7. Breastfeed with Confidence—Tips to Get Started
You may have some problems when you begin
breastfeeding. Don’t be discouraged if you do. It takes some time to
discover what works for you and baby. There are things to do to help
make breastfeeding a success. Below are some things to keep in mind as
you begin nursing.
It takes practice! Although breastfeeding is a natural way to feed baby, it takes time and practice to get the hang of it.
Breastfed babies need extra vitamin D
because breast milk doesn’t contain enough of this important vitamin.
Talk to your pediatrician about giving baby 400IU of a liquid vitamin-D
supplement every day, beginning at birth.
Feed baby on demand—this could be as many as 8 to 10 times a day or more! A baby usually
cuts back to eating 4 to 6 times a day by age 4 months. A breastfed
baby will take in only as much breast milk as he needs, so your milk
production will usually adjust to his needs.
Hold baby so he can easily reach your
breast while nursing. Hold him across your chest, or lie in bed. His
tummy should touch you; tuck his lower arm between your arm and your
side.
Help him latch on to your breast. Brush
your nipple across his lips. When he opens his mouth, place your nipple
and as much of the areola as possible in his mouth. You should feel him
pull the breast while sucking, but it shouldn’t hurt.
If you’re having problems with
breastfeeding, keep a log of the time and length of each feeding and
which side you nursed on. This may help you see more clearly how much
time you’re spending feeding baby every day.
Nurse baby 5 to 10 minutes on each
breast; he gets most of his milk at the beginning of the feeding. Don’t
rush him—it can take as long as 30 minutes for him to finish. Baby may
not need burping. As you begin, burp between feedings at each breast
and when baby finishes. If he doesn’t burp, don’t force it. He may not
need to.
Some experts believe you can
start feeding baby a bottle almost as soon as you get home from the
hospital. If you’re going to give baby a bottle, give him expressed
breast milk because he’s familiar with the taste. In addition, feed a
bottle an hour or two after breastfeeding. It’s easier to get baby to try a bottle when he’s not starving.
8. Breastfeeding More than One Baby
Feeding multiples can be a challenge.
Even if you have more than one baby, you should be able to breastfeed
them. Breastfeeding for one or two feedings a day gives them the
protection from infection that breast milk provides. Research has shown
that even the smallest dose of breast milk gives baby an advantage over
babies only fed formula.
If babies are early, and you can’t nurse
them, begin pumping! Pump from day one, and store your breast milk for
the time babies are able to receive it. In addition, pumping tells the
body to produce breast milk—pump and the milk will come. It just takes
some time.
You may find your babies do well with breast and bottlefeeding. Bottlefeeding doesn’t always mean feeding formula. You can bottlefeed expressed breast milk.
Supplementing with formula
allows your partner and others to help you feed the babies. You can
breastfeed one while someone else bottlefeeds the other. Or you can nurse each one for a time, then finish the feeding with formula. In either case, someone else can help you.
9. Is Baby Getting Enough Milk?
You may be concerned about how much
breast milk your baby gets at a feeding. There are clues to look for.
Watch his jaws and ears while he eats—is he actively sucking? At the
end of a feeding, does he fall asleep or settle down easily? Can he go
1½ hours between feedings? You’ll know your baby is getting enough to
eat if he:
• nurses frequently, such as every 2 to 3 hours or 8 to 12 times in 24 hours
• has 6 to 8 wet diapers and/or 2 to 5 bowel movements a day
• gains 4 to 7 ounces a week or at least 1 pound a month
• appears healthy, has good muscle tone and is alert and active
There are some
warning signs to watch for. Be concerned if your breasts show little or
no change during pregnancy, there’s no engorgement after birth or no
breast milk by the fifth day. If you can’t hear baby gulping while he
feeds or he loses more than 10% of his birth weight, it’s cause for
concern. If baby never seems satisfied, discuss it with your
pediatrician.
If your baby is a boy, your breast milk contains 25% more calories than if baby is a girl.
