Overview
| How to start |
Benefits | Signs
of good breast-feeding | Positions
Storing of Breast-milk
| Combating problems
| Drugs
and Breast-Milk
Helpful hints | Resources
| Organizations &
Websites
How
to start:
The optimal time to begin breast-feeding is immediately after
birth. If the infant is healthy at birth, with a good heart
rate, respiratory rate, tone color and cry, then there is
no reason to wait. Many infants will have an alert period
for one to two hours after birth, and then fall asleep for
several hours after that. With early initiation of breast-feeding,
the stimulation of the mother to produce milk can occur and
the infant can get the benefits of receiving Colostrum, which
is filled with antibodies for immunity.
Neonatal
nurses and lactation specialists are readily available during
the hospital stay to help observe the technique of the mother/infant
pair and to instruct the mother about the best positions and
techniques. They can also help with any problems that are
occurring. This is a great resource. Many hospitals are becoming
more responsive to the needs of breast-feeding mothers. But,
unfortunately, many are still behind the times. In some hospitals,
the nurses will push supplementing with water, glucose-water,
or formula. Many hospitals will keep babies in the nursery
for a "transition" period for hours and hours. None of this
is necessary. It is not necessary to supplement when breast-feeding.
As a matter of fact, supplementing can cause problems for
the infant with nipple confusion from bottle to breast, and
subsequently the baby can have difficulty with breast-feeding.
With early discharge from the hospital these days, a mother
and infant may go home before the milk comes in at three to
five days after birth. This can lead to a lot of frustration
as family members may start pushing supplementation because
they think the baby is starving. Many mothers that give up
on breast-feeding do so during this most difficult time period.
Because of this, and also to check the baby's health, a follow-up
visit is necessary within two to four days after discharge
from the hospital. The baby can be checked and concerns about
breast-feeding can be discussed.
Remember,
if babies were supposed to eat in the first few days after
birth, then milk would come in in the first few days after
birth. Babies are born with extra fluid in their bodies that
they need to lose after birth. That's why they are so puffy
at birth, and why they lose up to 10% of their birth weight
in the first three to five days. If feeding is going well,
then they will be back to birth weight at two weeks of age.
Formula is available at birth, so the temptation is to start
using it. If you can resist this temptation, the breast-feeding
will go much better.
Overview
| How to start |
Benefits | Signs
of good breast-feeding | Positions
Storing of Breast-milk
| Combating problems
| Drugs
and Breast-Milk
Helpful hints | Resources
| Organizations &
Websites
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