 Welcome to this month’s
post from Debbie Gillespie, IBCLC, RLC.
You can find her at Modern Mommy Boutique on Monday mornings at 10:00 am
for a FREE Breastfeeding Support Group, and she will also be featured here on
the fourth Friday of every month. Please see the end of the post for
Debbie's contact information if you are interested in reaching her for more
information, or to find registration information for her Breastfeeding 101 Class
offered on the 2nd Saturday of the month (October 8, 2011). To read Debbie’s previous
posts, please click on the “Breastfeeding 101” link on the left side of the
page. You
made the decision to breastfeed your baby.
You told all your friends and family, read some books and pamphlets on
it, and maybe even took a breastfeeding class (or two!). None of that matters now, because you’re
exhausted, sore from birth, overwhelmed, the baby in your arms is crying – and
maybe you are, too – and you’re not sure if you made the right decision. Breastfeeding is supposed to be the most
natural act in the world, so why isn’t it coming naturally? Take
a step back and follow the Three Rules of Breastfeeding, while
you work through the causes for your current problems. No “window of opportunity” is closing; in
fact, often this step back saves the breastfeeding relationship. Follow these three rules and you will have
all the time you need to learn how to breastfeed your baby. Rule #1: FEED THE BABY! If baby is not latching on well, or not at
all, he may need some milk away from the breast, to keep him healthy while you
two work this out. ** How do I tell
if my baby is getting enough milk? In the early weeks when you’re getting the hang of
breastfeeding, it’s important to keep track of baby’s output, particularly
soiled diapers, to make sure that baby is getting enough milk. Some babies show all signs that they’re
swallowing milk and it turns out they’re fooling us, so watch those
diapers: Calories in means poo out! If baby isn’t getting enough milk, their
stools will decrease well before their wets, so don’t assume everything is fine
if your baby is still making wet diapers but has not stooled in a while. In the first month, breastfeeding babies will
typically have three to five stools in 24 hours, and they must be larger than the
size of a quarter to count. If a baby
gets any formula, switch to counting wet diapers as an indicator, in case the
formula constipates baby. You should see
four to six really wet diapers in 24 hours, and they will be clear to pale in
color with no strong odor. If you don’t
see this output, it’s a strong sign baby isn’t getting enough calories. What if my
baby is not getting enough milk at the breast? If your baby is breastfeeding, you might
choose to offer expressed breast milk after he has breastfed, very slowly, to
make sure he has had a full feeding. By
feeding him slowly, you don’t have to worry about him overeating or eating too
fast. If your baby was born a few weeks early
and seems to fall asleep within just a few minutes after latching, you might
have better success to offer expressed milk as the appetizer before
breastfeeding, to give him the strength and patience to work harder at the
breast. How much milk
should my baby be eating? Newborns
will only take about a teaspoon of milk – usually colostrum – at each feeding
for the first 24 hours, because their tiny tummies are still very small. That’s one reason why they need to be fed so
frequently, because they can’t hold very much and human milk digests quickly,
unlike milk for baby bunnies or baby cows.
Gradually baby will work up to more milk on Day Two, Day Three, and so
on, until he will take about two ounces per feeding on Day Seven. By Day Fourteen, most babies are taking about
2.5 ounces per feeding, eight feedings per day.
Small babies might take less; larger babies might take more. I’m scared
of…NIPPLE CONFUSION! Considering how this term is
used as a threat so often in breastfeeding circles, it’s no wonder! Nipple confusion is the term used when a baby
who had formerly been latching on suddenly no longer latches. Actually, baby isn’t confused at all: He just
wants to be fed! If a baby is struggling
at the breast, feeding after feeding, crying in protest and being pushed into
mom’s breast anyway, and getting hungrier by the hour, that baby is at risk of
deciding that breastfeeding is not for him.
