Your questions answered
How should I prepare to breastfeed?
You do not need to prepare your body to breastfeed.
- In pregnancy, become informed about breastfeeding basics through reading, attending antenatal breastfeeding classes and spending time with breastfeeding mums
- Build a list of sources of support to turn to after birth
- Plan for an active and alert birth, minimising the use of medications during labour and birth
- Choose breastfeeding-friendly hospital practices such as keeping your baby with you, day and night
How is breast milk produced?
Breast milk is produced by the supply-removal principle; as milk is removed from the breast, your body receives the message to produce more.
The emptier the breast is kept, the greater the rate of milk production! Feeding frequently means that your body will produce ample amounts of milk.
How soon after birth should I breastfeed my baby?
Have skin-to-skin contact with your newborn immediately after birth, where possible.
If your newborn is undisturbed, his natural instincts will kick in, he will attach himself to your breast, and begin breastfeeding!
If you have a caesarean birth, work with your birth team to arrange for skin-to-skin closeness as soon as possible after birth.
How should I help my baby to feed?
You can latch your baby on using mother-led or baby-led latching styles. Your choice of how to latch will depend on your individual circumstances. Many mothers find a combination of both styles works best.
| Mother-led Latching | Baby-led Latching | |
| How? | By following a series of steps to encourage & direct baby’s efforts | By making the breast available to baby |
| Brief description | www.nct.org.uk/s…f |
|
How long should I feed my baby for?
It is not necessary to breastfeed from each breast for a fixed length of time.
Feed from one side for as long as your baby wants; when he is done, he will slip off or drift off to sleep. Unlatch, burp him, possibly change his diaper, and offer the other breast. At the next feed, start with the breast that you finished on at the last feed.
If you are feeling unsure, it is a good idea to speak to a breastfeeding counsellor who can check the latch and share relevant ideas.
How do I know when my baby needs to feed?
Your baby will indicate his need to breastfeed through his behaviour and body movements; respond to your baby’s earliest feeding cues.
Early cues include stirring, opening his mouth and rooting. Increasing physical movements such as hand-to-mouth actions are mid-cues. Crying and agitated body movements are late cues.
A distressed, crying baby may have difficulty latching and feeding effectively. If your baby is crying, calm him down gently before trying to feed him.
How often does my newborn need to breastfeed?
Newborn stomachs are tiny and require frequent fill-ups, day and night!
|
Baby’s Age |
Stomach Capacity (ml) |
Comparison |
|
Day 1 |
5-7 |
size of a marble |
|
Day 3 |
22-27 |
size of a golf ball |
|
Day 10 |
60-81 |
size of a large chicken egg |
www.kellymom.com/images/charts/max-stomach-capacity.jpg
In the early weeks, babies breastfeed 10-12 times in 24 hours. Many newborns cluster feed or have very frequent feeds in the evening.
Your individual baby’s needs as well as your breast storage capacity determine how frequently your baby breastfeeds. Responding to your baby’s need to breastfeed ensures that you are meeting his unique needs.
You are not spoiling him or ‘letting him use you as a pacifier’ if he breastfeeds often!
Is my baby is getting enough milk?
- Your baby’s diaper output is a good indicator.
|
Day |
Number of wet diapers in 24 hours |
|
Day 1 |
1 |
|
Day 2 |
2 |
|
Day 3 |
3 |
|
Day 4 |
4 |
|
Day 5 |
5 |
|
Day 6 |
6 or more wet diapers |
Your baby’s first bowel movements (meconium) will be thick, black and tar-like. Within 24-48 hours, this will become less sticky and more yellowish-green.
By Day 5, your baby should be passing 2-5 yellow, runny bowel movements.
After 6 weeks, some breastfed babies pass stools 3 times a day, while others have bowel motions once weekly!
- Observe baby’s sucking.
Deep, rhythmic sucking, with 1 or 2 sucks followed by a swallow, means baby is drinking a good amount.
Light, fluttery sucking, with several sucks then a swallow, means that baby has taken less.
- Check your baby’s weight gain.
Babies usually lose 10% of their birthweight in the first 2-3 days, regaining this by 14 days. They gain about 30g daily from then on.
If you are concerned about weight gain, your first option is visiting a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant.
When can I introduce bottles to my breastfed baby?
