March 15, 2009
Frequently Asked Questions About Breastfeeding
Why should I breastfeed my baby?
Breastfeeding leads to healthy babies and healthy mothers! Moms are less likely to get breast cancer or ovarian cancer and often lose weight and get back in shape faster after delivery when they breastfeed. Breastfed babies tend to have fewer infections, score higher on IQ tests and are less likely to be obese as adults.
How often should I breastfeed my newborn baby?
Newborn babies need to nurse about 10 to 14 times in 24 hours. They also need night feedings because breastmilk is easily digested and quickly passes through the digestive system.
Should I nurse less often so I will build up my milk supply?
No, your body makes milk based on supply and demand. The more you nurse, the more milk you will have.
What can I do to increase my milk supply?
Nurse often, from both breasts. If your baby is sleepy, she may need to be awakened and encouraged to breastfeed more often. Every time you nurse, drink a large glass of water, milk or juice. Your body needs liquid to make milk. Don’t give your baby supplemental formula. Be sure you get plenty of rest and relaxation, and eat healthy foods.
How can I know if my baby is getting enough milk?
If your baby has 6 to 8 wet diapers a day and 3 to 5 bowel movements a day, he is getting enough milk. He should be filling out and gaining weight, and be alert and active.
Can my milk be too weak?
Never! Milk changes throughout the feeding. The foremilk is watery to satisfy your baby’s thirst. The later milk is creamy to satisfy her hunger. The milk produced by your body for the first few days after birth is called colostrum. It looks rich and creamy. It helps fight infections and clears mecomium from your baby’s digestive tract. Your milk then changes and looks different, but that is a natural change. Each mother makes the perfect milk for her baby.
Why shouldn’t I give my breastfed baby a bottle?
The easy flow from a bottle fills a baby up and he does not want to breastfeed as often. This gives your body the message “This baby is not hungry, so make less milk”. This sets up a negative cycle. Your milk supply goes down, your baby gets hungry, and you find yourself giving more formula. Eventually your milk may dry up.
My nipples are sore. What should I do?
Be sure you are positioning your baby so she can latch on to your nipple properly. Sit back comfortably, put your baby’s head in the crook of your elbow, and pull her feet to your other side. Hold her level with your breast (a pillow helps) and turn her face and body toward you. Tickle her lower lip and wait for her to open wide. Be sure that most of the dark area around the nipple is drawn into her mouth. Break suction after she is through, by putting your finger gently into the corner of her mouth.
If soreness continues, or you get a crack in the nipple, give shorter, more frequent feedings. Offer the least sore breast first. Use water only, no soap, for washing your nipples. Air your nipples after breastfeeding, and rub them with breastmilk after feeding. Lanolin may also help. If problems continue, talk to a lactation consultant, doctor or WIC nutritionist.
My breasts don’t seem full anymore. Is my milk gone?
After the first few months of breastfeeding, your breasts adjust the amount of milk they make to just the right amount for your baby. As a result, the breasts seem softer and not as full. Also, babies of this age have become more efficient at draining the breast and often take less time per feeding.
What can I do if my baby’s father or other family members do not want me to breastfeed?
Everyone in the family wants the best for the new baby. Explain the immense benefits of breastfeeding to both you and your baby. Fathers of breastfed babies can be supportive in many ways. Help him become familiar with basic information about breastfeeding. He can be there with healthy drinks and snacks for you, he can rock the baby so you can get some rest, and he can help with bathing and diapering. A caring father is just what a tired mother and baby need!
My baby is nursing all day and all night and still seems like he is not getting enough. Is my milk gone?
Sounds like a growth spurt! Growth spurts usually occur at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months and last for about a week. During this time, babies seem to nurse all the time. This is normal.
Can I go back to work or school and still breastfeed?
Yes! It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to establish a good milk supply, so try to wait that long before returning to work or school. See if your employer will let someone bring your baby to you for feeding while you are at work. Consider alternative schedules such as part-time, job sharing or a gradual return to work or school. You can use a breastpump to collect milk at work to feed your baby later. The WIC office has pumps available for you to express your milk while you are away from your baby. Check with WIC regarding pump availability. Feed your baby as often as possible when you are home.
WIC gives vitamins to breastfed babies. Doesn’t breastmilk have everything my baby needs?
Breastmilk is the best food for your baby. However, Vitamin D is needed for your baby’s growing bones. Vitamin D is often called the “Sunshine Vitamin” because it is made by sunshine on bare skin. Vitamin D is added to formula and it is added to cow’s milk. You are being supplied with Vitamin D to go with your breastmilk, just as Vitamin D is added to other types of milk. We recommend that you start giving your baby these drops at about six to eight weeks of age. Babies who do not get enough Vitamin D can develop a serious disease called rickets, which is harmful to bones and growth.
Does my breastfed baby need any other vitamins or minerals?
Two minerals, fluoride and iron, are often recommended. Fluoride helps develop strong teeth. Starting at about 6 months of age your baby should get 0.25 mg of fluoride per day if he or she is still breastfed only or breastfed with solid foods. Iron is needed for strong blood. Your baby should get an iron supplement starting at about 4-6 months of age if he or she has not started eating rice cereal yet (rice cereal is fortified with iron).
My milk dried up. What can I do?
Depending on how long it has been since you stopped breastfeeding, you may be able to start again. Milk may dry up if you supplement a lot with formula, do not breastfeed often enough or long enough at each feeding, or if your baby does not latch on properly. With a little help, all of these problems can be solved.
How long should I breastfeed my baby?
How long you nurse your baby is a very personal decision. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life followed by a gradual introduction of solid foods and continued breastfeeding for as long as mother and baby wish to.
Source: Adapted from State of Alaska WIC Breastfeeding FAQs . http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dpa/programs/nutri/WIC/Breastfeeding/default.htm
