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| HOW LONG WILL MY CHILD BE ON BREAST MILK? The American Academy of Pediatrics and most experts recommend breast milk until the first birthday is reached. SHOULD I OFFER BOTH BREAST EACH TIME I FEED? Yes. The last portion of milk your baby drinks from each breast is called “hind milk”. This milk is higher in fat and helps your baby to feel full and satisfied. Then release your baby from your breast by gently putting your finger into the corner of his/her mouth. This will break the suction without discomfort. Burp your baby and offer your other breast. Burp your baby again at the end of the feeding. You can clip a safety pin to your bra as a reminder of which breast to offer first at the next feeding. This ensures that both breasts are emptied regularly. HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY BABY IS GETTING ENOUGH MILK WHEN I BREASTFEED? Following the third or fourth day after birth, your baby will have 6 or more wet, soppy diapers, soiled with light colored urine, every 24 hours. Your baby should be nursing 8 – 12 times every 24 hours during the first month. Your baby’s weight will also steadily increase. CAN I STILL BREASTFEED AFTER A C-SECTION? Yes, although you might find it to be a bit uncomfortable at first. Try holding your baby in positions that don’t put pressure on the incision area, like lying on your side or using the football hold. DOES MY NEWBORN BABY NEED EXTRA BOTTLES OF WATER? Newborns need little or no extra water. Breast milk supplies enough fluid. However, your baby may perspire and lose body fluids if exposed to hot weather and no air conditioning. In that case, offer 1 – 2 ounces of plain water after a feeding. Water should never take the place of breast milk. WILL THE MOTHER/BABY BONDING PROCESS BE STRONGER IF I BREASTFEED? When done properly, breastfeeding will provide both adequate nourishment and the strong emotional bond that growing babies need. If you are pumping your breast milk and feeding it with a bottle, you can still forge that important bond. I HAVE JUST STARTED BREASTFEEDING AND MY NIPPLES ARE VERY SORE WHEN MY BABY LATCHES ON. WHAT COULD THE PROBLEM BE? It is normal for your nipples to feel sore when you first start to breastfeed, especially if you’re a first-timer. However, if baby is latched and the pain lasts longer than a minute into your feeding session, check the positioning. Try to achieve an asymmetrical latch where baby’s mouth covers more of the areola below the nipple than above. To reposition him, place your index finger inside baby’s mouth to take him off your breast. Tickle his chin or wait until he yawns so his mouth is wide open. Reposition him. When he is correctly positioned, his chin and nose touch your breast, his lips splay out and you can’t see your nipple or part of the lower areola. If baby’s position is correct and latching on still hurts, your nipples may be dry. Make sure to wear loose clothing and avoid washing with soap. Lanolin-based creams are good for applying between feedings. HELP! WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MY CRACKED NIPPLES? Cracked nipples can be the result of many different things: thrush, dry skin, pumping improperly, or most likely, latching problems. During the first week of breastfeeding, you may have bloody discharge when your baby is just learning to latch on or you are just beginning to pump. A little blood won’t harm baby. Try breastfeeding more frequently, at shorter intervals. The less hungry baby is, the softer his sucking will be. To treat cracked nipples, clean water is all you need to wash with. Try letting some milk stay on your nipples to air dry after feeding (the milk actually helps heal them). If this fails, try a lanolin cream, specially made for nursing mothers and use plastic hard breast shells inside your bra. HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE CLOGGED OR PLUGGED DUCTS? Ducts clog because your milk isn’t draining completely. You may notice a hard lump on your breast or soreness to the touch and even some redness. If you start feeling feverish and achy, that’s a sign of infection and you should see your doctor. Most importantly, try not to have long stretches in between feedings – milk needs to be expressed often. A nursing bra that is too tight can also cause clogged ducts. Also, try applying warm compresses to your breasts and massage them to stimulate milk movement. Clogged ducts are not harmful to your baby because breast milk has natural antibodies. MY BREASTS ARE ENGORGED AND PAINFUL. WHAT CAN I DO? Engorgement makes it difficult for baby to latch on to the breast because it’s hard and unconforming to his mouth. Try hand expressing a little before feeding to get the milk flowing and soften the breast, making it easier for baby to latch on and access milk. Of course, the more you nurse and pump, the less likely your breasts are to get engorged. I HAVE LOW MILK SUPPLY. WHAT CAN I DO TO INCREASE IT? Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand process. Frequent nursing and pumping during the day can increase your milk supply. Surprisingly, forcing fluids and eating more calories hasn’t been shown to increase milk supply. HELP! MY BABY KEEPS FALLING ASLEEP ON MY BREAST Baby is sleepy in the first couple of months after birth. All that bonding makes baby relaxed! Milk flow is fastest after your first let-down, so if you want to increase efficiency, start off at the fuller breast, then switch to the other breast sooner, rather than later. When you notice baby’s sucking slowing down and his eyes closing, remove him from your breast and try to stimulate him by burping, tickling his feet, or gently talking to him while rubbing his back, and then switch breasts. As baby gets older, he’ll be able to stay awake longer, so don’t worry.
