Rebornne Baby. American Baby
Rebornne Baby. American Baby
breastfeeding
features
quizzes experts
Breastfeeding is natural, but it
doesn't come naturally to every mom. Find out how to overcome the
most common nursing difficulties, like latch-on problems, nipple
confusion, and engorgement.
features
Newborn
Nursing Tips
How often, how
long, and which breast?
How often, how long, and which breast? These are just a few of the
many questions that new moms have about nursing their newborns. Here
are some quick newborn nursing tips:
Offer your breast whenever baby seems hungry or cries. This might
be about every two hours or even more often in the first weeks (baby's
tummy is tiny at birth).
If a newborn
younger than 6 weeks old is sleeping as long as four hours, wake her
up to feed. She needs to eat or she'll get into a bad cycle--so hungry
that she's exhausted, and so exhausted that she can't wake to ask
for food.
Nursing sessions
should last about 20 to 30 minutes. Some babies drink quickly and
are done in 10 or 15 minutes; others doze off in the middle of breastfeeding
and need to be roused, so that it takes more like 40 minutes to finish
the meal. But breastfeeding less than 10 minutes or more than 40 minutes
indicates a problem; check for signs that baby is actually getting
milk, such as sucking movements and wet diapers.
It's fine to
do one breast at one meal, the other at the next. However, if baby
drains one side and is still hungry, move to the other. Just continue
to alter the "starting" breast from meal to meal. The reason:
Breast milk changes in composition as baby drinks, being more liquid
at first (the foremilk) and more fatty at the end (the hindmilk).
Ideally, by draining at least one breast per feeding, baby gets both
kinds of milk, optimal for brain development.
A baby will unlatch
naturally when she's done. You shouldn't have to ever take baby off
your breast at the end. Whether she falls asleep or just pulls away,
she'll take herself off when she's ready.
Your
should know:
The
information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes
only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical
advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose
or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your
pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any
questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's
condition.
