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Feed with Love and Respect

From APIofPeoriaWiki

The ideal

Breastfeeding meets baby's need for optimum nutrition and physical contact.
Breastfeeding has many benefits to the baby, mother, and society and is the most natural way to meet so many of your baby's physical needs. While breastfeeding is the ideal way to feed a baby, parents who are not breastfeeding can still practice Attachment Parenting. We encourage parents who bottle-feed to use "breastfeeding" behaviors. In other words, hold your baby when feeding, talk to your baby and change positions during the feeding. Avoid the temptation to prop the baby's bottle since your baby will greatly benefit from your touch and holding.

Advantages to mother and family:

  1. Saves money - enough in one year to buy a major appliance
  2. Saves time - no formula to prepare or bottles to wash
  3. Convenient for home or travel
  4. Triggers mothering hormones that promote attachment behaviors and calms mother
  5. Helps mother can get more rest
  6. Helps protect mother against breast cancer

Advantages to baby:

  1. Biologically designed for the human infant, contains needed nutrients in the proper amounts, digests easily
  2. Gives immunity to certain diseases and viruses
  3. Protects against some cancers, according to the newest research
  4. Keeps baby close to mother and provides comfort
  5. Helps strengthen jaws, eyes and formation of teeth
  6. Less likely to develop allergies

Avoid clock/calendar parenting. Follow your baby's cues rather than the clock or calendar.

Weaning is a mutual process determined by the readiness of the baby and mother ("Cooperative weaning"). The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) code recommends breastfeeding until at least two years of age or beyond.

If bottlefeeding, use breastfeeding behaviors:

  1. Hold your infant when feeding, never prop the bottle
  2. Make good eye contact at those times when your baby is alert and interested
  3. Switch positions from one side to another; this helps strengthen the baby's eyes
  4. Talk lovingly to your baby at feeding times

Contents

Feed with Love and Respect

Information

The Normal Course of Breastfeeding: Normal behavior, Nursing in Public, Fertility, FAQs

Infant Stomach Capacity

Infant stomach capacity, to give you an idea...

A 1 day old baby's stomach capacity is about 5-7 ml, or about the size of a marble. Interestingly, researchers have found that the day-old newborn's stomach does not stretch to hold more. Since the walls of the newborn'sstomach stays firm, extra milk is most often expelled (spit up). Your colostrum is just the right amount for your baby's first feedings!

By day 3, the newborn's stomach capacity has grown to ‎about 0.75-1 oz, or about the size of a "shooter" marble. Small, frequent feedings assure that your baby takes in all the milk he needs.

Around day 7, the newborn's stomach capacity is now about 1.5-2 oz, or about the size of a ping-pong ball. Continued frequent feeding will assure that your baby takes in all the milk he needs, and your milk production meets his demands.

Jaundice

Information on jaundice:

Breastfeeding Rates and Statistics

-More common are the families who desperately wanted to breastfeed but didn't have the right support or information to help them through their particular obstacle. I make a point of reminding myself that society is to blame for making not breastfeeding "normal" behavior. In some countries(which I like to refer to as "Lactopia," the Netherlands comes to mind), breastfeeding rates are 99%. The 1% that doesn't likely didn't make a choice, per se; they were dealt circumstances.

I sooo wish this was true, it isn't The Netherlands that has this high numbers, but Norway. Although the statistics are improving we still have one of the lower numbers in Europa. Also thanks to Numico/Nutricia and Frisia (two Dutch Nestlé like companies that go against WHO code all the time).

There are huge difference between European countries, here are some graphics:

Breastfeeding in European Countries shows percentage of baby's that are breastfed at 6 months (partly and fully) Sweden is at the top here. Norway is not in this graph. Netherland is near the bottom...

Here's the stats for The Netherlands:

Breastfeeding in the Netherlands (the purple bar is breastfed at day 1, the red at 1 month ("mnd") etc, below is statistics in Europe at 4 months. It's improving though!

