Helpful Breastfeeding Hints Part I
Every breastfeeding situation is unique - even mothers who have more than one breastfed child will find this to be true. Breastfeeding can come naturally, but often mothers find that it's a learned art, and there are some things that can help make learning easier. I'd like to share some breastfeeding tips, mother to mother, that I found to be useful with both of my children.
1. You might be amazed at how often newborn babies need to nurse. It can seem like they nurse "all the time"! The American Academy of Pediatrics says that newborns should be nursed at least 8 - 12 times in 24 hours. Babies need to nurse often for various reasons: frequent nursing helps your milk "come in" quickly, lowers the chance your baby will become jaundiced, helps prevent and alleviate engorgement, and, because breastmilk is made on a supply and demand basis, frequent and unrestricted breastfeeding helps assure that your baby gets enough breastmilk.
2. A healthy full-term baby will let you know he needs to nurse (unless he is too sleepy). Some of the ways a baby shows he needs to nurse are as follows: squirming, increased alertness or activity, making rooting motions - moving his head back and forth with his mouth open in an "O" shape like a little bird, snuggling or rooting at the breast, clenching his fists by his face, putting his fist in his mouth, sucking on his hands, making sucking sounds, crying - but try to feed him before he cries. The American Academy of Pediatrics' policy on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk states, "Newborns should be nursed whenever they show signs of hunger. . . . Crying is a late indicator of hunger." Babies should be nursed before they become too hungry because a really hungry baby may get too frustrated and have a difficult time latching on. Nurse him whenever he seems to want it as long as it's at least 8 - 12 times in 24 hours.
3. If, perhaps to assure yourself that your baby nurses often enough, you want to keep a record at first of how often your baby nurses, it might be helpful to know that the time between nursings is figured from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next. Newborns commonly nurse approximately every 1 1/2 to 3 hours, but is it natural and normal for a baby to want to nurse every hour - sometimes more, and sometimes less. Many mothers find that clocks add a lot of unnecessary stress and feel better not watching a clock.
Latest Articles