Learning About Breastfeeding from your Newborn

We don’t give our newborns enough credit. Those tiny babies—like all newborn mammals—are born with the reflexes they need to get to the breast, take it in their mouths and feed without help. Your baby knows what to do! Just get her into position and cheer her on.

Your baby’s hardwiring works best with a little help from gravity. To make it easier for her, lean back with good neck, shoulder, and back support and your hips forward. (Think about how you sit when you watch your favorite TV show.) Lay your baby tummy down between your exposed breasts. When your calm, hungry baby feels your body against her chin, torso, legs, and feet, this triggers her feeding reflexes. When her chin touches your body, her mouth opens and she begins to search for the breast.

Laid-back breastfeeding refers to both a mother’s positioning and her approach to nursing. After birth, leaning back to feed can make breastfeeding easier while you’re learning. Gravity keeps your baby against your body. Feedings are more relaxing because you don’t have to support your baby’s weight with your arms. Whatever position you use, make sure your arms, neck, head, shoulders, and arms are well supported so you can be comfortable for a long while.

Adjust for comfort

To find your best positions, first adjust how far you lean back. This is easy to do in a hospital bed. You can also adjust your baby’s position on your body. Babies can go to the breast from many angles. Your baby can lie tummy down below your breast either straight or at an angle.

After a cesarean birth, position your baby so her weight doesn’t rest on your incision. Try laying her across your breasts or use a pillow to support her at your side. You can even bring her to breast from over your shoulder.

There is no one “right” breastfeeding position. Do what feels best to you and your baby. Because women have different body types, what works well for your friend may or may not work well for you.

Other positions

After you’ve had some practice with laid-back breastfeeding, you may want to try sitting upright to feed. If so, find a seat with good back support. Try a footstool and/or pillows to see if they make you more comfortable.

When sitting up, many mothers like to hold their baby in front. You can support your baby’s back and head with your forearm near your wrist. Or, you can support your baby’s back and head with your hand from the side of the unused breast. The baby can also be held along your side. Some mothers with large breasts find it is easier to cuddle their baby close in this position and enjoy having a better view of their baby’s face.

Learn to breastfeed while lying on your side so you can rest and sleep while you feed. Practice during your waking hours. No one learns best when half asleep.

In all positions, check for the following:

• Your baby’s head, shoulders, and hips are in line, not twisted or turned.
• She is directly facing the breast, no head-turning needed.
• Her body is pressed against yours, with feet, bottom, and shoulders pulled in close (no gaps).
• Her head is free to tilt back a bit, and she comes to the breast chin first
  

Relax and try to enjoy this experience, it will go by before you know it.


Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA, Lactation Consultant, Ameda Breastfeeding Products
Coauthor of Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

Breast feeding basics from 6 weeks to 6 months

Now breastfeeding gets faster and easier.

 

Fun Facts

• Your baby's stomach is larger and holds more milk. He may feed less often.
• Lots of breastfeeding at first means your milk supply is set.
• Most mothers no longer feel full, even with lots of milk.
• Babies need about as much milk per day at 6 weeks as 6 months.
• Now breastfeeding starts to take less time than bottle-feeding.
• When breastfeeding well, a baby does best on mother's milk alone until about 6 months.

What to Expect

• Older babies are faster feeders. The baby who used to feed for 40 minutes may now be done in 15 minutes.
• Some babies this age have fewer stools but gain weight just fine.
• Older babies may pull off the breast when they hear or see things around them.
• Until 4 months, expect a weight gain of at least 6 ounces (170 g) a week or 1.5 lbs (680 g) a month. From 4-6 months, expect a weight gain of at least 4-5 ounces (113-142 g) a week or 1 lb. (452 g) a month.

Things to Learn

• Trust your baby to know the right time to feed.
• Practice breastfeeding when away from home until you feel at ease.

Seek Breastfeeding Help When

• Breastfeeding hurts.
• Baby gains weight too slowly.

Even when breastfeeding is going well, you may experience some of the following:

• Your baby has fussy times. (Most babies do.)
• She wants to feed again soon after breastfeeding. (Most babies do.)
• She wants to feed more often. (This adjusts your milk production.)
• Your breasts no longer feel full. (Usually at about 3-4 weeks.)
• She wants to feed less often or for a shorter time. (Babies get faster with practice.)
• She wakes a lot at night. (Babies need to do this to get enough milk.)
• She will take a bottle after breastfeeding. (Babies like to suck.)
• You can't express much milk. (This skill takes practice.)

You Know You Have Plenty of Milk When

• Baby Gains Weight Well On Breast Alone
  • 0-4 months: 7 ounces (210 g) a week or 2 lbs. (900g) a month
  • 4-6 months: 4-5 ounces (120-150g) a week or 1 lb. (480 g) a month

Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA, Lactation Consultant, Ameda Breastfeeding Products
Coauthor of Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

How much is too much? Knowledge about breastfeeding before baby.

Instinct is still the key.

Here’s how to get the “feel” for breastfeeding.

There are some things in life that are best learned by tapping into our left-brain, the analytical, rational hemisphere. It’s there that logic guides, studying sequentially facilitates learning, and rules rule. Then there is the right brain, more holistic and intuitive way to learn. Some things you process best by intellect, others by experience. Which brings us to breastfeeding.

