Breastfeeding
Common Concerns New Moms Have
When asked about breastfeeding many folks will mention that it's natural. Because it's "natural" they assume it will just happen when mother and baby are together. However, it takes practice for both mom and baby to get it right. Just as our superstar athletes are born with their natural abilities to do something very special, so too are mom and baby. The key to success is that without a lot of practice none of them will do well at using their natural gifts.
One common concern many new expectant mom's have is the prospect of experiencing pain with breastfeeding. Indeed, this is a possibility but there are several things an expectant mother can do beforehand to facilitate her early feedings at the breast. First of all, she can attend a prenatal breastfeeding class if possible with her partner. Breastfeeding should be a family affair even before the baby comes. Having a supportive partner who is also knowledgeable regarding some of the breastfeeding basics can be just the help an exhausted, struggling mother needs to get through a difficult and uncomfortable feeding. That second set of hands can help her get the baby into a better, more comfortable position for a good, deep latch and effective milk transfer by the baby. That second brain can also kick in to help with different ideas for breastfeeding success. Remember, two heads can sometimes be better than one!
Another concern new moms may have is that they have no idea how much breastmilk their baby is getting. After all, breasts don't have any line markers on them like bottles do. Just remember this: What goes in one end of the baby comes out at the other end! Don't worry about the lines on a bottle. Count the number of diapers your baby is putting out. Just remember that a newborn baby will have at least one wet and one dirty diaper each day for the first week. By day 7 he should be having 6 to 8 wet and several dirty diapers every day. Another normal occurrence is that some babies have a stool with every feeding. There are also several other ways to see that a newborn is getting enough to eat. During the first 4 to 6 weeks of life most newborns will eat at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Most also need at least one nighttime feeding during the first 6 to 8 weeks. If you can see, hear and feel frequent swallows, small at first, then larger, gulping swallows, there is most likely good milk intake. Once your baby has enough milk, he may let go of your breast and his fists will be relaxed. He should sleep between feedings in the early weeks and seem satisfied most of the time. However, even though a newborn may feed every 2 or 3 hours he may also "cluster feed." He may eat very often, even every hour, for several feedings in a row and then sleep for 4 to 5 hours. Newborns aren't on any schedule. They are just responding to the needs of their tiny bodies and what Mother Nature has programmed them to do.
Expectant parents also wonder how they're going to make it through those long nights with the frequent feedings a newborn needs. This too shall pass and will soon be a distant memory for most new parents. The idea that giving a baby formula before he goes to bed at night will help him sleep through the night is just a myth. The fact is that the calorie count of formula versus breastmilk is exactly the same ounce for ounce. After all, formula companies are trying to reproduce a mother's milk as closely as possible so of course the calories will be the same. One fact many new parents don't realize is that the whole time mom has been carrying that infant inside her that baby has been on "nightshift." Mom has rocked her baby to sleep with her movement throughout the day only to be awakened often at night by her baby's vigorous movements as she is trying to sleep. Who could expect that when an infant is born that its tiny body clock will miraculously switch to dayshift? It does take time and patience from loving parents to achieve this as well as some perseverance with more frequent feedings during the day to enable the baby to sleep longer at night. That little baby's body knows that it requires a certain amount of food in a 24-hour period. As long as that quota is met the sleep will follow. This means that to achieve a 4-hour stretch of sleep at night that baby needs to eat at least every 2 to 3 hours the rest of the time (a minimum of 8 feedings) and sometimes more frequently as in cluster feeding. There are no guarantees that a newborn will sleep longer at night even if daytime feedings are more frequent. However, the possibility of a longer sleep period at night does increase if a baby gets more to eat during the day.
Finally, if new parents are still having concerns regarding breastfeeding early on even after they've tried all of the usual suggestions then perhaps a visit with a lactation consultant is in order. A board certified (IBCLC) lactation consultant can work one-on-one with a mom and baby to help resolve breastfeeding issues. Seek out a lactation consultant while you're still in the hospital as well. Get as much help as you can and if problems continue or arise when you've gone home seek the help of a lactation consultant for an outpatient visit. Along with your pediatrician's guidance a lactation consultant can give you the help, information and guidance you need to make your breastfeeding experience all that you've hoped for it to be.
