“© evgenyatamanenko / Dollar Photo Club” I just had my fourth baby in November 2013 and finally feel like I know what I am doing with this whole breastfeeding thing. I have nursed all four of my children, and each child was a very different experience. I recently have a friend who also just had a baby and she had a few questions about nursing her baby. Coming home from the hospital nursing your baby for the first few days can be a confusing and a somewhat scary feeling. I remember when we brought my first daughter home, I sat her on the floor in her car seat and actually thought to myself, “What now?”. Let’s just say she was not an easy baby to nurse, She refused to nurse her first week of life, refused! I remember crying all that week thinking my baby was starving to death, and I was a failure. After a week of fussing and crying she finally decided she was going to nurse. That was a week I would not want to ever do over again. My other three children were night and day, very easy to nurse. These are a few questions that my friends had and I tried to answer for them. I hope they may help you in your own journey of breastfeeding.
1. Is it necessary to wake my baby ever 2 to 3 hours at night the first few weeks to nurse?
Yes, babies tend to lose a good amount of weight the first week after you give birth. Your milk will come in 3 to 5 days after you give birth. You produce colostrum until then. Colostrum is rich in antibodies, and has high protein. There is not much fat in colostrum. Do not be alarmed with the weight lose. This is why the doctors have you come in for weight checks often after birth. If you feel like your baby is losing to0 much weight the doctor may suggest supplementing until you have a good supply of milk. Waking them at night will help ensure that your baby will gain the weight that was lost that first week. After they have gained the weight back, and established a good eating schedule you can go longer at night in between feedings by taking the babies cues when to eat. This can happen from about 2 weeks to 1 month.
2. How do you know if they have gotten the fatty hind milk?
There is no way to really tell exactly, just make sure the baby nurses a good amount of time on the first breast offered to them. You never fully empty your breast, you are constantly replenishing your milk supply. Also if your baby is gaining weight as they should, you have no need to worry.
3. How long should a feeding last?
This can vary from child to child. My first baby took forever to eat, up to 45 minutes, my fourth baby 10 minutes. This also depends on how fast or slow your let down is. You can tell when they are swallowing and drinking the milk by listening and watching. The best advice is relax and just watch your baby, there are no right or wrong answers.
4. Remember to put a good nursing cream on your nipples after breastfeeding the first couple of weeks. It will hurt, and most likely your nipples will be very sore. The cream will help heal your nipples in between nursing. IT DOES GET BETTER, IT WILL NOT HURT FOREVER. Please remember this and don’t give up.
5. Do you have to pump?
This is personal preference. If you are going to pump it is good to pump either during or right after a feeding. This will keep your supply up, and ensure your baby gets plenty to eat. If you are like me though I am with my baby almost all of the time, so I have no need to pump unless I know I will be gone for more then 3 hours. I will pump enough that day for a few bottles. My first and third babies refused the bottle so I never pumped for them, I just knew I had to be there to nurse when it was time.
6. Relax, take this time to slow down, bond with your baby. This period of time goes by so fast. Enjoy it. Trust your gut, your the mom. If you feel something’s not going as it should contact a lactation consultant. Your doing a great job momma!
So don’t give up! You and your baby will only benefit from nursing. It does get easier. Blessings!
Disclaimer: I am only offering my personal experiences with nursing, and questions that have been asked of me from my friends. I am not a doctor, and you should consult your own doctor should you have any concerns or questions.