In protest, he will refuse to latch, even if he’s never seen a bottle in
his young life. Other babies who are also
struggling to get fed at the breast might be given a bottle after the doctor notices
he’s not gaining weight fast enough. If
a baby gets a bottle in the traditional manner, lying flat on his back with a
bottle pouring into his mouth, he may easily decide, “Hey, this is awesome –
all I have to do is lie back and keep from drowning! I’m never going back to the breast
again!” He now prefers the bottle. On the other hand, if baby is fed in a way
that preserves breastfeeding, this will not happen. So should I feed
my baby with a cup or syringe? These are
good short-term solutions to feeding baby while avoiding bottles. If, however, it turns out baby needs to be
supplemented for longer than just a few days, or if it’s 4 a.m. and more milk
is ending up on baby’s onesie than in baby’s tummy, consider feeding the baby
using upright, paced bottle feeding. How do I give
my breastfeeding baby a bottle? Most
bottles flow way too quickly compared with breastfeeding; remember, feeding a
newborn at the breast usually takes 20-30 minutes, start to finish. Compare that with the five minutes it takes
to watch Junior suck down two ounces from that freebie bottle nipple provided
by the formula company. Sit baby
upright, like he’s sitting on Santa’s lap, allowing his chin to tilt back off
his chest, about the same angle as our chin as we drink from a glass of
water. When baby takes the nipple in his
mouth, only tilt the bottle sideways until the level of the milk is just barely
covering the hole in the nipple. Holding
the bottle sideways allows baby to breathe and take his time. Offer ½ ounce, then put the bottle down and
burp him, to help slow down the feeding.
Repeat this, ½ ounce at a time, until he seems content, then set the
bottle aside. Rule #2: Protect and improve Mom’s milk supply. If breastfeeding isn’t going well, we often
focus so much on Rule #1 (feed the baby!), we forget about doing anything about
Mom’s milk supply. During the first
three weeks after your baby is born, your body is calibrating how much milk
you’ll need for the entire time you’re breastfeeding. It’s critical that you stimulate your supply
frequently and either breastfeed or pump the milk out thoroughly, so your body
will establish a fine milk supply. If
baby isn’t latching on at all, or is leaving a lot of milk behind after
feedings, it’s important that Mom pumps her milk to provide supplemental milk
for baby away from the breast, and to keep her milk supply going in the right
direction. Mom’s breasts need to be
emptied at least eight times in 24 hours to maintain current supply, 10-12
times to increase supply. Pumping
how-to’s will be covered in detail in a later blog. Rule #3: Keep happy things happening at the breast. This rule seems logical, but it’s often
overlooked. If baby struggles to latch
repeatedly, feels like he’s being shoved around too much at the breast (beware
of well-meaning but aggressive nurses), or if he isn’t getting enough milk,
feeding after feeding, he’s going to decide the breast is not a fun place to be. Then he’ll fight and kick and scream as soon
as you try to put him in the nursing position, which will break your
heart. If this happens, it’s not a death
sentence for breastfeeding; it just means you’ll have to launch a P.R. campaign
to get him back to the breast again.
This rule also means that breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt. If Mom dreads every feeding because her
nipples are so raw and painful, that’s not “happy things” and she is going to
consider quitting. Keep it happy, get
help, and things will improve quickly. This
list should include Rule #4: Get help sooner rather than later. You deserve a positive breastfeeding
experience, and that might mean getting help.
Also, if baby is struggling to feed and you don’t get help for a few
weeks, your milk supply may suffer.
Sure, breastfeeding is natural, but so is childbirth, and you certainly
didn’t do that alone. Use the lactation
consultants in the hospital, call a private practice lactation consultant for
an appointment, visit your WIC breastfeeding peer counselor, call La Leche
League volunteers, go to breastfeeding support groups – keep asking for help
until you and your baby are breastfeeding happily. Breastfeeding will continue to benefit you
and your baby throughout your lives, long after the breastfeeding relationship
is a distant memory. Hang in there – it
gets better! To read Debbie’s previous
posts, please click on the “Breastfeeding 101” link on the left side of the
page. **
Krystyna’s Note: In today’s internet
age, feeding baby away from the breast doesn’t mean you have to supplement with
formula. Consider doing research into
breast milk-sharing organizations – you can buy breast milk from for-profit
companies; some groups are social sites where milk is donated and exchanged
instead of bought. With
questions about this post, or to contact Debbie for a consultation: Debbie
Gillespie, IBCLC, RLC Registered
with the International Board of Lactation
Consultant Examiners (480)
786-0431 Breastfeeding 101 Class Join
Debbie for a 90-minute comprehensive breastfeeding class once a month (2nd
Saturday - 11:00 am) at Modern Mommy Boutique for only $10/couple. Call
Modern Mommy Boutique for registration: 480-857-7187 3355
W. Chandler Blvd #3, Chandler, AZ 85226 Disclaimer: The material included on
this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional
medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider
to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. This
blog contains information about our classes available in
Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley
Method®. The views contained on this blog do not
necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of
Husband-Coached Childbirth®.  New class starting December 5, 2011 for families with due dates around or after February 20, 2012 Call 602-684-6567 or email us at krystyna@sweetpeabirths.com for more information |
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