If you’ve read this far, you may have
already made the decision to breastfeed your baby. Maybe you
have a strong commitment to the idea or maybe, like lots of
women, you’re not sure you can do it but think it’s
worth a try. There’s no doubt that your expectations,
your concerns, your level of commitment, and your partner’s
feelings about it will help determine how successful your
efforts will ultimately be. But here’s something interesting:
even more powerful determinants may be the education with
which you arm yourself and the quality of your support network.
About half of American women who start out nursing
give it up within the first two months. These new mothers
are often discouraged or frustrated by some aspect of breastfeeding
and, with insufficient support and/or conflicting guidance,
they feel forced to give up. Breastfeeding is work that can
be very hard to do in isolation. And though we tend to think
of it as natural and instinctive, it involves a learned skill
set that can take time to master.
Establish a support network before your
baby is born.
Here are some things you can do, starting before your baby
even arrives, to help stack the odds in your favor: Enlisting
those close to you in committing to give your baby this good
start in life, and identify guides and cheerleaders in advance.
At A Woman’s Work, we can help by providing
resources for good, medically sound breastfeeding information
and advice, as well as offering an accessible network of support.
Once your baby arrives, we have some suggestions
for getting nursing off to a good start:
Breastfeed your baby as soon after delivery
as possible, preferably within birth to 4 hours.
Birthing is an athletic event for both mother and child, and
baby’s first breast-meal is nature’s perfect conclusion
to it. While pushing during labor, your body produces a surge
of oxytocin, a hormone that causes both your uterus and the
milk producing cells in your breasts to contract. This response,
medically called “milk ejection reflex”, is commonly
known as “let down”. This surge of oxytocin pushes
a large amount of colostrum, or "first milk", to
the ducts providing the largest meal your baby will receive
in the first three days of life. Breastmilk produced during
this time, called colostrum, begins as a clear liquid turning
a pale yellow and is perfectly tailored to your baby’s
small tummy. Your baby is born with the instinctive desire
to suckle, and immediate nursing establishes breastfeeding
at the time he is most receptive. Emotionally, this first
bonding experience is powerfully imprinted on baby’s
brain.
Keep your baby close so you can watch
for feeding cues.
Your baby will tell you it’s time to eat by making sucking
motions (called “rooting”), by making small sounds,
by restlessness, stretching, or even rapid eye movement. Crying
is a late signal of hunger. Offering your breast in response
to early cues helps keep your baby from crying and becoming
frantic—a big help when you both may need patience for
learning the art of positioning and latching on.
It is usual for babies to be very
alert for 2-4 hours after birth, then to sleep soundly for
6-8 hours. At about 10-12 hours of age, start looking for
your baby’s cues to breastfeed. It will be helpful to
limit the activity in your room (visitors, phone calls and
the like) so you don’t become distracted and miss your
baby’s signals. It is best to follow baby’s lead,
feeding in response to her cues rather than imposing a feeding
schedule.
Offer your breast frequently and don’t
limit the feeding time.
An average early feeding time for a baby that is less than
four days old is 5-20 minutes per breast, with feedings about
every 45 minutes to 2 hours (measure from the start of one
feeding to the start of the next.) These guidelines are for
healthy, unmedicated, full-term infants. Preterm and special-needs
babies often need special consideration. For
more information on what to expect on days 1-14, click here.
The important thing is to be patient
while your baby builds the physical strength and confidence
needed for breastfeeding. Don’t remove baby’s
“plate” in the middle of her meal; allow her to
end each feeding as well as initiate it. Waiting until your
baby releases the nipple and seems contented is the ideal
way to end a feeding. Your baby should eat a minimum of 8
times in a 24-hour period and wake at least once a night to
nurse. It is absolutely normal for new babies to eat as many
as 12-14 times per 24 hours. If she doesn’t wake up
to breastfeed, its okay to awaken her.
Ask that no supplements or pacifiers
be given to your baby in the hospital.
Breastfeeding is driven by thirst during the first 5 days
of life, becoming calorie-driven on day 6. Supplementing with
water, glucose or formula during the first five days may decrease
your baby’s interest in nursing and eliminate his normal
feeding cues. Some good news: babies given supplemental feedings
often show renewed interest in nursing on day 6.
Hospitals and nurses vary widely in
their guidelines and eagerness to give supplements to breastfeeding
babies, even though doing so can seriously jeopardize the
nursing relationship. Supplements should be given only in
cases of medical necessity, and then with your knowledge and
consent. Make your caregivers aware of your desires by putting
a sign on your baby’s crib reminding them “Please,
no bottles or pacifiers.” And when you leave the
hospital, consider leaving those free samples of infant formula
behind. If you’ve chosen to breastfeed, armed yourself
with the phone number of a supportive friend and/or a good
lactation consultant, and you’re committed to working
through the challenges that inevitably arise...you probably
won’t be needing them.
