Let’s talk about what happens once you’re holding your precious new one in your arms. The first couple of hours after birth your baby is in a perfect state for her first nursing. For an hour or so after birth, she’s in the “active, alert” stage and ready to begin learning more about you and about how to get nourishment from your breast.

Before we go into some of the specific techniques to refer, remember this very important phrase: Early and Often

Early and often is almost like a mantra. It’s something that breastfeeding educators repeat over and over because it is very important to nurse both early and often in order to:

Establish milk supply – you need to give the message to your brain right away to “send milk!”
Help baby learn to breastfeed – these early hours and days are crucial
Assist your uterus to contract (reducing blood loss after birth)

Important Things to Remember:

In the first hours and days postpartum, your milk will consist of colostrum, the early milk that your breasts start producing during pregnancy. This milk is exceedingly important for new babies as it contains antibodies that help your baby build a healthy immunity. Colostrum “paints” the intestinal tract with healthy bacteria which will help prevent allergies and other health problems later. It’s very important that your baby not receive any other milk or liquid other than your milk during the early hours and days postpartum. Extra water, sugar water, or formula are not needed for a healthy full term baby.

If your baby is born prematurely, your medical team will likely be thrilled that you are nursing, as he especially needs the health benefits of your milk! They will work with you to make sure your baby gets your milk in whatever fashion he can handle. Some premies take a little time before they can nurse at the breast, but you can pump your milk with a hospital grade electric breastpump and feed him this liquid gold.

Your Doctor may tell you that your baby needs formula or sugar water if he is large or hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). This is false. Your baby needs to nurse as much as possible so that he gets your milk, and to stimulate a hearty supply.

Keep in mind that before your milk supply increases (about the 3rd to 5th day postpartum), you are producing teaspoons, not ounces. That is perfectly okay. The more often you put baby to breast, the quicker your milk will transition from colostrum to mature milk. This doesn’t diminish the importance of colostrum however. Colostrum is referred to as “liquid gold” for a reason.

Road Trip With a Breastfed Baby:

If your baby or toddler is already eating solids, this can be an option for feeding him on the road. However, if he only drinks milk, you might want to pump milk ahead of time into bottles to feed him along the way. If you are the passenger, you can even pump into a bottle and feed him during the drive, if need be. Some babies do not take bottles at all and only drink from the breast. In this case, you’ll want to schedule in regular meals and snacks for your child by visiting rest stops to nurse him. Do not remove the baby from his car seat as you travel on the road, as this is both illegal and potentially dangerous.

Breastfeeding On An Airplane:

While it may be frowned upon by some people, it is perfectly legal to breastfeed your baby in public, and this includes during a flight. As a breastfeeding mother, you even have an advantage over those who use bottles, due to the strict liquid regulations. While bottles of formula and milk are now allowed onto planes, the milk in your breasts are not subject to search and are quite portable, making traveling easier for you. One tip you’ll want to try is breastfeeding your baby during takeoff and landing. This can reduce his fears of flying and reduces the chance of his ears popping, which can feel painful for a baby. While many people aren’t thrilled about having a baby near them in flight, breastfed babies typically make wonderful flying companions!

Taking along a baby sling can be a huge help when traveling with a baby, especially when going through busy airports. You can even nurse discreetly in the sling and noone will be the wiser. The sling also helps to comfort baby and reduce fussiness, as well as helping him nap when he’s tired.

Bottle Feeding

Breastfeeding while traveling and doing activities is certainly different than feeding at home. For many breastfeeding mothers, bottle feeding is a new concept. If you do plan on bottle-feeding your pumped milk on outings, be sure you have a cooler that can keep milk fresh as you are traveling and be sure to abide by the guidelines of how long milk should be kept. If you are planning on being away from the baby for a period of time, such as a day at the spa, then be sure to pump ahead of time for baby as well. This can also be an adjustment for baby as well and should be introduced to him days before your departure.

Taking care of yourself

Although vacation is designed to be fun, it can also be physically and mentally exhausting. There is a lot of moving around from place to place that occurs, as well as eating at new places and experiencing new things. It is also possible you will be nursing on a different schedule, which can be uncomfortable for you. To counteract this, be sure you are getting plenty of rest, fluids and nutrition. If you are breastfeeding at odd hours or less than usual, you might need to carry along a small pump with you (or pump by hand) to release some milk and give you some comfort. Take along breastfeeding items you may need, such as breast pads, lanolin or hot packs if your breast get sore. Vitamin B6 can also assist in tenderness. Vacations are a common time for moms to experience plugged ducts or mastitis. Baby is distracted and you may be nursing less. Be sure to take care of yourself so your vacation is relaxing.

“I was wondering when my milk will come in? I had my little girl on Tuesday and still no milk. I’ve had to supplement with formula now because she isn’t getting enough.”

Two things here.

First we need to establish whether the baby actually isn’t getting enough.

Sometimes mothers assume they don’t have milk, or don’t have enough milk, when the truth is their milk supply is just fine.

Second, we need to talk about what it means for the milk to “come in”.

My first question is, how do you know your milk hasn’t  “come in” and that your baby isn’t getting enough?

How old is she and is she producing wet and dirty diapers? What comes out must have gone in.

While we often use the phrase “come in” when we’re talking about a postpartum mother’s milk supply, that term is somewhat misleading and inaccurate.

Your breasts have milk even before you give birth.

Typically, sometime in the last trimester your breasts start producing colostrum (the early milk that is rich in immune factors), so the term “come in” really isn’t accurate.

What happens when someone refers to a mothers milk “coming in” is when the milk turns from colostrum to mature milk and changes in volume (it dramatically increases) and in color.  Colostrum is a clear to yellowish color and then turns to mature milk which is a milky white – typically around 3-8 days postpartum. It’s at this time that some mothers experience engorgement.

photo credit: jessicafm

It’s very important to not limit a newborn infant’s time at the breast. The more time the baby the baby spends nursing, the more quickly the colostrum is removed and typically the faster the mature milk comes in.

The second issue is figuring out whether the baby is getting enough milk.

If your baby is producing enough wet and dirty diapers then you don’t need to supplement. Supplementing with formula may not be necessary, and can actually decrease your existing milk supply.

My advice to this mom is to speak with a lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader who can observe her baby nursing to see if there are any obvious problems with positioning or latch. A baby who is not latched on well may not get enough milk at a feeding and also won’t sufficiently stimulate the mother’s milk supply.

I also suggested that she allow plenty of time for her baby to get her tummy filled. Some babies are quick eaters and some aren’t. Especially during the early weeks, it may take 20 minutes or longer for baby to get enough.

Make sure she isn’t sleeping at the breast and is actively nursing (sucking and swallowing) for the entire feeding before allowing her to nap. And don’t attempt to schedule a breastfeeding baby, especially while she is still learning how to feed.

More tips for increasing milk supply can be found here.

Your nursing newborn is learning right along with you. If this is your first baby, you may feel like you have no idea what you’re doing, but take heart!

Breastfeeding is a very natural process but there is a learning curve. Your newborn must learn to latch on properly and how to coordinate sucking and breathing. Not as easy as it sounds!

You have a lot to learn as well. Comfortable latch on, holding techniques and how to position your baby, just to name a few. The early days of breastfeeding are a time to learn. Be patient and give yourself and your baby some time.

The most important factor in succeeding when nursing a newborn baby is determination. Your attitude is so vital to nursing success.  If you decide that you are going to stick with it, you will make it. The first two weeks can be very challenging for some moms, but after you survive that, breastfeeding becomes a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

Recommended:

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding has been helpful for many women not only in nursing their newborn but many other areas of being a mom.