What You Need to Get Ready for Your Breastfeeding Adventures

• You and your partner must agree that your little one will be fully breastfed after birth. Your decision should be firm because other family members may be against it.
• Identify a breastfeeding spot in your house. The place must be cozy, comfortable, and well-lit. Get a good and comfortable seat with strong back support and arm rest.
• Make sure you keep a water tumbler
  close so that you can have a drink while breastfeeding.

When Should You Breastfeed?

Your baby has a small stomach and thus can’t take in large amounts of milk during every feed. It is normal, therefore, for them to get hungry very fast. Expect to breastfeed your baby as
frequent as every 2.5 to 3 hours, especially during the first few months of life.

Every baby has unique hunger cues. These cues are the baby putting a hand into the mouth, making soft whimpering sounds, and moving head from side to side with their mouth open.

If they get no response from mommy, the baby will then cry.

Tips for storing Breast Milk

• Check the milk regularly and discard spoiled or expired breast milk. Practice first in, first out by placing newer milk at the back of the fridge or freezer, so that older milk gets used first.
• Label expressed breast milk container or bag with time and date of expression. Breast milk can be kept in the fridge
  (2 to 4°C) for up to 8 days.
• If your freezer is distinctly separated
  from the fridge compartment, then the milk can be kept for up to 3 months.
• If your freezer is part of the same compartment as the fridge, expressed breast milk can be stored for up to 2 weeks.

How to Prepare Expressed Milk for Feeding

• Place milk container in a bowl of warm water. This process is called thawing.
• Test the temperature of the milk by dropping a few drops of milk on your inner wrist.
• The milk can be given to the baby once the temperature is lukewarm.
• Breast milk should be given to baby within 2 hours after thawing.
• Don’t keep or refreeze leftover milk. Discard instead.