Or if your nipples are cracked. Your nurse or healthcare provider may recommend a lactation consultant. This is someone who specializes in breastfeeding. You will have a lot more milk 3 or 4 days after birth. When the amount of milk increases, the milk is said to have come in. Your baby is drinking more at each feeding. So he or she may drift off to sleep after a feeding and act more satisfied. Within 12 to 24 hours, you should be changing a lot more wet diapers. The number of dirty diapers also increases.
And the stools should be changing. The baby's first bowel movements meconium are sticky and dark. They will become a mustard-yellow, loose, and seedy stool. Weight gain should also pick up within 24 hours of this increase in milk production. You may notice that your breasts feel fuller, heavier, or warmer when your milk comes in.
The most important thing to do when your milk first comes in is to feed your baby frequently. This empties your breasts often and completely. Your breasts may become overfilled with milk engorged. This makes them swollen and painful. Your baby may have trouble latching on if your breasts are engorged.
Feeding frequently and on demand will help prevent this. But if it happens:. Express some milk. This means squeezing a small amount out of your breasts. And then letting your baby latch on. A warm shower or warm compresses right before or during expressing may help. Breastfeed or express milk by hand or breast pump often every 1 to 2 hours.
Your breasts should feel noticeably softer after breastfeeding or pumping. If the pain is severe, you may put an ice pack on your breasts.
Keep it on your breasts for 15 to 20 minutes after nursing or pumping. To make an ice pack, put ice cubes in a plastic bag that seals at the top. Wrap the bag in a clean, thin towel or cloth. Never put ice or an ice pack directly on your skin. Your baby will get better at breastfeeding as the first month progresses.
Expect to feed your baby about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Let your baby tell you when he or she is finished eating. When the baby self-detaches from the nipple, you can offer the other breast. After your baby finishes on one side, try burping before switching breasts.
Sometimes, the movement alone can be enough to cause a baby to burp. If your baby spits up a lot, try burping more often. While it's normal for infants to "spit up" a small amount after eating or during burping, a baby should not vomit after feeding.
If your baby throws up all or most of a feeding, there could be a problem that needs medical care. If you're worried that your baby is spitting up too much, call your doctor. When babies go through a period of rapid growth called a growth spurt , they want to eat more than usual.
These can happen at any time. But in the early months, growth spurts often happen when a baby is:. During these times and whenever your baby seems extra hungry, follow your little one's hunger cues. You may need to breastfeed more often for a while. That's a personal choice. Experts recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively without formula, water, juice, non—breast milk, or food for the first 6 months.
Then, breastfeeding can continue until 12 months and beyond if it's working for you and your baby. Breastfeeding has many benefits for mom and baby both. Studies show that breastfeeding can lessen a baby's chances of diarrhea , ear infections , and bacterial meningitis , or make symptoms less severe. Breastfeeding also may protect children from sudden infant death syndrome SIDS , diabetes , obesity , and asthma.
Your hospital will likely teach you the basic cradle hold. But with some trial-and-error, you might find another breastfeeding position works better for you and your baby. Here's the lowdown on all the basic breastfeeding positions:. Many new nursing mothers worry at some point that baby isn't eating enough. Nervous about getting started?
These tips can help give you more confidence and ensure you and baby get the most out of the experience:. Looking for breastfeeding support ahead of time? Or want help getting over a glitch? There are many breastfeeding problems experts and experienced peers can help you solve , from a poor latch to mastitis, breast engorgement and more. Here are some reliable resources you can call on:.
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