3: The MAD Approach to Breastfeeding
Today we're going to talk about the MAD approach to breastfeeding your newborn. And no, I don't mean the angry approach. I mean the mad approach: M.A.D. The MAD approach to breastfeeding is three simple steps that set up your baby's environment for success when they're learning to nurse. Here are all the steps which we will break down individually today. Mood, alignment, and deep breath. The first step is M for mood. You want to set the mood for a calm, organized learning state. Think of the five senses here. Calm lights, especially for babies who are super fussy or revved up. Avoid visual overstimulation if you can. Low sounds or quiet calming sounds. Avoid strong, overpowering scents because your baby really prefers the smell of you better than anything else, and their olfactory senses help them find the nipple and get oriented to latch. For touch, you'll want to put them skin to skin on you, and when they're ready, they'll taste the breast milk.
A is for alignment. Regardless of your preferred breastfeeding position, your baby should be in good alignment. For an optimal latch, that means nipple to nose, meaning their nose should be right in front of and aligned with your nipple. You're going to be tummy to mummy. And what that means is your stomach or torso will be in contact touching your baby's stomach and if possible, no fabric barrier in between, and relaxed on you. Their ear, their shoulder and their hip should be in a general alignment. That means you could draw an imaginary line from their ear to their shoulder to their hip, and it would be fairly straight. Last but not least, is the D for deep breath. Babies, in part, regulate their state by feeling our state. That means that when you take a deep breath and relax your shoulders and reduce the tension you're holding, so does your baby. And your baby has a better chance at being calm and focused for the task ahead.
After the M for set the mood, A for check alignment, and D take your deep breath; you just wait and you let your baby open their mouth and latch on their own. Can you help a little? Sure, of course. But oftentimes we interfere a little bit too much. What about for moms who have other siblings in the house? Can you still have a great breastfeeding experience? Even with external stimuli, especially coming from an older sibling that's competing for attention? Yes, of course, but the more steps of this you can offer, the better you set up the environment for a quality feed. If your baby is needing something a little bit different, can you change the plan? Of course, this is a simple framework for optimal learning, but you know your baby the best. So if they need a little more light because they're extra sleepy, or if they need a little bit of assistance to latch, go for it. It's your baby and you know them the best. All the advice that I give you on this podcast is just a starting point for you to change and mold and make your own and figure out what works best for you, and your baby, and your household.
So there you have it the mad approach to breastfeeding and newborn. Set the mood, check for alignment and take a deep breath. I encourage you to give the MAD approach a try. Most newborns thrive and learn the skill of feeding when we don't over interfere, but instead we set them up for success. So give it a try. Set the mood, watch for their alignment, and take a deep breath (or maybe two) and then see what your baby can do.