Breastfeeding is a marvelous time for moms to bond with their newborn babies while giving them vital nutrients necessary for their growth. It is important that you prepare yourself for breastfeeding before giving birth to make the transition to your nursing role as smoothly and painlessly as possible.

Here's a couple of breastfeeding gear a nursing mother must have:

- Nursing tops will offer you with a easy way to breastfeed your baby with their strategically placed flaps so that you may breastfeed without exposing too much of your breasts.
- A baby sarong for hands-free support of your baby while you are nursing.
- A bottle of Lansinoh Lonolin lotion to heal sore and cracked nipples.
- Breast pads to allow you to keep your breasts dry and prevent unnecessary leakage.
- Nursing bras to provide enhanced support for your enlarged breast as your old bras will no longer fit securely.

How To Hold Your Baby During Breastfeeding

The most common breastfeeding position is the cradle position. Other positions include the clutch (football), tailor, cross-cradle (transverse) and lying down positions but I cannot cover all of them in this article due to the restrictions on the article length. You can do the cradle hold on a chair or bed in a sitting posture. You might want to place a normal pillow or nursing pillow on your lap to make it more comfortable for you and your baby. Ensure that your back is straight and your arms and back are supported comfortably. Place your baby on your lap or pillow in such a way that your bellies touch each other. Rest your baby's head on either of your elbow bends depending on which nipple you wish to start nursing from and ensure his/her mouth is directly in front of your nipple. Support your baby's head and back with one hand and use the other to hold onto your breast if necessary.

Latching Your Baby Onto Your Nipple

A proper latch on will ensure a pleasant nursing experience for you and your baby. Contrarily, an poor latch on will cause you a lot of soreness and result in insufficient milk to your baby. Breastfeeding should be a comfortable process even though there may be discomfort at the beginning. Hold your breast with one hand and brush your nipple on your baby's lips to entice him/her to open wide. Bring your baby towards your nipple and make sure he/she has a big portion of the areola in his/her mouth. Detach your baby from your breast if you feel he/she has not latched on securely and repeat the steps above until you get a proper latch on.

Frequency and Duration Of Breastfeeding

Every newborn baby needs to be breast fed at a minimum of every 2 hours during the day and every 3 hours at night, or roughly 8 to 12 feedings per day. As a general rule, a baby must never go beyond 3 hours without feeding. Be alert for any baby hunger signs like rooting, sucking, increased activity or mouthing in between feedings to keep your baby well fed. The average time of each nursing session varies and it commonly lasts 20 to 30 minutes or however long your baby takes to be satisfied. You should start breastfeeding as quickly as possible after the birth of your child and provide him/her with an exclusive breastfeeding diet for a minimum of 6 months. On average, a child will usually breastfeed till they are 2 years old.