Breastfeeding Basics You Are Everything Your Baby Needs

Deciding to provide breast milk to your baby is a wonderful gift. It can also seem scary. Breastfeeding is hard work, but preparing well can help you succeed. Look over the information below while you are pregnant to be ready when baby comes. Breastfeeding length: It is best if you feed your baby only breast milk for the first six months of their life. After they are six months old, you can begin offering them foods to try along with feeding them your breast milk. Breastfeeding for the first six months makes sure that both you and your baby get the most health benefits. Making enough milk: Your breasts make milk when baby empties them. Make sure that you are feeding your baby every 2-3 hours or more so that your breasts empty often. Most newborns want to nurse every hour when they are young. They will drink very little milk, but want it often. Feeding them every time they are hungry will tell your body to increase your supply of milk so that you have plenty when baby needs it. Away from baby: When you aren’t with your baby, you will usually need to empty your breasts so that your body makes more milk. This is called expression. Saving this expressed milk will let you feed it to baby later so that they don’t miss out on your milk. If you know you are going to be away from baby, you can express extra milk and have someone give it to baby while you are gone. Make sure that while you are away you express your milk often to make sure your body keeps making enough milk for baby. You will need to express as often as you would breastfeed your baby. Your home visitor will be able to tell you more about expressing your milk. Breastfeeding your baby can feel like a scary task. It is natural, but it’s also very hard. You will need to practice at it to feel comfortable, just like you practiced learning to walk when you were young. There were times when you fell down and needed help, and times when you weren’t sure you could do it. Now walking feels easy. With patience and lots of help, you can give your baby everything they need to be healthy and happy.

© 2019, Penny Stricklin, CLC, Confident Breastfeeding Many women have never known another woman who breastfed, and may not have ever seen someone breastfeeding. Even if your client thinks they want to try it, they may not g know where to start. If they have questions, explain to them how milk supply works. You n i may want to revisit the benefits of breastfeeding to remind them why breastfeeding is worth d it. e

e Public health recommendations: The World Health Organization¹ recommends f

t that babies exclusively receive breast milk until they are six months old, when they can

s begin solids. Children should continue to breastfeed along with eating solids until they are

a one year or older.

e Provider Resource r Supply and demand: Breast milk production is a positive feedback cycle; the more

B milk the mother removes from her breast, the more milk her body will make. If the baby

f begins to receive supplementary milk, they will not remove as much milk from the breast and the mother’s milk production will decrease. Go over how to tell if baby is getting enough o

milk with your client before she gives birth. s c

i Milk expression: To maintain supply when she is away from baby, the mother

s needs to remove the same amount of milk from her breasts as her baby would. Ideally, she will save this milk and have a caretaker give it to her baby when she is away next. If the a mother is not comfortable storing milk or doesn’t have the resources (specialized milk B collection bags and a reliable freezer), she should still remove the milk from her breasts. It can then be dumped down a sink or toilet. Breast milk does not need to be treated as a bio- hazard like other bodily fluids. Under the current health care laws, insurance is required to provide a breast pump with each pregnancy for rental or to keep².

Reassurance and encouragement: Remind the mother that breast milk is a gift that will benefit her baby for the rest of their life. Reinforce that breastfeeding is challenging and that she has help. Go over a breastfeeding plan with her to help her feel more prepared. Most importantly, encourage her to try and remind her that you believe she can do it.

References: 1. World Health Organization Breastfeeding Recommendation: https://www.who.int/ nutrition/topics/exclusive_breastfeeding/en/ 2. Affordable Care Act Breastfeeding Benefits: https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/ breast-feeding-benefits/