Your baby: Breastfeeding

blank When your baby is hungry and cries, your breast milk lets down. The more your baby nurses, the more milk you will make. It is impossible to overfeed when breastfeeding. As your baby grows and changes his feeding pattern, your milk supply changes to fit your babyā€™s needs perfectly.

Your breasts will continue to remain soft for a few days after birth. This makes it easy for your baby to learn to breastfeed. Your breasts are filled with a powerful first food called colostrum. It contains rich concentrated help to your baby's immune system.

After breastfeeding for a few days, your breasts will feel more full and your milk will begin to change to a less thick, whitish liquid, which contains all the nutrients your baby needs.

It is normal for your breasts to become larger, heavier, and a little tender when they begin producing greater quantities of milk on the second to sixth day after birth. This is due to the extra blood and lymph fluids traveling to the breasts to prepare them for producing milk and to the increased volume of the milk itself. For your comfort, you may want to wear a supportive nursing bra or go without a bra. If you do wear a bra, be sure it fits well and is not restrictive.

Although sometimes challenging in the first few weeks, breastfeeding is meant to be a comfortable, pleasant experience. New mothers may find that their nipples are tender for the first few days when baby starts breastfeeding. This should go away by the end of the first week of breastfeeding.

How to breastfeed

Before feeding, take a few minutes to massage your breasts to help get your milk flowing. Using your fingertips, make small circles over your entire breast. Then, with the palm of your hand, gently stroke your breast down toward the nipple.
Both you and your baby need to be comfortable. Experiment with positions to find the ones that best suit you and your baby. See Breastfeeding positions.

How to latch on

Position your baby so that his face, chest and knees are all facing you. Hold him very close to your body with one arm on either side of your breast and your nipple level with his nose. Tilt his head back slightly so that his chin approaches your breast first.
Support your breast well behind the areola (the darkened area around the nipple) with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the opposite side. Rotate your hand until your thumb is across from your baby's nose, in the "C" or "L" position. (See the drawings at right.)
Gently squeeze or "sandwich" the breast to make the areola oblong. Tipping the nipple slightly toward the roof of your baby's mouth may help him to latch on more deeply.
Gently stroke your baby's lips with the nipple tip until he opens his mouth very widely. With the hand that is supporting his head, quickly draw him onto your breast deeply. Keep your baby very close to your breast so that his nose, cheeks and chin are all touching your breast.
Once active suckling with swallows begins, relax the hand that is supporting the breast. Most women continue to support the breast in some way throughout the feeding while learning to breastfeed.
Allow your baby to breastfeed on the first breast until the swallowing slows or stops. If he has breastfed only a few minutes and stops suckling or falls asleep, reawaken him gently and offer the breast again. After he releases the first breast attempt to burp him. If he is still giving you feeding cues offer the second breast. Attempt to burp him again when he releases the second breast.
When removing your baby from the breast, insert a clean finger with a short nail into the corner of his mouth until you feel the suction break. Pulling your baby away can cause nipple soreness.
Burp your baby after feeding from one breast before beginning the other. Then burp at the end of the feeding.To burp your baby, choose the way(s) pictured below that are most comfortable. For any of these positions gently rub or lightly tap your baby's back. Be sure to support her head and neck. And don't forget the burp rag!

Position No. 1: Sit your baby upright on your lap.

Position 1:
Sit your baby upright on your lap.

Position No. 2: Put your baby against your shoulder.

Position 2:
Put your baby against your shoulder.

Position No. 3: Lay your baby flat across your lap.

Position 3:
Lay your baby flat across your lap.

How often should you feed your baby?

For the first couple of weeks, your newborn should eat at least eight to 12 times every 24 hours. Breastfeeding this often is natural for your baby and will help prevent engorgement and sore nipples for you.

Full-term newborns are usually born with lots of extra fluid in their bodies. This sometimes reduces their thirst, and many babies have very little interest in or need to drink in the first 24 to 36 hours of life. You should try to feed your baby during this time, but don't worry if he shows little interest.

Some time by the second day of life, interest in feeding should be increasing. From then on, try feeding any time your baby shows interest in doing so, no matter when the last feeding was. If he wants to sleep and has eaten well at other times of the day, let him sleep. There is rarely a good reason to wake your child if he is sleeping comfortably.

Let him eat when he wants to and sleep when he wants to. Night and day mean little to a baby for the first month, so be prepared and willing to offer feedings as often at night as during the day.

When your baby is getting milk (actively feeding), you'll hear suckle-suckle, swallow-rest. If your baby is sucking for comfort, you'll feel suck-suck-suck and see your baby falling asleep. Both are a normal part of each feeding.

Although most feeding will take at least 10 to 15 minutes of active swallowing, each feeding will be different. If you allow your baby the chance to eat whenever he wants, some feedings will appear to be more like snacks and last only a few minutes.

There is no time limit for each nursing session; it should become more comfortable each day. In the first 4 to 6 weeks, your baby will change his feeding as needed once he is breastfeeding successfully. How long and often a newborn nurses differs from baby to baby and from day to day.

If your nipples become sore, check your baby's position at your breast and make changes if needed. Sore nipples can be caused by poor positioning and are usually not caused by the length of the nursing session. Remember, your baby's nose and cheeks should touch your breast with his body facing you. If this position change does not reduce your soreness, call your lactation consultant for help.

Signs your baby is successfully breastfeeding

You can feel confident your baby is gaining enough weight during the first 10 to 14 days if he:

actively feeds (vigorous suckling with swallows after almost every suck) at your brast for at least 10 to 15 minutes. With normal pausing, feeding can last 30 minutes or longer.
wakes himself every 1 to 4 hours for active nursing
produces two to five loose, yellow, seedy stools, and six to eight wet diapers every 24 hours (more is better).

If your baby does not actively feed or wake himself often enough for active feeding, call your health care provider and check with your lactation consultant.

Use the feeding chart to keep track of your baby's feedings and diaper changes. Talk to your health care provider and see the Breastfeeding Quiz.

Do you need to eat differently?

If you eat nutritious foods, you'll feel better, especially during times of stress like postpartum. However, you may find it reassuring to know that your breast milk will always be nutritious for your baby, no matter what you eat. Your milk is made from nutrients in your blood and is perfect, every time you feed your baby. Throughout history, women around the world eating many different diets and working under many different circumstances have breastfed their babies. Eat when you are hungry, and drink when you are thirsty.