I didn't find a graph of Norway, only text, at day 1 99% is breastfed, 92% at 3 months, 80 at 6 mnths, 65 at 9 mnths, 40% at 1 yr, 16 months: 17%. In The Netherlands in 2002, 77% at day 1, 21% at 3 months ( this includes partly breastfeeding), 12% at 6 months. No known numbers at 9 months and further probably too low....) Anno 2005: 80% at day 1, 25% at 6 months. Source:[1]

So still a long way to go for Lactopia ;)

Scheduling Feedings

Kellymom's The Normal Course of Breastfeeding

Getting Started: Preparing to Breastfeed, The Early Days, Latch & Positioning

Kellymom's Getting Started Breastfeeding

Nursing your Premature Infant

Kellymom's Breastfeeding Your Premature Infant

Nursing Twins

Supply Issues with Twins

--Be sure you are getting adequate water. 2 to 3 liters per day! It makes a big difference. I have two one liter bottles that I keep and fill each morning. I work to empty one before lunch and one after. I do have a cup of coffee in the morning, otherwise I drink only water during the day. It really makes a big, big difference. Another thing that helps me increase my supply is to get up in the middle of the night and pump. If I do this once or twice a night, my supply really increases within a few days. Make sure you are getting some sort of nipple stimulation, either from nursing or from pumping at least 8-10 times per day, for at least 20 minutes per time. I know that sounds like a lot, but that is what I did and I have a great supply. Doing the extra work now while you are establishing your supply levels will pay off with big benefits later!

I suspect that you have a good supply and that your twins are getting quite a bit, but that there isn't much left in your breasts after you nurse them. There is a way to nurse both at the same time in a double cross-cradle position. You need help with getting the second baby to latch, but nursing both at the same time will make a big difference in how much time it takes.

If you are still concerned that they may not be getting enough, you can rent those nice, accurate Medela scales and weigh each twin before and after nursing to determine how much they are drinking. Otherwise, the poopy/wet diaper count should give you a good idea of where you are.

Nursing an Older Infant: Common Concerns, Vitamins and Starting Solids

Vitamins

Breastfeeding and Dental Caries

Introducing Solids

Kellymom's Nursing Your Older Infant
Solid Food Introduction by Randall Neustaedter OMD


Nursing After the First Year: Why nurse past a year? Common Concerns, Parenting Your Nursing Toddler

Common Concerns with a Toddler

Q:My 18 month old has starting switching from one boob to the other after only a few minutes of nursing on each side. Sometimes she'll switch as many as 10 times in a session. Not only that, but she twiddles the other nipple while she nurses. What should I do about this?

A:My son did this at around the same age. A LLL leader told me at the time that he was probably trying to increase my supply. Sometimes he would bounce back and forth five or six times in a minute! She called it "super-switching." It made me feel better to know there was a name for it, so it couldn't be THAT uncommon. I was able to continue lying on the same side during this, and it didn't bother me hugely. It was just a phase, but unfortunately I can't remember how long it lasted. Toddlers sure are impatient!

My second son will sometimes nurse on each side a few times before falling asleep, but he doesn't switch back and forth so quickly. I think sometimes he just wants the stronger letdown he'll get on the breast he hasn't been at for a few minutes.

I would advise you to stay well-hydrated and well-nourished so that your supply can stay up.

A:First of all, yes, what the baby is doing is either trying to increase the supply by switching sides OR the baby enjoys the let down and can more easily get more let downs by switching sides.

Secondly, yes, twiddling has been shown to speed up the let down as it is nipple stimulation causing oxytocin and hence more let downs. Babies like this, as they get more milk. They learn this technique pretty easily - and it seems to be instinctual. That being said ... many moms don't like being twiddled and this it totally okay and not REQUIRED to make more milk. Many moms find that substituting something else to satisfy this instinctual behavior works well. For example, moms use necklaces (nursing necklaces) or hair twirling, or holding another object (blanket or doll or something else). Kellymom's Nursing After the First Year

Nursing During Pregnancy & Tandem Nursing

Kellymom's Nursing During Pregnancy and Tandem Nursing

Weaning

How do I talk to other moms about weaning and "early weaning?"

