Babies do not grow at a regular, consistent pace. They tend to have periods of slow growth and then all of sudden they seem to sprout up overnight. These growth spurts can occur at any time, but are more common around 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months of age.

Breastfeeding through a growth spurt can be exhausting. It may feel like your baby is constantly at your breast, but this frequent nursing is important. The more often you breastfeed, the more you will stimulate your body to make more milk for your growing baby. During these times, do your best to get enough rest, drink plenty of fluids and take care of yourself. Hang in there, the good news is that growth spurts do not usually last longer than a day or too, and then your baby should return to more routine breastfeeding schedule.

If your baby still wants to nurse very often after three days, or if at any time you feel like your baby is not getting enough milk, check with your baby's doctor.

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_{Photo © D Sharon Pruitt / Flickr}

You can breastfeed your baby in many different positions.  You will probably begin by trying the common holds that you have seen or read about. Then, after you become more confident, you will find the positions that are the most comfortable and work the best for you and your baby.

The four most common positions are:

• The cradle hold
• The cross-cradle hold
• The football hold
• The side-lying position

It's also a good idea to alternate positions. Using different holds will allow the baby to more effectively drain the different areas of your breasts. This will help prevent plugged ducts and some of the other common problems of breastfeeding.

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A healthy diet usually consists of three meals a day and a few snacks. Snacking can be a great way to help meet your daily nutritional needs while you are breastfeeding. If you keep some easy to grab, healthy snack foods around the house you will be less likely to reach for junk food.

Here are some good choices to help satisfy a snack attack without sabotaging your healthy breastfeeding diet.

Fresh fruit
Cut up raw veggies
Hard boiled eggs
Yogurt
Cheese
Almonds
Rice cakes with peanut butter
Pop corn
Crackers
Pretzels

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_{Photo credit Aylanah/Flickr}

When I had my first baby, I knew I was going to at least try to breastfeed. I thought I was going to do it for nutritional and health reasons, but I soon found out that there was so much more I loved about nursing my baby.

My favorite "pro" of breastfeeding is just being able to sit down, hold the baby in my arms, relax and spend that special one on one time with the baby. I also really like the ease of night feedings and not having to wash bottles.

What is your favorite "pro"? Did you think about the pros and cons of breastfeeding before you made your decision or did you just know you were going to breastfeed?

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