There are countless articles and books and websites that explain everything you need to know to breastfeed, instruction that ignores the fact that breastfeeding is an interactive experience, dependent on communication between you and your baby. It’s not a matter of placing Point A (baby’s mouth) over Point B (mother’s breast) and commencing breastfeeding. Rather it’s more like a dance that engages the whole body. Each breastfeeding couple sets its own rhythm and pace.

Mothers and babies have physiological responses that draw them to each other, that encourage them to look at each other, touch each other, and interact. Much of this behaviour is guided by the right side of the brain. We need to "listen" to this more.


It’s time to take a right-brain perspective on breastfeeding.

How exactly do you use a right-brained approach to learning to breastfeed your baby? First, take some deep breaths and let go of those worries about doing things “wrong.” Instead of thinking of breastfeeding as a skill you need to master, or a measure of your worth as a mother, think about breastfeeding as an expression of your relationship. As you spend time with your baby, you’ll be more adept at reading her cues. As you hold her, your baby will be more comfortable seeking your breast.

Breastfeeding will flow naturally out of your affectionate relationship. And your body dynamics can make breastfeeding easier or harder. Here are some specific things you can do to help:

Start with a calm baby. One mistake that many women make is to wait to try breastfeeding until their babies are screaming. Think about it. Do you learn best when you are upset? Probably not. The other reason to start with a calm baby has to do with physics. When a baby is screaming, her tongue is on the roof of her mouth. You will never get your breast in her mouth when her tongue is there.

Watch for early feeding cues. These cues include turning her head when someone touches her cheek and hand-to-mouth. Take note of when she starts smacking her lips or putting her hands to her mouth. This is an ideal time to try breastfeeding.

You may not always catch your baby in the early hunger stages (such as when you’re sound asleep!) and may sometimes have to deal with a baby who is upset. Also, some babies go from a little hungry to very hungry very quickly. If you need to calm your baby, offer the breast. If this doesn’t work, don’t force the issue. First, soothe your baby by holding, swaying, rocking, or walking. Then try these suggestions:

• Lean back in a comfortable position. Semi-reclined positions in which your back, neck, shoulders, and arms are well-supported are sometimes referred to as laid-back. breastfeeding. These may be the same position you use to watch your favorite TV show.
• Lay your baby, tummy down between your breasts. Your baby can be either dressed or stripped down to her diaper. Then make your breast accessible. Your chest is a very calming place for your baby. She can hear your voice and your heartbeat. She can smell you and get the feeling of your skin. Talk with her and make eye contact to bring you closer to your baby.
• Follow your baby’s lead. When a calm baby lies tummy down on her mother’s laid-back body, this triggers instinctive feeding behaviours such as head-bobbing and movements toward the breast. If she is lying between your breasts, she probably won’t need much help. Encourage her with your voice. Babies can’t understand your words at this age, but they can understand your tone of voice. And feel free to touch and stroke her as the spirit moves you.
  

Play while you learn to breastfeed. Rather than worrying about doing things wrong, focus on your relationship with your baby and think of breastfeeding as a part of this larger whole. Breastfeeding often flows naturally from this attitude. Sometimes your baby may try to take the breast even when she not really hungry but just to try out this new behaviour. Practice times are good and will help her breastfeed better when she is hungry.  Remember, instinct is key, don't forget to follow it.


Adapted from the book Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers by Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, IBCLC

Why should you keep track of the amount of milk you are pumping?

Well, sometimes in your foggy middle of the night pumping session, you realize you have lost track of how much you have pumped over the last 24 hours. Well, here is a pumping log that you can use to help you keep track. Why should you keep track? You may need to keep track of how much milk you are making if you have a preemie, or you may need to keep track of how much milk your baby is taking in over 24 hours and at each feed. This pumping log will help you keep track of how much milk you are making, to ensure you are pumping enough to keep your new precious baby fed! You can also refer to the document on helping to maintain or reach a full milk production for you baby.

http://www.motherschoiceproducts.com/pdf_documents/public/Reachingfullmilkproduction2010.pdf

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Pumping Log
	Name:				Date:
	GOAL:
	Stage 1 (Birth to milk increase, ~Day 3-4):
		8-10 pumpings/day, 10-15 min per breast, hand expression after
		Expect:  Drops, but pumping now “puts in your order” for more milk later
	Stage 2 (Day 3-4 to full milk production, 750-1050 mL per baby per day):
		8-10 pumpings/day, 20-30 min. per breast and/or hand expression after
		Expect:  More milk expressed every day
	Stage 3 (At full milk production: 750-1050 mL per baby per day)
	6-7 pumpings/day, 10-15 min. per breast to maintain milk production
		To maintain milk production, once a week total daily milk yield
		Expect:  To maintain milk production
	Time Started Pumping	Time Ended Pumping	Total Pumping Time	Minutes Hand-Expressed After Pumping	Total Milk Expression Time	Oz/mL Milk Pumped Left Breast	Oz/mL Milk Pumped Right Breast	Total Milk Expressed
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					0			0
					Total Milk Expressed per 24 hrs			0
	Minutes Spent Today in Skin-to-Skin Contact with Baby:
	Mother
	Father
	Other
	Total
	Flange size used on in mm:
	Left Breast-	21.0	22.5	25.0	28.5	30.5	32.5	36.0
	Right Breast-	21.0	22.5	25.0	28.5	30.5	32.5	36.0