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PowerPointBreastfeeding Frequently Asked Questions
- Breastfeeding Home
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Breastfeeding - Family Support
- Frequently Asked Questions
- IHS Best Practice Breastfeeding Site Contacts:
Suzan Murphy
1-877-868-9473
(1-877-TOTWISE)
Jenny Chee, Chinle, Arizona
Brenda Cook, Anchorage, Alaska - Breastfeeding Listserv
- Breastfeeding Links
- Staff Resources
- Hurt, Pain
Will breastfeeding hurt? - Latch
How do I latch my baby? - Positions
There are different positions for breastfeeding - Hunger, feeding cues
How will I know when my baby is hungry? - Colostrum
What is my first milk like? - Supply
How do I know my baby is getting enough? - Afterbirth pains, cramping
When I breastfeed my newborn, I get cramps. What is happening? - Engorgement, pain, hurt
My breasts are full, hard, lumpy, painful and my baby can't latch. What is wrong? - Sore nipples, pain, hurt
I have sore nipples – what can I do? - Formula, pacifiers, supplementation
Is it okay to use formula and pacifiers in the beginning? - Frequency
Why does my baby want to eat ALL THE TIME?
Will breastfeeding hurt?
You may have tenderness at first, but with a good latch and positioning, you will be fine. Remember, the circle of breastfeeding has worked throughout time, as long as we have walked the earth. Ask for help if you have problems, great-great-great grandma would have.
How do I latch my baby?
A good latch and position helps prevent sore nipples and ensures that the baby is getting mother’s milk.
These are three steps to a good latch:
- Support the breast when needed. Support with thumb on top and four fingers underneath, making sure that all fingers are behind the areola (the darker skin around the nipple).
- Make sure baby’s mouth is wide open. You can tickle the baby’s lip with your nipple to help get the baby’s mouth open wide.
- Pull the baby in close and keep him close. He will take a large mouthful of the breast and be pulled in so close that both his chin and the tip of his nose are close or touching the breast. Don’t worry. Baby will not suffocate! Babies are made to be able to breathe while breastfeeding.
Signs of a good latch
- Baby is facing mother so that he does not have to turn his head.
- Baby has taken most of the areola in his mouth.
- Baby’s tongue is cupped beneath the mother’s breast.
- Once baby is latched on, his lips are flanged out and relaxed
- If you can't tell if the lower lip is out or if you feel the baby’s gums chomping on your nipple, press on the lower chin to gently nudge the mouth open and lower lip out.
Picture courtesy of LaLeche League
Positioning
There are different positions for breastfeeding. You don’t have be a super star with each one. Pick the one that is works the best for you. It helps to:
- Use positions that are comfortable.
- Made sure the baby's face, belly button and knees are next to your body - tummy to tummy.
- Keep your baby snug and close to your body – your baby likes the closeness.
- Listen to your body, you need to be comfortable too.
- Use pillows, rolled-up towels, or blankets to keep your back/arms/shoulders from getting tired.
- Soon it will be easy.
Use the positions that are most comfortable for you. Any position is fine as long as:
- Your baby is close to you “Tummy to Tummy”
- Your baby’s face and knees face and touch your body
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Side-lying is great for resting |
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Front hold – the most commonly used position. Just remember to keep your baby close. |
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Position pictures are courtesy of the Tohono O’odham Department of Human Services, Community Health Services Branch and Priscilla Lopez
How will I know when my baby is hungry?
Newborn feeding cues are easy to miss – watch for:
- Baby’s eyes moving under the eyelids
- Smacking mouth noises, tongue motions
- Hand or finger sucking
- Rooting motions (mouth open, seeking movement)
- When in doubt, offer the breast. Don’t wait until the baby is fussing - it’s harder to latch on.
What is my first milk like?
Mother's milk changes as the baby grows - the first milk is called “colostrum:”
- Rich, yellowish and thick clear, thick, and in small amounts – about 1 teaspoon per feeding .
- You might not see it, but it is there and has what the baby needs.
- Don’t worry if you don’t leak - many moms don’t leak, especially in the first couple days.
How do I know my baby is getting enough?
- Trust yourself to do what our women have always done.
- In the first few days, expect the baby to eat often and have several diaper changes.
- Newborn stools are called meconium. They are dark, shiny and sticky.
- Between 2-5 days, your milk increases and becomes white or “mature” milk. There will be more and more diaper changes.
- Your baby’s stool will become runny, yellowish, and may have little white “seeds.”
- By the end of the first week, 5-6 diaper changes and 8-12 feedings in 24 hours will tell you that your baby is getting enough.
The following chart shows the minimum number of diapers for healthy full-term babies. It is okay if your baby has more.
| Baby’s Age | Wet Diapers | Dirty Diaper Color & Description |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (birth) | 1 | Thick, tarry, sticky, black |
| Day 2 | 2 | Thick, tarry, sticky, black |
| Day 3 | 3 | Greenish yellow |
| Day 4 (or when milk increases or “comes in”) | 5-6 | Greenish yellow |
| Day 5 | 5-6 | Seedy, watery mustard color |
| Day 6 | 5-6 | Seedy, watery mustard color |
| Day 7 | 5-6 | Seedy, watery mustard color |
When I breastfeed my newborn, I get cramps. What is happening?
