5 ways to have a successful breast feeding

• Relax

Stress can hinder your body's natural ability to release breast milk. Find a quiet place to pump. It might help to massage your breasts or use warm compresses. You might want to think about your baby, look at a picture of your baby or listen to relaxing music.

• Try to nurse within the first hour after delivery.

In this period of time many babies will be hard to rouse. It may seem like you're producing very little at first -- maybe just a few drops of colostrum but after 1-2 days old baby's stomach is only the size of a marble.

• Keep your baby awake while nursing 

Babies are often very sleepy eaters in the first few days. It’s so comfortable for them to nuzzle in close to mom, and drift off.  If baby latches, does a few sucks and falls asleep, she won’t be doing her job of drinking colostrum, and your breasts won’t be told to make milk. In turn, milk comes in later, baby loses too much weight and may become fussier or sleepier. So, it’s important to keep baby awake and encourage her to keep sucking and swallowing (looks like big jaw movement). Rub her head or feet, raise her arm, firmly massage her back; keep her going!

• Skin to skin

As much as you can in the first few days, lay baby on your chest, tummy to tummy, undressed down to the diaper. When baby is skin to skin, he’ll cue to breastfeed more often. Additionally, when your baby is close, you’ll notice that he’s curing and be able to help him latch before he begins to cry. It’s easier for both mom and baby to latch well, when baby is calm.

• When you're with your baby, breast-feed on demand

The more you breast-feed your baby when you're together, the greater your supply will be when you pump. Depending on your schedule, try more-frequent evening, early morning or weekend feedings. If you have a predictable schedule, you might ask your baby's caregivers to avoid feeding your baby during the last hour of care — so that you can breast-feed your baby as soon as you arrive.