WHAT IS A NURSING STRIKE? HOW SHOULD I HANDLE IT? A nursing strike is when a breastfeeding baby suddenly stops taking the breast and may even become upset when it's offered. If this is happening to you, the important thing to recognize is that this is not the same thing as a baby choosing to wean. Weaning is a gradual process that generally occurs when babies are much older and when baby is content to nurse during the times that he is, in fact, nursing. Nursing strikes are sudden, and baby is generally very unhappy; she wants to feed at the breast, but then becomes very upset and refuses to nurse when it is offered. There can be many causes of nursing strikes. Often, you never find out why a particular baby is going through this. Sometimes it happens after baby is startled or frightened by a loud noise while breastfeeding; sometimes it can happen if baby experienced pain during a feeding from an ear infection or teething. It's often quite difficult to pin down. Even if you don't know what triggered the nursing strike, there are some strategies for overcoming it. Most nursing strikes only last a short time -- from a few hours to a few days. The best thing to do during this time is to offer your baby lots of comfort and snuggle time with you. Spend as much time skin-to-skin (with your shirt off and baby just in a diaper) as possible, but don’t push baby to feed during this time. Make it a relaxing and enjoyable time at the breast with no pressure at all for baby to latch on. If baby does show signs of wanting to nurse, go slowly and let it be on her terms. Never try to push it. In the meantime be sure to feed your baby your expressed milk and continue to drain your breasts by pumping or manual expression during this time to protect your milk supply. It is NOT true that if your baby gets 'hungry enough' she'll take your breast. An overly hungry, frustrated baby is only going to be more miserable and upset at the breast. The fact is, your baby is more likely to return to nursing when she is comfortable and just a little hungry. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THRUSH AND HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE IT? Although yeast can be cultured in a lab, it is often too expensive and too slow to wait for results to begin treatment. Going to a lactation consultant or an experienced healthcare provider would be the best first step in diagnosing thrush. Since painful nipples are often the first sign a mom will notice, it is critical to rule out improper latching as the cause. Pain usually starts at the nipple and eventually begins to create a shooting, burning pain deep into the breast. This pain usually occurs toward the end of the feeding and in fact can occur even when not nursing. Nipples may appear very pink or red and progress to have white patches or tiny blisters on the nipple itself. Babies can present white patches on the tongue, cheeks, and gums and the lips may have a white sheen to them. Babies can also have a red or very pink diaper rash with or without red or white bumps that spread from the diaper to the genital area. Babies can also suddenly appear very fussy at the breast and want to get on and off throughout the feeding. It is important to note that either mom or baby OR both mom and baby may have thrush and the key to eradicating it completely is to treat both at the same time. MY BABY HAS STARTED PULLING OFF OF MY BREAST AND FUSSING. DOES THIS MEAN I'M NOT MAKING ENOUGH MILK? Babies can do this for several different reasons. Sometimes it's when the milk flow slows down or the breast is drained. Switching to the other side at this point can often help. You can switch back and forth several times if you need to. Since the breast is continually producing milk, your baby may be able to drink again on that side. Sometimes babies pull away from the breast and fuss because the milk is flowing too fast. If this is the case, you may find that your baby pulls away soon after starting to feed and just as the milk is letting down. She probably starts swallowing faster and faster, and then pulls away and fusses because she can't catch her breath. If your baby does this, give her a minute to catch her breath and calm down before putting her back on the breast. This may help her relax. Some babies get tummy pain from eating too quickly, and they may start to fuss and pull away as they're eating. If your baby is a fast eater, try tucking one of her knees up to her tummy while she’s nursing. This seems to help babies feel a little bit more comfortable, as opposed to when they’re feeding "stretched out." WILL I HAVE TROUBLE BREASTFEEDING IF I HAVE A C-SECTION? There is no reason why a mom that has had a c-section cannot breastfeed successfully. The main issues that moms will encounter with regard to nursing their newborns usually revolve around the abdominal discomfort that many c- section moms feel the first few days after delivery. The football hold is a favorite position to use when breastfeeding after a c-section because the weight of the baby is off to the side on a supportive pillow and not directly over the mom's new abdominal incision. This is a time where family members or other support may be needed to help moms get into proper positioning for nursing. Support can be given to the mom by having people change the baby's diaper and bring the baby to her when the baby is ready to nurse. MY BABY MAKES LOUD NOISES WHEN SHE NURSES. IS SOMETHING WRONG? Some babies are quiet at the breast, while others go at it with a gusto heard clear across the room. Noise is not necessarily an indication that something is wrong. The sound you may hear is like a puff of air coming from the back of the throat, or "kha, kha," the sound of the baby exhaling after a swallow. If you hear that noise, it is a reliable indicator that the baby is swallowing. A clicking noise is a sign that latch-on is not correct. It means air is entering around your baby's lips. This could happen if one of her lips (usually the bottom) is tucked in, rather than flared out. When you correct the latch, the clicking sound should disappear. Return to main FAQ page |
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