This can be a difficult subject. You'll probably find that, after discussion, the baby was probably on a nursing strike for some reason, or other actions taken by mom or caregivers probably initiated caregiver-led weaning, but many moms can't (or don't or won't) see it that way.

We can all get defensive about our parenting decisions (especially when we *know* WE are right...) When I am having a discussion like this, depending on the closeness I have with the person, and the feel of the conversation (is she feeling she is defending herself, or is it an open learning discussion, etc), I try to keep it in very, very general terms, and I nearly always go back to the basics. Maybe giving a scenario about how things might have played out in a world pre-bottle, or relate to other 'mammals'. Infant mammals just don't wean until they are physically capable of sustaining themselves on other food. They just don't. They'd die otherwise! There is no mom cat forcing their kitten to take solids early, scheduling feedings harshly or having an alternative caregiver give expressed cat milk to their kitten...So, when a kitten has some teeth, and mom's natural instincts and kitten's natural instincts take over, kitten starts working on other foods and mom-cat starts reducing access to nursing. Gradually. Naturally. Instinctively.

Also, if this is a work-outside-the-home mom, she may not want to feel like or acknowledge that actions SHE took contributed to the early weaning, if she really DID want to nurse longer. I mean, it's not easy to work full time outside the home and keep nursing your baby (not that it's easy to stay HOME and nurse a baby most days, either!) It's just easier to say sometimes 'my baby weaned at 9 months'. When really, it's probably more accurate to say 'inadvertent actions on my part contributed to the early cessation of breastfeeding, despite my desire to continue.'

Sometimes a mom just doesn't have a choice but to do things that undermine the breastfeeding relationship. A mom that works outside the home 40 hrs (or more) a week doesn't have the luxury of just not giving a bottle. And some babies are more forgiving than others about it. Milk supply/pumping issues also contribute. If supply is dwindling, and baby knows they can hold out for a bottle, some babies choose to hold out. And, of course, there's always the mom that just doesn't really want to continue to breastfeed, and when talking to a die-hard lactivist, it's easier to say 'my baby weaned' rather than 'I was just done'. KWIM?

Anyway, I know you already know all this, and of course, Kellymom.com is a great resource. If you are in a good position to help the learning process on this topic, great. If either of you feel like you just have to be RIGHT or are just defending ourselves, might just be easier to say 'awww, that's too bad! If there's a next time, a lactation consultant can get many moms through this, if you are interested'. Save your vigor for a mom you can help.

Kellymom's Weaning

Got Milk? Milk supply & let-down issues

Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation

Milk contains a small whey protein called Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL) – the role of FIL appears to be to slow milk synthesis when the breast is full. Thus milk production *slows* when milk accumulates in the breast (and more FIL is present), and *speeds up* when the breast is emptier (and less FIL is present)." Quote courtesy of Kellymom.com

So... this is the science behind what I was telling our pumping moms last week and the week before. MORE pumping/feeding = more milk, so rather than waiting until your breasts feel full (which menas more FIL, which is the sign to SLOW DOWN milk production), try to consistently pump BEFORE your breasts feel full.

Increasing supply

Supply Issues in the Evening

Supplementing

Supplementing the Breastfed Baby with Formula

I wanted to share a little information with you about supplementing with formula. You may already know all of this, and if you do, just ignore me. If not, maybe some of it will help.

Many times newborns will act as if they are not getting enough breastmilk, which leads mommas to supplement, just as you are doing. However, very rarely is momma not able to produce enough milk to sustain her baby. It is more likely that the fussing and discomfort that moms read as hunger is stemming from a different source. Some of the culprits: needs to burp; growth spurt (common at 3 months); gas; changing nursing pattern. There are countless reasons why Liam may be indicating something to you when he's done nursing that have nothing to do with a low supply on your part. If he is gaining weight steadily, having plenty of wet and poopy diapers, and meeting milestones, then he's getting enough milk.

