hospital staff not to bottle-feed your baby with formula or water, or to offer a soother. The bottle nipple and soother are different from your breast. They can confuse your new baby who is just learning to suck at your breast.
• Many new hospitals discharge new mothers within 12 to 24 hours after birth. Ask about a home visit by a public health nurse.