My Teenager Has Withdrawn from Everyone: What Can I Do?
Your once-smiling and social teen has become sullen and is withdrawing from the world, and you’re understandably worried. Here’s what we want you to know about adolescent mental health.
What Can I Do to Ensure Breastfeeding Goes Smoothly?
The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous and include everything from brain development to stronger immunity. And you want to offer this great start to life to your newborn child (or perhaps children).
Well, you’re joining a large group of new moms — nearly 85% of newborns in the United States start breastfeeding.
To help you and your child have a successful breastfeeding experience, we turn to the team of newborn care specialists at Neighborhood Pediatrics with Dr. Rachel McConnell and Dr. Sharon Lucas. While we caution that nothing can guarantee successful breastfeeding, there are some best practices to keep in mind.
Consult with a specialist before you give birth
As part of our newborn care, we offer an in-house lactation consultant, and meeting with them before you give birth is an excellent practice. During this visit, we assess your health, the medications you may be taking, and your breastfeeding goals. From there, we can devise a customized breastfeeding plan.
Equally as valuable, you can learn all about breastfeeding strategies during this visit, some of which we share briefly here.
Make sure you are skin-to-skin
Several things spur milk production, such as a baby’s cry, but skin-to-skin contact (chest-to-chest) is the best. This contact also sparks your baby’s feeding reflexes.
Wear a shirt you can get in and out of easily or that buttons or zips down the front, given that newborns feed about eight times every 24 hours.
Know the signs
Using a baby’s cry as a signal for feeding isn’t a great practice because it means that they’re past their feeding time. It’s a good idea to recognize early signs of hunger before they get fussy, which include:
- Lip smacking
- Licking the lips
- Moving their head and opening their mouth when you touch their cheek
Recognizing these early signs also helps you figure out a good feeding schedule that makes your life easier moving forward.
Make sure you are both comfortable
When you breastfeed, make sure that you and your baby are well-supported. You should also be in a comfortable position and bring your baby to your breast, not your breast to the baby.
It may take some time to figure out the best position for both you and your baby, but once you do, feeding becomes more relaxing.
When your baby does not feed easily
If your baby is struggling to latch on to your breast or they’re being fussy about breastfeeding, please see us sooner rather than later. Getting enough food is critical for your newborn's growth and development, so our team works with you to make sure you meet your baby’s needs.
These breastfeeding best practices are far from comprehensive, and there’s more we can share with you. To schedule a consultation, contact us at our Shenandoah, Texas, office at 832-843-2049 or use the online booking feature.
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