Tips for Establishing Breastfeeding with your Newborn
This blog post was written by Dr. Jan Ooi, a Family Physician and Low Risk Obstetrics Provider. (2min read)
Dr. Ooi loves supporting her patients on their infant feeding journeys. The information in this blog post is advice that she frequently gives to her pregnant and freshly postpartum patients as they prepare for, and learn to feed, their newborn. Along with this blog post, she has compiled a list of online infant feeding resources, including multiple video links, to help parents learn about breastfeeding their newborn. In response to the difficulties that Dr. Ooi has seen her patients work through in establishing breastfeeding with their newborns, she has developed the Newborn Group Support Program to provide families with a safe place to learn from expert physician and nurse lactation consultants, while building community with other new parents.
While it's common to see videos and images of smiling, seemingly well-rested mothers effortlessly breastfeeding their calm newborn babies, the truth is that many moms do not feel confident in their ability to breastfeed when they bring their baby home for the first time. If that's how you're feeling, know that you are not alone.
A common story that I will hear from my patients is that 'Baby was so quiet and easy the first night in hospital, but once we got them home, they were a completely different baby the second night'. As you navigate this phenomenon it's important to understand newborn feeding patterns in the first few days of life.
NEWBORN FEEDING BEHAVIOUR - WHAT TO EXPECT
Newborns are wired to cluster feed in the second 24 hours of life as a way of stimulating their mom's hormones that signal her body to produce more breastmilk. During this time it may seem like you 'don't have enough breastmilk' and that 'baby is starving'. As I explained in this blog post about breastmilk production, the stimulation that breastfeeding provides to a mom’s breasts is an important step that leads to the natural increase in breastmilk production a few days after your baby is born.
TIPS FOR FEEDING BETWEEN DAY 2-4 OF BABY’S LIFE
Don't panic if your baby wants to nurse for long periods of time, or shows hunger cues soon after you finish feeding them. Remember that this is what they do to stimulate breastmilk production
As much as you are able, let your baby feed on demand. Don’t expect a particular pattern of timing and duration of feeds, follow your baby’s lead.
Don’t endure a painful latch. If the latch is not correct, your baby’s strong suck can cause a lot of damage to your sensitive nipples. Seek guidance on latching technique from hospital staff, community lactation support, and videos such as this one.
If your baby is not latching well, or breastfeeding is painful, follow my tips in this blog post to stimulate your milk production hormones, such as hand expression and time spent skin-to-skin.
A NOTE ABOUT SUPPLEMENTING
Your care team may recommend that you supplement your baby in the first few days of life if your baby is not getting enough milk by breastfeeding alone. In order of preference, we recommend:
Your own expressed breastmilk
Donor human breastmilk
Formula
However, if the suggestion to supplement is not made, keep in mind that offering baby milk that you did not express can reduce the time your baby spends at the breast. In turn, less time at the breast means less stimulation for your body to produce breastmilk, so this should be done with consideration.
THE FINAL WORD
Above all, remember that while the early days of breastfeeding can be challenging, you are not alone in your struggles. The journey is a learning process for both you and your newborn. With patience, support, and access to helpful resources, you can navigate this journey with confidence and provide your little one with the nourishment and care they need.
Expecting and new parents can click here to learn about the Newborn Group Support Program offered at Ensemble Healthcare, and here to read about our team of expert lactation consultants who facilitate these sessions.
