Fucking rad facts about breastfeeding
How many people have gone to hospital to have a baby, had some mild attachment difficulties with breastfeeding, only to have a health professional come in and SMASH your babys face into your breast and then be all like "PROBLEM SOLVED"?
Thankfully, science and nature have a better way.
BLA is when you have your baby plonked onto your chest, and they use their instincts and reflexes to make their own way to the breast, usually meaning that their attachment is better and they feed more efficiently.
Trying baby led attachment within an hour after birth is ideal, but in cases where this is not possible, babies retain this reflex for months after birth and longer if it's used, so get into it at any time.
Baby led attachment works best when baby is hungry but not starving, awake and alert, and parent is relaxed. It can take up to an hour or more for baby to start making their way to the breast, so be patient and relaxed, and don't put any pressure on yourself or baby for it to happen. Enjoy your skin to skin time with your baby, and know that the fact that each time you try baby led attachment, your baby will get a little better at latching. Know that this is a pleasant side effect, of spending one on one bonding time with your baby!
Also highly recommended to give skin to skin feeding a crack if you are bottle feeding, having supply problems, using a supplemental feeder or trying to induce lactation, the hormones produced during skin to skin are really positive for bonding, and increase the effectiveness of supply and demand.
