A new mom’s guide to breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is one of the most important aspects of a baby's growth, but it is also one of the biggest fears a new mother has. 'How do I breastfeed?', 'Will my baby know what to do?', 'Will I be a

By: Effath Yasmin | | Updated: August 14, 2013 9:57 am

New mom breastfeeding Breastfeeding is one of the most important aspects of a baby’s growth, but it is also one of the biggest fears a new mother has. ‘How do I breastfeed?’, ‘Will my baby know what to do?’, ‘Will I be able to produce enough milk?’ are some of the most common questions I hear from my patients. Also Read - Importance of child vaccination: Keeping up with easy to go immunization schedule

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Breastfeeding, is essential for both the mother and the child. It helps create a bond between the mother and the baby and gives your child the immunity and nutritional boost it requires right after birth. It is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization), La Leche League and the Indian Academy of Paediatricians, that a baby should be breastfed for at least the first two years of their life. Also Read - Here’s how you can make mealtimes fun for your toddler

I think I do not have sufficient milk for my newborn. What do I do?

Most people do not understand the difference between a ‘perceived milk supply’ and a ‘true milk supply’. There are important indicators of a child’s level of nutrition that a mother should know, after she delivers. Some of them are:

1. The baby should gain approximately 150 to 200 grams of weight per week, after 2 weeks of birth.

2. The baby should ideally pass stools about 3-4 times a day after day 5 of birth.

3. The baby should be changed 7-8 times if cloth diapers are used and 5-6 times if heavy disposable diapers are used after 5 days of birth. The diaper should ideally weigh about 30-60 ml. A good way to measure that is to take about 3 tablespoons of water and actually weigh it, you will get to know how much a healthy baby’s diaper should weigh.

If the above points do not hold true when it comes to your baby, it means the baby isn’t getting enough milk. This could be due to insufficient lactation or ‘improper latch’ between the baby and your breast. Increase the frequency or the number of times you breastfeed your baby. The more frequently you breastfeed, the more you are likely to lactate. Ensure effective ‘latch’ and ‘positioning of the baby’. If the latch isn’t good enough, you may need to express your milk and store it for feeding.

Why is my baby not able to suckle?

In several cases, the mother may be doing all the right things but the baby refuses to suckle or take to the breast. Under such circumstances we need to look at the birth history of the baby. Research has found that the birth experience of the mother, plays an important role in ensuring a baby’s health. Things like epidurals, caesarean section deliveries or forceps deliveries, can cause a baby mental trauma leading to him/her finding it difficult to breastfeed effectively. As a Lactation consultant, the first thing I would do is to identify the root of the problem, and put the mother and the baby in a healing environment. Research suggests that massaging the baby, a tradition in Indian culture, helps to erase those birth traumas and helps the child recuperate. Another useful technique is Craniosacral therapy (is a gentle,hands on approach, where the practitioner gently massages the baby’s head and neck, to release tension, pain and stresses deep within the body) that has proven to be very helpful in such cases. All these things put together can help a baby recover and breastfeed again.

I am a working woman, and cannot feed my baby many times a day. Can I substitute formula milk for breast milk?

I would not suggest it. Formula milk can be compared to prescribed medicine that should be used only in the case of an emergency. If your baby is not able to breastfeed for some reason, only then should you use formula milk as an alternative. It should not be used as an easy substitute for breast milk. There is no match between a mother’s milk and formula milk . Formula milk has only those components that are essential to the baby’s survival. Unlike breast milk, it will not ensure any brain development or improvement of the child’s immunity.