In our continued journey with Himalaya Baby Care, here’s a new article by Dr. Jayashree Keshav, an Ayurveda doctor, that shares 5 amazing tips on breastfeeding. I had previously posted an article by her on winter baby care.

I hope all mommies out there can benefit from this amazing post, do share with your friends and family who may be benefited too!

1) Keep your baby close to you after birth: Lay your baby on your chest as often as you can, as it is believed that when your baby remains close to you, skin-to-skin, s/he will cue to breastfeed more often. It promotes a feeling of closeness and a strong hormonal response, which has been linked to breastfeeding success.

2) Watch for the signs: Look for early signs of wanting a feed including sticking out of the tongue, puckering of the lips and rooting for the breast. Crying is a late indicator of hunger. While you don’t need to stick to a fixed schedule, it’s always best to feed your newborn every one to two hours.

3) Get the right latch: You can get the right latch by getting the lower part of your breast and areola (an area of skin that is darker than the rest of your breast skin) into your baby’s mouth so that the nipple hits their high palate, which stimulates sucking.

4) Seek help: If you notice that your baby has lost over 10% of her/his birth weight, s/he is not ready to feed or is very fussy while feeding, seek help from doctors, nurses, family members, or friends.

5) Consider herbs to increase breast milk: New mothers who wish to enhance their milk supply may consider using Fenugreek. However, it is not recommended for use by diabetics or those who are on strict insulin regimens as it can lower blood sugar levels considerably. Shatavari is another herb that is known to stimulate milk production in new mothers.

I can back the 1st trick, as Batool was a preemie, and KMC at the NICU and at home helped me tremendously. What has worked for you? Leave your views in the comments below and share the love.