Breastfeeding Tips
Prenatal:
- A spontaneous, natural childbirth with minimal interventions will maximize the chance of a successful breastfeeding relationship
- Take a birthing class
- Develop a birth plan to share with your health care provider
- Search for a birth doula that can support both you and your partner during labor
- Attend a La Leche League Meeting while pregnant https://www.lllct.org/ or https://lllny.org/
- Purchase at least two comfortable “transitional” or “sleep” nursing bras for the first few weeks after birth
- Set up your network of support for the first few weeks after birth
- Recommended reading: “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin, Midwife, “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International
- Call for a prenatal visit, including a breast and nipple assessment
Immediate postpartum period:
- No matter what type of birth you experience, immediately place baby skin-to-skin on your chest
- Cover baby to prevent heat loss, but remain skin to skin to facilitate the mother-baby natural temperature regulation system
- Skin-to-skin babies will usually find the breast and begin nursing within 30 minutes after birth
- Avoid any mother-baby separation; enjoy full rooming-in, if in hospital
- If medical issues prevent baby from being placed immediately on your skin, send partner to stay with baby until he/she can be brought to mother
- Partner can perform skin-to-skin if mother is unable.
The First Week:
- Nurse early and often; 10-12 times in 24 hours
- Usual duration of feeding is between 20-45 minutes
- Give both breasts at each feeding
- If you experience nipple pain when feeding, ask for help right away
- It takes 3-5 days for mature milk to ‘come in’ to your breasts
- Breasts will become noticeably larger and fill with milk over 1-2 days
- After Day 5, baby should have 6-8 wet diapers and 3-4 large yellow, seedy, loose stools (with a few extra streaks) daily
- To prevent severe engorgement, nurse frequently.
- If baby is not able to nurse, hand express or pump your breasts 10-12 times daily
- Engorgement usually lasts for about 2 weeks
- Limit visitors, both in hospital and at home, while you bond with your new baby
- If you plan to sleep with your baby, make your room safe for bed-sharing
- Attend a La Leche League Meeting https://www.lllct.org/ or https://lllny.org/
- Recommended reading: “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International
- If baby is not nursing, stooling or gaining weight well after your milk comes in, call right away
The Second Week:
- Get plenty of rest to aid in recovery after childbirth
- Nurse on demand around the clock to help establish good milk production
- Avoid using a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established
- Baby should regain birth weight by 7-10 days after birth
- Attend a La Leche League Meeting https://www.lllct.org/ or https://lllny.org/
- Recommended reading: “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International
- If nipples hurt or if baby is not nursing, stooling or gaining weight well, call right away
The Third Week:
- Take daily naps with baby
- First growth spurt! Baby will nurse more frequently for several days in a row
- Engorgement fades; breasts are less hard and milk production is regulating to baby’s demand
- Attend a La Leche League Meeting https://www.lllct.org/ or https://lllny.org/
- Recommended reading: “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International
- Time to purchase more nursing bras if yours don’t fit anymore!
One Month:
- Baby will continue to soak 6-8 diapers per day
- Stooling pattern slows down to 1-2 large stools daily, may skip days
- Baby’s alert time increases
- Usually nurses 8-10 times in 24 hours
- Time spent at the breast is less as baby becomes more efficient
- Attend a La Leche League Meeting https://www.lllct.org/ or https://lllny.org/
- Recommended reading: “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International
- Now that breastfeeding is well established, an occasional bottle of your breastmilk can be introduced if desired
Six Weeks:
- Another growth spurt! Baby will nurse more frequently for several days in a row
- Crying peaks at this phase of baby’s life, be patient
- You may begin to see social smiling from baby
- Baby will continue to nurse every 1½ to 3 hours, with one long 3-5 hour interval of sleep (hopefully at night)
- Attend a La Leche League Meeting https://www.lllct.org/ or https://lllny.org/
- Recommended reading: “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International
- If you have to leave baby when you return to work in a few weeks, begin storing your milk. Call for an appointment for guidance on preparing to return to work.