LACTATION EDUCATION
Let’s get started…
The Golden Hour
The moment you have been waiting for is finally here. The birth of your newborn baby. We call that first hour after birth, the golden hour and recommend that baby remains on your chest, skin to skin. If left long enough, the baby will crawl up your chest and with a little guidance will latch to your breast and begin to suckle. I always say, his constant food source has been removed and now he is on the hunt. Sometimes babies are sleepy and you may need a little assistance with latching baby. Ask for help…
Did you know?
Fact: Some foods can change the taste of breastmilk
Strongly flavored foods, such as garlic, chili or soy sauce, may change the taste of breastmilk. It’s possible that this can help a baby get used to the family diet before starting solids.
Babies will have already started to get used to these flavors during pregnancy when they swallow amniotic fluid.
Children acquire their family’s food habits and preferences gradually.
Lactation Tips…
First Weeks and Months
How often do I feed my breastfeeding baby after delivery? Do I offer one breast or both?
Most breastfeed newborns will nurse every 1-3 hours with hunger cues. Babies usually nurse well after delivery and then will go into a sleepy phase. I would recommend only allowing a newborn baby to go one 4 hours stretch in 24 hours between feeds before waking and attempting to feed. Have the baby nurse on the first breast until the baby falls asleep or delatches from that breast. You may try burping your baby and then offer the second breast. Once your milk supply is established, the baby may only want to feed from one breast. Watch for feeding cues such as lip smacking or putting fingers to the mouth. If the baby has slept too long and wakes to find he’s very hungry, you may experience a late hunger cue of crying. Late hunger cues make it more difficult to settle the baby down to breastfeed. Change baby’s diaper and place in skin-to-skin position until baby settles down to breastfeed. Hand expressing some colostrum on the nipple before latching baby may help baby to sustain latch.
How can I tell if my baby is getting enough to eat?
Your baby seems satisfied after breastfeeding, is gaining weight, and voiding and stooling.
All of a sudden, my baby wants to breastfeed every hour. Do I have enough milk?
Sometimes babies will go through a growth spurt around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months. During this time they will want to nurse more frequently to increase your milk production to keep up with their growth spurt. Their ravenous appetites will usually settle down in 1-2 days or may go as long as a week. Try to rest when you can and make sure you are drinking to thirst and eating nutritious meals, knowing this will resolve itself soon.