Learn all you can about positioning
and “latching on”.
Learning proper “latch on” technique is key to
making the nursing experience a comfortable one. But some
things are learned better by seeing and doing than by reading
instructions (think about learning to tie your shoes)...and
positioning a baby to latch on is definitely one of those
things. Even so, we include a basic list of Latch-on Dos and
Don’ts, and can recommend several books with excellent
illustrated descriptions that offer a good preview of what
you’ll need to know. They are:
The primary thing to remember is this: if
you are experiencing severe pain when your baby nurses, she
is probably latched on improperly. Normal breastfeeding
discomfort feels something like having badly chapped lips,
and can be soothed quickly with a pure lanolin cream like
Lansinoh. With few exceptions, every problem we know of that
causes more severe pain is related to baby being poorly latched
on. If you experience this kind of pain, look for someone—a
friend who’s breastfeeding, your local La Leche League
group or a good lactation consultant (A Woman’s
Work has one)—to help you identify the problem.
Chances are that a very small shift in the way you’re
positioning your baby will eliminate the source of pain, and
lingering tenderness will disappear.
Check to make sure your baby’s
getting enough milk.
“Is my baby getting enough?” is a common worry
among new mothers. How can you know? If, after your baby is
six days old and has been exclusively breastfeeding since
birth, your answer to the following questions is yes, then
your baby is generally eating well. For
more information on what to expect on days 1-14, click here.
-
Is baby nursing 8-10 times in 24 hours?
Does he seem content at the end of most feedings?
-
Does she have five to six really wet diapers
per day, and two to five yellow poopy ones?
-
Is he putting on weight? (Most babies gain
at least 4-7 ounces per week after regaining their birth
weight at one to two weeks of age.)
Take care of your breasts.
Breasts are dynamic glands that go through lots of changes
during the first ten days after a woman gives birth. Like
you, they’ll function best when they’re comfortable
and rested. Whatever you do for normal daily hygiene is fine,
just avoid getting your nipples extra soapy. (Soap can counteract
the natural oils that keep this area clean, not to mention
leaving a funny taste for baby.) Do wash your hands carefully
before breastfeeding or pumping. If you need to release baby
at the end of a feeding, gently insert your finger and release
the suction before pulling away from his mouth. A modified
lanolin cream (we think Lansinoh’s a good one) can sooth
tender nipples.
Last but not least, take care to wear
a cotton nursing bra—one without underwires. Fit is
critical for helping your breasts feel and function their
best. Some of our favorites: Bravado
is a great bra for women sizes B - H. We like the amount of
exposure it offers, and it’s good for day or nighttime
wear. If you’d like more support or structure you might
like Goddess,
sized for women 34DD-48H. A Woman’s Work staff
are all certified in the delicate art and science of bra-fitting
(yes, it’s that technical), and can help you select
the right one or several from our extensive selection.
Notice when you need mothering.
“Mothering the mother”. It’s what we call
the gentle, supportive work that a new mother sometimes needs
so that she can in turn mother her child. Ideally, you have
a trusted friend or partner you can turn to when the normal
physical exhaustion of early parenthood sets in. You can help
them help you by setting realistic expectations for early
postpartum life...having clear priorities and relaxing your
standards temporarily for the rest. You can also help by making
a critical review of what you’ll need help with in advance,
and asking for it before the first labor pains. Meals, household
help, transportation, even grocery shopping can be spread
among well-wishers who may be glad to pitch in if they’re
enlisted ahead of time.
It may seem paradoxical that, at the
time your new baby needs so much of your time and energy,
being a good mother also means taking good care of yourself.
But adequate rest, good nutrition, and the support of caring
friends will go a long way toward enhancing your sense of
well-being as well as the success of your breastfeeding efforts.
Trust yourself.
We’re wary of babycare books that describe parenting
in terms of black and white, offering hard and fast rules
for all situations. If our years of experience have taught
us anything it’s that every baby (and every situation)
is unique. When vulnerable, most of us will defer to those
we perceive as having more experience. But here’s the
reality: no one knows your baby better than you, and much
of what you need to know she will teach you. Your emerging
mothering instincts will grow stronger every time you heed
their guidance. (Conversely, every time you suppress your
own instincts in favor of “expert” advice, you
undermine your confidence and weaken your connection with
your baby.)
Your baby doesn’t care if you
can do the fastest diaper change, but she deeply needs your
gentle touch. He won’t notice if you do the tightest
swaddle-wrap, but he’ll carry the sound of your soft
lullaby in his heart for the rest of his life. It won’t
matter to her that all your responses are textbook-perfect,
only that it’s you...responding to her.
Be confident that you already have all the tools you need
to care for your baby. We sincerely believe you’ll find
that you do.
