Article information extracted from whattoexpect.com
You'll be a natural at breastfeeding in no time, but for now you simply need to know which hand (and breast) goes where—and how often your baby should be filling up at the pump.
Babies know instinctively what they want — milk! — but getting it out of
you and into their tummy is a skill that must be learned. Ditto for you — your intentions are the best (get this kid fed, and fast!), but your breastfeeding technique…that needs some tweaking. In the beginning, neither one of you will have much of a clue what to do. That's normal — and nothing to worry about: Stick with it, and you'll both become breastfeeding pros in no time.
How often should I breastfeed?
During the first two to three days after delivery, the breastfeeding frequency rule of thumb is to nurse often (eight to 12 feedings per day; about 30 minutes on average per session — although sessions could be shorter or longer depending on your baby), but don't expect your baby to fill up. He or she won't really have much of an appetite, and your milk hasn't yet arrived on the scene. The thin, yellowy substance that you are producing is colostrum (the same stuff that leaked out of your breasts during pregnancy and got you concerned that your milk-making machinery was malfunctioning); it's a vital blend of immune factors
and proteins that jump-starts your baby into a healthy new life outside your womb. You'll make very little, but the baby won't need more than a teaspoon or so per feeding during these early days.
How will I know if I'm producing enough breast milk?
Even though your baby's needs are slight, the sucking may be furious (isn't it hard to believe someone so small could tug that hard?) — and
that's a good thing, since it will help encourage your breast milk production and help both of you find the proper breastfeeding postition and breastfeeding technique. If, for some reason, you can't begin to nurse your baby right away (perhaps because he or she needs to stay in neonatal intensive care), express your milk either by using breast pumps or by hand to ensure a continued supply.
How will I know when my baby is hungry?
Keep breastfeeding your baby 8 to 12 times a day during the first few weeks (and don't be alarmed when your formula-feeding friends comment that their newborns eat far less often; breast milk is more
easily digested than infant formula milk, allowing the tummies of nursing babies to empty faster — and thirst for more sooner). A good way to master the right breastfeeding frequency is to nurse when your baby seems hungry. He or she might be tiny but will make his or her needs known by nuzzling against your breasts, sucking furiously on that little baby hand (or your shirt, or your arm…), or opening his or her mouth, for example. (Don't wait for tears; by then, your baby is uncomfortably hungry and emotionally bereft.)
How long should each feeding last?
An important breastfeeding technique is to let your baby stay on the breast until he or she is satisfied, and be sure to let him or her drain a breast thoroughly (it'll never actually be empty) before you switch sides, because that hind milk — the last to come — is richer in fats and calories. A final tip on breastfeeding frequency is not to let sleeiping babies lie — at least not during the first few weeks. Remember, a newborn should not go more than three or four hours without a feeding, even if that means you don't yet get to sleep through the night.
You'll be a natural at breastfeeding in no time, but for now you simply need to know which hand (and breast) goes where—and how often your baby should be filling up at the pump.
Babies know instinctively what they want — milk! — but getting it out of
you and into their tummy is a skill that must be learned. Ditto for you — your intentions are the best (get this kid fed, and fast!), but your breastfeeding technique…that needs some tweaking. In the beginning, neither one of you will have much of a clue what to do. That's normal — and nothing to worry about: Stick with it, and you'll both become breastfeeding pros in no time.
How often should I breastfeed?
During the first two to three days after delivery, the breastfeeding frequency rule of thumb is to nurse often (eight to 12 feedings per day; about 30 minutes on average per session — although sessions could be shorter or longer depending on your baby), but don't expect your baby to fill up. He or she won't really have much of an appetite, and your milk hasn't yet arrived on the scene. The thin, yellowy substance that you are producing is colostrum (the same stuff that leaked out of your breasts during pregnancy and got you concerned that your milk-making machinery was malfunctioning); it's a vital blend of immune factors
and proteins that jump-starts your baby into a healthy new life outside your womb. You'll make very little, but the baby won't need more than a teaspoon or so per feeding during these early days.
How will I know if I'm producing enough breast milk?
Even though your baby's needs are slight, the sucking may be furious (isn't it hard to believe someone so small could tug that hard?) — and
that's a good thing, since it will help encourage your breast milk production and help both of you find the proper breastfeeding postition and breastfeeding technique. If, for some reason, you can't begin to nurse your baby right away (perhaps because he or she needs to stay in neonatal intensive care), express your milk either by using breast pumps or by hand to ensure a continued supply.
How will I know when my baby is hungry?
Keep breastfeeding your baby 8 to 12 times a day during the first few weeks (and don't be alarmed when your formula-feeding friends comment that their newborns eat far less often; breast milk is more
easily digested than infant formula milk, allowing the tummies of nursing babies to empty faster — and thirst for more sooner). A good way to master the right breastfeeding frequency is to nurse when your baby seems hungry. He or she might be tiny but will make his or her needs known by nuzzling against your breasts, sucking furiously on that little baby hand (or your shirt, or your arm…), or opening his or her mouth, for example. (Don't wait for tears; by then, your baby is uncomfortably hungry and emotionally bereft.)
How long should each feeding last?
An important breastfeeding technique is to let your baby stay on the breast until he or she is satisfied, and be sure to let him or her drain a breast thoroughly (it'll never actually be empty) before you switch sides, because that hind milk — the last to come — is richer in fats and calories. A final tip on breastfeeding frequency is not to let sleeiping babies lie — at least not during the first few weeks. Remember, a newborn should not go more than three or four hours without a feeding, even if that means you don't yet get to sleep through the night.