Meet Kerri: “It felt amazing to feed my son for the first time”

“It was always my plan to breastfeed. My husband and I had done our research and we were convinced it was the right choice for our family. I was also very lucky to have a brilliant GP who was breastfeeding her baby when I was pregnant. When she found out I wanted to breastfeed she was very supportive.”

Breastfeeding for the first time

“I first breastfed in the hospital after giving birth and I remember it so clearly. As soon as Ollie was born he was whisked away to be cleaned and weighed. I waited impatiently to meet my baby boy! When they brought him to me the midwife put him on my chest and he immediately wriggled his way to my nipple, latched on, and fed. Ollie actually did the “breast crawl” and I was completely astounded! I had read about it but didn’t think it was something I would actually experience!

After we were moved to our own room the midwife made sure Ollie was latched properly. She showed me different ways to position him so we would both be more comfortable. The midwife also made sure we had plenty of skin to skin contact which I found out is really important to get your milk to come in.

Ollie actually did the “breast crawl” and I was completely astounded!

Kerri

It felt amazing to feed my son for the first time, it seemed to immediately create a bond between us. I ended up breastfeeding Ollie for just over 18 months. He eventually took less and less in each feed until he was only wanting to be fed before bed and then he just weaned himself off all together.”

What is the ‘breast crawl’?

The breast crawl refers to how a baby, who has just been born, moves their body and head towards their mama’s breast and nipple in readiness for their first breastfeed. It’s a known behaviour in many newborns and it is most often exhibited by babies who are placed on their mother’s chest straight away birth. Research has shown that babies are more likely to do the breast crawl after a vaginal birth than after a cesarean.

Do you know? UNICEF, WHO and WABA, along with the scientific community, strongly advise on initiating breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth?

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