While nursing is the natural way to feed your baby–it doesn’t necessarily come naturally. Unfortunately, many hospital nurses are simply uninformed regarding breastfeeding and are not necessarily helpful. Sometimes, even the hospital routines sabotage your efforts in breastfeeding by insisting on rigid schedules or by giving your baby one or two bottles of water or formula. Hopefully, this is not the case for you. If it is, it could make breastfeeding more difficult–but rest assured most babies instinctively want to breastfeed and most babies will get it–eventually!
How Long to Nurse?
When I was in the hospital with my first two babies, I was told to nurse them for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Then with my third, I was told to nurse her for about 10 minutes on each side. Both are wrong!
The problem with the advice is that it doesn’t take into account that different babies suck differently! For that matter, different mothers respond differently to their babies. While one baby may take a minute or so to get milk out, another may leisurely take a full ten minutes to milk to flow. The better piece of advice instead is to breastfeed on one side as long as your baby wants. Your baby may likely fall asleep at the breast and that is fine. The point is to let your baby nurse as long as he wants. If he falls asleep, you can pull him off using your finger to detach his latch. (Note: NEVER pull a baby directly off your breast without using your finger to break the suction first.) If the baby doesn’t suck at both breasts during one feeding that is absolutely fine. You would just start him nursing on the other breast the next time.
Keep in mind that newborns will likely feed every two hours. This does not mean that if you fed him at 10, don’t feed him until 12. This does mean that as often as your baby will suckle, which is likely to be about every two hours, go ahead and let him suckle. This frequent nursing schedule only helps you to establish a milk supply to meet his demands.
One Side or Two?
I know I just said it was fine for your baby to take only one breast. On the other hand, if you can get him to nurse on both sides, do it. It is always a good idea to offer both breasts in the beginning because it stimulates milk production and keeps the breasts from becoming over full.
Alternate which breast you start with at each feeding. If you started with the right side first this time, offer it last next time. Doing this help ensures that your body begins to produce milk in tune with your baby’s needs as opposed to too much milk or too little.
Breastfeeding is the best food possible for your baby. If it goes well, it is a lot easier than bottle feeding–no dishes, no formula, nothing extra to take with you. If it isn’t going well, I highly recommend that you seek out a lactation consultant who can help you identify problems and correct them thus avoiding sore breasts, slow weight gain and a whole slew of other problems.
Related Articles:
Help! I Don’t Have Enough Milk
Get Breastfeeding Off to a Good Start
Breastfeeding Early Promotes Health