Although breastfeeding is one of the most “natural” things a mom can do, it is an incredibly difficult task. But while that is true, the benefits of this exclusive mom and baby activity far outweighs its difficulty. Here are Sweet Baby’s Top 5 Tips for a first time (or not) breastfeeding mommy:

1. Hold your baby skin-to-skin. This may not be known to a lot of people but the first hour after birth is a very crucial point at a baby’s life. During this time, he develops his feeding instincts, begins recovering from the birth itself, and reduces his agitation. You as a mom also develop your milk-producing abilities during this period. So it’s important for you to spend some quality skin-to-skin time with your baby. This makes your baby acquainted with your breast and would soon look for it more and more!
    
2. (Learn and) Do the basics! Hold your baby's body close to you, tummy to tummy. Situate him firmly making sure the head and back area are safely tucked in. Squeeze a little bit of your breast milk onto your nipple as this will help catch your little one's attention! After expressing your milk like this, it's best to support your breast with your hand first in the first few weeks. Once your baby is ready to feed, rest his chin on your breast and make sure his lips are both rolled out, sucking gently at first then stronger every swallow. Take it easy and gentle and you'll be good to go!
    
3. Look for your baby’s sign that he wants to feed. 8/24 is the figure that you should remember. In the first few weeks, your baby would want to feed 8 times a day. There are three signs that he wants to be fed: he licks his lips, he puts his hand on his mouth, and he randomly latches onto your nipples. This is called rooting. 
    
4. Look for signs that your baby is getting enough breast milk. 6 dirty diapers per day is a good sign that your baby is getting enough food. And the good news is during these first few weeks, that is all they need to get by! So make sure you use the best and most efficient diaper brand for mommies. Sweet Baby Diapers offers the best diapers for newborn babies like your little one.
    
5. Look after yourself. Eat healthy and drink healthy. Avoid alcohol and other nonhealthy food and rink intakes. Alcohol and other addictive substances have the ability to pass themselves onto your milk and you wouldn’t want your baby to feed with that. So take care of yourself for you and your little one!

With these things in check, you have a good head start in your breastfeeding journey. Remember that breastfeeding is a love activity and the more you do it, the more it becomes easier for you. More than anything, enjoy this opportunity to bond with your little one. This is one of the few things that are only between you and him! Trust us - you’ll miss it someday. Have fun, #SweetMommy!