Bottle-feeding is only one of the ways to feed a baby when he is not latched directly onto the breast. Other ways include
- finger-feeding
- cup-feeding
- spoon-feeding
- supplemental nursing
If you have chosen to bottle-feed your baby, introduce bottles after breastfeeding is established, usually at 4-6 weeks of age.
Different jaw and tongue movements are needed for breast and bottle-feeding. Introducing a bottle to a breastfeeding newborn means that he has to learn to suckle in 2 different ways.
Milk also flows from a bottle nipple at a steadier and faster rate.
Your breastfeeding newborn may come to prefer the bottle.
Is it ok to breastfeed directly during the day, and have a caregiver bottle-feed at night?
Prolactin levels are higher at night. They also surge more in response to baby’s feeding. In this way, night feeds encourage milk production.
Expressing milk to keep up your supply, while baby is bottle-fed and cared for by another caregiver at night, is sometimes suggested as a way of getting longer stretches of sleep. However, pump expression does not stimulate milk production as effectively as your baby’s strong suck.
Don’t pass on those nightfeeds!
Should I feed my breastfed baby water?
Breast milk is more than 87% water. Babies need only breastmilk for the first 6 months of life, even in Singapore’s hot and humid climate.
Any water consumed may take up space in your baby’s tummy, reducing suckling and breast milk intake.
Does breastfeeding hurt? How do I prevent sore nipples?
There should be no pain while feeding.
Sore nipples often occur when baby is not latched on properly. Your baby may not be feeding effectively and getting enough milk.
If you experience any soreness, seek help from a breastfeeding counsellor.
My newborn has jaundice. I have been advised to supplement with formula or water? What are my options?
There are two types of jaundice:
|
Physiological |
Pathological |
| Occurs normally | Occurs because of a disease process |
| Common in healthy newborns, occurs in over half of healthy newborns | Occurs more commonly in preterm babies or babies with underlying illness eg G6PDeficiency or Blood Group Incompatibility |
| Begins about Day 3 | May begin on the 1st Day |
Doctors are concerned about jaundice because high levels may cause organ damage (rare in healthy babies) or what seems to be physiological jaundice may mask a pathological problem.
Treatment
Supplementing with water or formula does not help jaundice to clear. Bilirubin, the substance which results in yellowing of baby’s skin, is passed out in your baby’s stools.
Frequent and effective breastfeeding helps to clear excess bilirubin from your baby’s body, and is a good option for breastfeeding mums. If the jaundice is making your baby very sleepy, seek help to ensure he is breastfeeding well and getting good breast milk intake.
Phototherapy for jaundice means your baby is placed under lights and separated from you; frequent breastfeeding may not occur, and you may miss many of baby’s feeding cues.
If this is advised, ask about options such as
- using phototherapy for only a few hours each day
- renting a phototherapy machine to use at home
- waiting and watching while breastfeeding often
- retesting jaundice levels in a day
Many methods used to treat jaundice may hinder breastfeeding. Discuss your doctor’s concerns, negotiate and explore ways to minimise the impact on breastfeeding.
www.bestforbabes.org/common-problems-jaundice
www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/special-situations/babies-jaundice
How can I involve my partner or other family members in caring for my breastfed baby?
Many mums feel that introducing bottles to their breastfed babies allows dad and other family members feeding and bonding time. Introducing bottles early may hinder breastfeeding; other family members can interact with baby by bathing him, playing, singing, reading, winding and engaging him in numerous other activities.
As baby grows older and enters toddlerhood, the opportunities for bonding increase. Many older babies enjoy time with caregivers other than mum. These significant others add sparkle and a sense of adventure to your baby’s life, quite different from the nurturing breastfeeding relationship he shares with you!
Do I need to eat a special diet while breastfeeding? To increase my milk supply?
Breastfeeding mothers do not require special diets. A breastfeeding mother’s diet needs to be balanced and varied.
Your own choice of foods will depend on your cultural heritage, economic situation and food preferences. Many foods are traditionally believed to increase milk supply. If you find these help breastfeeding, please go ahead.
You may be thirstier and hungrier than usual, so have a drink and healthy snacks at hand when feeding or out-and-about.
www.babycenter.com/0_diet-for…
Can a nursing mother eat this food? FAQs
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