Brochure How To Breastfeed
Brochure How To Breastfeed
breastfeeding difficulties
] Position and attach your baby correctly on the breast
Breastfeeding should not hurt.
] If you develop cracked nipples, put some breast
milk on them. Do not use any types of creams or
ointments except when prescribed by a health
care provider.
] Feed frequently to prevent your
breasts from becoming swollen.
] If the baby misses a feed you should
express some milk to keep your
breasts soft.
] Keep expressed breast milk in a
cool place, but not for longer than
6 to 8 hours.
] If one or both of your breasts
become painful or hot to the
touch, see a health care provider.
] Check for sores and thrush in your
babys mouth. If you find any, see a
health care provider.
Things to remember
] Exclusive breastfeeding during the first
six months protects you from getting
pregnant as long as your periods have
not returned. Consult a family planning
counsellor as soon as possible after
giving birth.
] When your baby is 6 months old, continue
breastfeeding and begin giving other
foods.
] Watch for signs of diarrhoea, fever,
difficulty breathing, or refusal to feed
because these need prompt attention.
] If a woman is HIV-infected, she should not
feed her baby from a nipple that is cracked
or bleeding. Instead, feed from the other
breast and express and discard the milk
from the breast that is affected.
] Getting infected or re-infected with HIV
while breastfeeding increases the risk of
mother to child transmission. Practice safe
sex by using condoms consistently and
correctly.
] To protect your baby, know your HIV status.
This brochure was adapted and updated for UNICEF New York from material developed by
University Research Co., LLC in Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, and recently in Uganda under the
NuLife Program: USAID Cooperative Agreement 717-A-00-08-00006-00. February 2010.
How to
Breastfeed
Your Baby
Breastfeeding
What do I need to know?
] Breast milk provides all the
food and water that your
baby needs during the first
6 months of life.
] Make sure you feed your
baby the first yellowish
milk known as colostrum.
] Colostrum protects your
baby from many diseases.
] Exclusive breastfeeding
means giving breast milk
only, and nothing else
(no other milks, foods
or liquids, not even sips
of water), except for
medicines prescribed by a
doctor or nurse.
] Feeding your baby both
breast milk and other foods
or liquids, including infant
formula, animal milks,
or water (called mixed
feeding) before 6 months
reduces the amount of milk
that you produce and can
make your baby sick.