- Breastfeeding tells your body to make a hormone called oxytocin. It is a natural part of the breastmilk production cycle. Oxytocin is what makes your uterus contract, reduces your risk of hemorrhage, and shortens the time that you bleed after you baby is born.
- Cramping means less bleeding and a flatter stomach, sooner, another benefit of breastfeeding for the mom. Cramping also usually means the breastfeeding cycle is working.
- Mild contractions or cramps while breastfeeding are normal after birth. The discomfort will gradually go away by the first week. If the cramping or bleeding is excessive, ask your provider for assistance.
My breasts are full, hard, lumpy, painful and my baby can't latch. What is wrong?
- Between 2-5 days after your baby is born, your mature, white, breast milk comes in. Your breasts will swell. If there is a lot of swelling, it is called engorgement. It might be temporarily hard for your baby to latch.
- Engorgement is a normal reaction.
- This swelling can happen even if the mom is not breastfeeding.
- The tender fullness will go away in 1-2 days.
To prevent engorgement -
- Nurse your baby as often as possible in the first few days, at least 8 - 12 feedings every 24 hours.
- Let your baby nurse at the breast until he is ready to stop.
- Offer both breasts at each feeding, even if your baby only takes one side.
- If your baby is sleepy, keep him close by and watch for cues that he is hungry and ready to eat. Avoid going longer than 3 hours between feedings in the first week.
Treating engorgement -
- This is not a good time to quit breastfeeding. The key to relief is removing the milk, so keep
breastfeeding your baby. It will get better in 1-2 days.
- Try compresses on your breasts.
- Use heat before feeding, to get the milk flowing.
- Use cold after feeding, to reduce swelling.
- Before feeding, try to gently express a little milk by pressing on the nipple. It will soften the nipple area, so the baby can latch.
- Try a warm shower - it will feel good on full breasts.
- Some moms use green cabbage leaves for engorgement. Try putting the leaves right on the breast like a cool compress. Replace when they get warm.
- Remember: engorgement will calm down within 1 -2 days.
I have sore nipples – what can I do?
Once you are sure the latch and position are okay, try these tips:
- Know that sore nipples don’t last long. New moms heal quickly.
- Be sure baby begins the feeding latched and positioned correctly - and continues to stay latched and close to you during the whole feeding. Re- latch if you need to.
- If the pain does not go away soon after the baby starts feeding, try gentle pressure on the baby’s chin through a couple suck cycles. Nudging the chin down will open the baby’s mouth and get the lower lip and tongue in better position.
- Try a different position with each feeding.
- Start feeding on the least sore side first.
- Break the suction with your finger when removing the baby from your breast.
- Express a small amount of breast milk or colostrum onto the nipple and allow it to air-dry.
- Don't tug if clothing or pads stick to your nipples. Wet clothing or pads before gently peeling them off.
- Don’t use soap or alcohol on the nipples.
- If your nipples are cracked or bleeding, rub a small amount of lanolin on the nipples (don't use lanolin if you are allergic to wool). The blood will not hurt the baby.
- If soreness or worry keeps you from nursing, call a breastfeeding hotline, WIC or lactation consultant.
- If soreness starts after the first 2 weeks, check with your provider – It could be thrush, and both you and the baby will need to be treated.
FORMULA, PACIFIERS, SUPPLEMENTATION
Is it okay to use formula and pacifiers in the beginning?
No, it is best not to use bottles and pacifiers in the first 4-6 weeks - if you use them, be careful.
- Studies suggest that regularly using formula and pacifiers can interrupt the “learning to suck” process for your baby.
- Also, studies show that formula and water may interrupt supply and demand - the less the baby nurses, the less milk mom's body will make.
- Sometimes babies get used to the easier way to suck from plastic nipples/bottles/pacifiers and will refuse to latch. Nipple preference/confusion can be fixed with patience and persistence - but it is easier to avoid formula/pacifiers/plastic nipples in the first 4-6 weeks.
- Usually the baby does not need to eat anything but breastmilk for the first 6 months.
Why does my baby want to eat ALL THE TIME?
- In the first 2-6 weeks, eating every 2-3 hours is common - your baby stomach is small and breast milk is easily digested.
- Sometimes babies will eat every ½ to 1 hour for several hours and then sleep for 3-4 hours.
- If your baby is eating more often, it is probably a growth spurt. Frequent feedings tell the mother’s body to make more milk. It is supply and demand, and the more the baby nurses, the more milk your body produces for the next day.
It won't be like this forever – as the baby grows, the feedings spread out and take less time. Your breasts will get used to the milk being there, the fullness will calm down – don’t worry, the milk is still there.
