Breastfeeding

Getting Started Breastfeeding

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Day 1 | Days 2 to 4 | Days 3 to 5 | Days 5 to 28 | Contact us

The first weeks of breastfeeding are a learning period for both you and your baby. Do not expect to work as a coordinated team right away. Give yourself time to recover from labor and birth. With practice you will feel more confident in breastfeeding your baby.

It may help to keep a simple chart of feedings and diaper changes. Keep a record of feedings and diapers until your baby is gaining weight well. To make a chart, take a piece of paper and number down 24 hours from midnight to 11 pm. Make a column to record the minutes of each breastfeeding. Make another column to record each wet diaper. Make a third column to record each stool. Record each feeding and diaper change on your chart. Once a day you can count the number of feedings, wet diapers and stools to know your baby is getting enough breast milk. Follow the guidelines below.

Day 1

Most term, healthy babies are ready to begin breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. Babies will be awake and eager to nurse during this time. Put your baby to the breast as soon as possible after delivery. A baby should breastfeed several times that first day, but they may be sleepier at the breast than they were for the first feeding. Expect to change only a couple of wet and dirty diapers during the first 24 hours.

Days 2 to 4

Your baby should begin to wake and cue (show readiness) for feedings by the second day. Signs that your baby is ready to feed include rooting, smacking lips and sucking fingers.
Babies will breastfeed about every 1½ to 3 hours. Your baby should breastfeed a total of 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. These frequent feedings provide your baby with antibody-rich first milk called colostrum and tell your breasts to make more milk.
Your baby should suckle for at least 10 minutes on the first breast, and may continue for about 30 minutes before letting go. Burp your baby after he / she is finished feeding on the first breast. Then offer the second breast.
The number of diaper changes will increase as your milk "comes in." Your baby should have at least three stools every day after your milk comes in. She / he should have 2-3 wet diapers the second day and 3-4 on day three. Babies will also lose weight during the first several days. As your milk comes in your baby should start to gain weight.
You may feel uterine cramping when breastfeeding the first two or three days. This is a positive sign that the baby's sucking has triggered a milk let-down, also called the milk-ejection reflex (MER). It also means your uterus is contracting, which helps decrease bleeding.
Because you and your baby are still learning, you may experience nipple tenderness when he / she latches on or during a breastfeeding. Tenderness is usually mild and disappears by the end of the first week. If tenderness persists, develops into pain, or nipple cracking is noted, contact a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC).

Days 3 to 5

The amount of breast milk made goes up dramatically at about 3 or 4 days after birth, and the milk is said to have "come in."
Your baby will still nurse about 8 to 12 times every day for 10 to 30 minutes each time.
Stools should be changing from dark, tarry meconium to a brown color. Bowel movements become looser. When your milk is in and baby is feeding well, stool will be a mustard-yellow, loose and seedy. By day 5 your baby should have 6-8 wet diapers every day.
You may notice that your breasts feel full, heavy, or warm when your milk comes in. Some mothers have painful engorgement due to increased milk volume and tissue swelling. The breasts feel hard and tight. The areola and nipple may seem stretched and flat, making it difficult for a baby to latch-on. The most important thing to do when your milk first comes in is to move the milk out of your breasts by feeding your baby frequently. If your baby has difficulty latching on because of severe engorgement:

Soften the nipple and areola by expressing some milk and then let baby latch on.
Breastfeed or express milk frequently (every one to two hours). Your breasts should feel softer after breastfeeding or pumping.
Apply cold packs to the breasts for about 20 minutes after feeding to reduce swelling.

Days 5 to 28

Expect to feed your baby about 8 to 12 times a day for about 10 to 30 minutes each time. Usually, a baby will breastfeed for a shorter period at the second breast. Sometimes he / she may not want to feed on the second breast at all. Simply offer the second breast first at the next feeding.
Babies that guzzle their food nonstop may finish in 10 to 15 minutes. Babies who prefer to savor their meals often take 20 to 35 minutes on the first breast. These babies tend to take a few several-minute breaks between "courses." Whichever type your baby is, it is important to let him / her choose when to let go of the breast. This self-detachment will increase the amount of higher fat / higher calorie milk ("hindmilk") your baby takes in.
Your baby should continue to have six or more wet diapers and three or more loose seedy, yellow stools every day. She / he should gain more than one half ounce (15g) a day, and regain birth weight by 2 weeks.
Your baby probably will go through several two to four day "growth spurt" periods when he / she seems to want to eat almost around the clock. Babies commonly experience a growth spurt between 2 to 3 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks and again at about 3 months. It is important to let a baby feed more often during these spurts. Within a few days, your baby will have returned to a more typical pattern.
Let your baby set the pace for breastfeeding. Pay attention to his / her feeding cues. The number of feedings each baby needs and the length of time each feeding lasts will vary from baby to baby. Trying to force a breastfed baby to wait longer between feedings, or fit a particular feeding schedule, can result in poor weight gain and decreased milk supply.