Breastfeeding your newborn!
As said in old wives tales, Breastfeeding is the best gift for a newborn. Our human body is amazing because as soon a child is born, our body produces specially curated food for our little one.
Why is Breast milk considered to be the best for newborns?
Breast milk has the ideal proportion of fat, protein and vitamins for babies. Also it contains antibodies from mom’s body which helps to protect them from a number of virus and bacteria.
Its light on their tummy and hence lesser episodes of colic are also reported.
Studies show that babies exclusively fed for 6 months have lesser or no instances of ear infections & diarrhea .
When to start breastfeeding the baby?
The ideal time to start breastfeeding is right after birth, however not all medical facilities really take care of that. The first hour after birth when a mother has uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact with her newborn is referred to as the “golden hour” and is the best time to feed colostrum to baby. Colostrum is the first thick yellowish breast milk which is very high in nutrients and has plenty of antibodies to protect baby from infections.
However especially after c section moms are sent to recovery room and babies are sent to nursery and they miss this Golden hour. What to do then?
Well I started breastfeeding my bub after 3 days of delivery & I still feel sad for not being able to feed her right after birth. My hospital did not support it and being a first time mom I was less informed about the whole concept of breastfeeding. But after three days, the lactation consultant helped me understand the correct latch and breastfeeding position and I started to feed my baby. Though at first the supply was less, so we supplemented it with formula but gradually we weaned her off formula and she was exclusively breastfed. We continued breastfeeding till 2.5 years.
So the reason I told my story is to assure all the new moms that its never late to start breastfeeding after birth. Never give up easily.
How to maintain & increase the supply of breast milk?
For some people breast milk supply is never an issue, but its not the case with everyone.
Engorged breasts and leaking surely are signs of over supply but not having them doesn’t mean that your supply is less. I rarely had engorgement and leak and I exclusively breastfed.
Staying hydrated is the first and foremost to maintain good supply. No matter what you eat, if you are drinking less water it will reduce your supply.
Secondly, more the baby suckles, more the breasts will be stimulated to produce milk. A good latch by baby is second most important factor to maintain a good supply. Our body works like a clock here, so whatever time of day baby feeds, that is the time when we have maximum supply. That is why when u miss a feed, or when baby is hungry you may feel slight discomfort or engorgement. This information comes in handy at time you decide to pump milk for your little one.
Consuming food which helps increase the breast milk in body also helps. Grains, Lentils, Oats, Fennel, Fenugreek, Garlic, etc help a lot in increasing supply.
How do I know I am producing enough breast milk?
The best way to know that your supply is good, is by the estimating the number of pees and weight gain of your baby. A well breastfed baby pees 6+ times and gains approximately 15gms a day.
If the baby seems hydrated & active, you have nothing to worry about your supply.
Pumping in the early days never depicts your supply. Most moms produce only few drops while pumping and end up doubting their supply and substituting it with formula.
How often does a newborn feed?
Generally, newborns feed every two hours but sometimes they may feed in an hour or sometimes in three hours. Ideally, they feed 15-20 minutes from each side. So at times new mums feel they have been feeding round the clock.
Who can help you with issues related to breastfeeding?
A lactation consultant may help you with establishing a good latch and helping you understand different breastfeeding positions. Also they can identify issues like lip tie and tongue tie.
How does Breastfeeding help moms?
Breastfeeding help moms by burning the extra calories their body use while producing milk. Also studies show, moms who exclusively breastfeed have lesser chances of getting breast & ovarian cancer. Also breastfeeding help restore hormonal balance .
The biggest perk is uninterrupted time mums get with their newborns and also zero hassle of washing and sterilizing bottles.
I hope this post helps a lot of new moms who are struggling feeding their bubs. Trust me its not an easy journey but totally worth it.
