Breastfeeding In The Early Weeks: What To Expect

Congratulations! You just welcomed your baby into the world. It may be your first child, your second, or even your fourth! This may be your first time breastfeeding or you may consider yourself an “old pro”. Every mom finds themselves at a point in those first 6 weeks questioning themselves. Even the most experienced mom hits a point of “wait, maybe something is off here!” So what can you expect in the first 6 weeks? What is normal? What are red flags something is wrong??

What is normal:

Nursing, and lots of it. Newborns cluster nurse and they do this frequently! Many time a mom feels like they can not possibly have enough milk or their child wouldn’t be nursing all the time. The fact is that cluster nursing is normal and is telling your body to produce more milk! Remember breastmilk digests quickly and babies have small stomachs. This means frequent nursing!http://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussy-evening/

Wanting to be held 24/7. Remember, your baby was inside the womb for 9 months. All it knows is that warm secure environment. The world is a big new place! Babies want to be held, snuggled and feel secure. You may feel like the only time your baby is happy is when they are on you, and that’s normal. 

Gas and grumbling stomachs. Your baby’s digestive system is still maturing and this means, gas. It is very normal for babies to have excess gas, especially around growth spurts. Bicycle legs and stomach massaging can help. Gas can also be caused by many supply boosting herbs so you may want to consider cutting those out. http://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/gassybaby/

Spit up. Moms often freak out over spit up, but 9/10 times it is harmless. Babies are happy spitters most of the time and the amount of liquid they spit up is often much less than what you believe. Spit up is only a problem if your baby screams in pain or is loosing weight. http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/reflux/

Not sleeping. At this age most babies nurse every 2 - 3 hours around the clock. That can be very exhausting for a new mom, but also very very normal. Remember especially during growth spurts babies nurse frequently. Typically by about 6 to 10 weeks babies will go a 3 - 5 hour stretch at night. Remember: for a baby sleeping through the night is sleeping more than 5 hours in a row! 

What is not normal:

Bleeding cracked nipples. There can be some initial nipple tenderness when nursing, but anything more than that is a sign something is wrong. It could simply be a baby not getting a deep enough latch or it could be an indicator of a lip or tongue tie. If you are in that much pain you should seek out an IBCLC as soon as possible. 

Low weight gain. Poor weight gain is a sign something isn’t right. While most moms jump to the conclusion of low supply, a poor transfer can also be the issue. If your baby is not gaining weight well a visit with an IBCLC should be your first stop. http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-gain/

Remember, those first 6 – 12 weeks of breastfeeding can be exhausting. Babies go through a ton of growth spurts and it seems like just when you have things figured out, something else changes. It’s very normal for them to have a period of fussing at night, or a witching hour. It’s very normal for them to want to be held all the time and cry when put down. It’s perfectly normal for them to want to eat every 1 – 3 hours around the clock. It is exhausting, but all normal!http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/

Preparing to Breastfeed!

Congratulations, you're about to have a new baby! You plan to breastfeed, right? Piece of cake! It is what we were built to do! So no need to prepare, right? Wrong! Most of the cultural knowledge that women had about breastfeeding has been lost over the last 100 or so years, and many modern obstetricians and hospitals unintentionally (or intentionally?) set you up to fail at breastfeeding before your baby is even born! It's important that you prepare yourself and understand how to support this beautiful biological process from the beginning.

Step one: build your network!
-Talk to your family and friends and find out who has successfully breastfed. Get their tips and tricks. (Ignore the rest... You'll always find a nay-sayer in every bunch and you need positive influences right now. We will do another tip on how to deal with those negative nancies.)
-If you know where you plan to deliver, see if they have a LC on staff and if they have any support group meetings. (if not, you may want to reconsider delivering there...)
-find a local La LecheLeague meeting and attend! Pregnant moms are always welcome. www.llli.org
-find a local Breastfeeding USA chapter, and make contacts www.breastfeedinusa.org
-find a local IBCLC (internationally board certified lactation consultant) and meet with her one on one. http://www.ilca.org

Step two: educate yourself.
While most birth classes have a breastfeeding section, many are limited. Ask your network what course options are available and recommended, take it. Bring your spouse. Take notes. Ask questions...even the "stupid" ones.

Step three: write a detailed birth plan and make sure it includes clear direction on how to support your breastfeeding goals, along with your other birth instructions. Make sure you have multiple printed copies of this and that all of your support team (spouse, doula, OB, midwife, nurse, visiting friends, parents, janitor, etc) are familiar with it. Below are some suggestions of instructions that can set you up for success:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH
• Place my baby directly to my stomach/chest immediately after delivery, putting off ALL procedures that are not medically necessary for at least 1-2 hours.
• Mother directed breastfeeding please. If we need assistance, we will ask.

BABY CARE / BREAST FEEDING
• SKIN TO SKIN contact. I would prefer to hold the baby and use kangaroo care as opposed to using the warmer.
• If the baby is not in distress, we would like to start bonding immediately with baby by me or spouse immediately after birth. I request that the baby stay with me for at least two hours or as long as possible for bonding & nursing.
• We request the evaluation of the baby be done with the baby on my abdomen, with both of us covered by a warm blanket, unless there is an unusual situation.
• If the baby must be taken from me to receive medical treatment, my spouse will accompany the baby.
• I plan to breastfeed the baby and would like to begin nursing very shortly after birth (even in recovery room if c-section is required).
• Do not offer my baby the following without my consent:
o formula, pacifiers, any artificial nipples, sugar water, etc.
• If baby’s blood sugar is low, we will be self-expressing colostrum in lieu of sugar water

BABY'S HEALTH:
If my baby's health is in jeopardy, I would like:
• To be transported with my baby if possible, if I am unable to have father go with our baby
• to breastfeed or express my milk for my baby
• to have as much bodily contact with my baby as possible
• to be offered a room at the hospital for the duration of my baby's stay (within reason)

Written By Erin Bigalke