It concerns me when breastfeeding mothers begin supplementing with formula, because that can lead to a real decrease in milk supply. Every ounce of formula given to that baby is one less ounce of milk your body is being told to make. In these early months, it is imperative to nurse as often as possible to ensure that your body has received all the cues it can to continue making milk until YOU make the conscious decision to stop breastfeeding (whether that is mom-led or child-led weaning). There are scientific reasons for all of this. Studies have shown that the more nipple stimulation you have in the first months of a breastfeeding relationship, the longer you will be able to breastfeed. When you give birth, your body is flooded with a hormone called prolactin. This is what tells your body to make milk. Without a minimum level of prolactin, you can't produce milk. Every time you latch your baby on to your breast, that tells your body that you still need to make prolactin. As you approach 6 months post-partum, the amount of prolactin your body releases levels off just a little above the minimum needed to continue lactating. If you haven't had enough nipple stimulation before this, your supply can begin to diminish and eventually disappear.

If you really and truly believe that you have a low milk supply, there are steps you can take to increase your supply so that you no longer have to rely on formula to satisfy your son's caloric needs. Here is a fantastic website with loads of information about low supply (and all other topics related to breastfeeding). http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

I hope some of this information helps you along on your breastfeeding journey. I cherish the time I have with my son as he's nursing. I know that our time is almost over, which makes it all the more precious!

Kellymom's Supply and Letdown Issues

Common Breastfeeding Concerns: Breast/nipple problems, Fussing at breast, Nursing, Weight Gain, strikes & more

Mastitis

Treating Mastitis

Q: I've had mastitis three times, and I believe I am working on my fourth time, since my DS was born 5 1/2 months ago. I have been on antibiotics all three times and I was wondering if anyone had some advice on what else I can do to prevent it. I just finished antibiotics this past Monday and I'm not sure if it did not get completely cleared up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A: Have her think of her general health. In the past, when not a bfing mom, what body part would get symptoms when she was run down? How does that body part feel? Recurrent mastitis is seen in moms who sleep/rest too little. Hydration could be a factor also.

If it is a super-hard-to-kill germ…culturing doesn’t really help to identify it, because the milk is ‘contaminated’ by the skin once expressed. Maybe a different antibiotic? This is likely the case.

It is entirely possible that her breasts (if we could see inside) have ducts that are twisty and don’t flow well---so just as you learned how you have to manage lactation specific to your body, she will need to also, for thorough drainage.

Breastfeeding after Implants

A friend of mine is prego and has implants for a couple of years. She said she is pretty sure she can not bf with them?? Does anyone know anything about this, there seem to be mixed reviews online.

LLL FAQ

Kellymom Common Concerns Kellymom's Common Breastfeeding Problems
Kellymom's Baby Weight Gain Concerns

Is this Safe when Breastfeeding? Medications, Illness & medical procedures, Chemicals, Lifestyle & more

Kellymom's Is this Safe when Breastfeeding
Kellymom's Herbs and Breastfeeding

Handling criticism about breastfeeding

Kellymom's Handling Criticism about Breastfeeding


Relactation

Kellymom's Relactation


Pumping, Bottle Feeding: Milk storage, Feeding methods, Milk expression, Working

Milk pumping and storage for working out of the home
Getting baby to take a bottle

General Tips for Successful Expression of Breastmilk

  1. Drink lots of water.
  2. Rest.
  3. Pump until a second let down.
  4. Pump for 5 minutes after the flow of milk stops.
  5. Squeeze feeding and pumping sessions closer and closer together.
  6. Do not give the baby a bottle. If you can get to the baby, give the baby the breast.
  7. If baby is sleeping long stretches at night, then get up and pump. Sneak in another pumping session in the wee hours of the morning like at 4 am. Moms find they get a lot of milk at that early morning session. You might even consider waking the baby before you go to bed to nurse one more time (a dream feed - baby half asleep).
  8. Do not give the baby a pacifier. If baby needs to comfort suck, let it be on the breast.
  9. Find a relaxing environment to pump.
  10. Dim the lights.
  11. Wear a sweater (so you don't get breezes on your exposed skin, mostly your stomach).
  12. Wear headphones with soothing music.
  13. Sniff a piece of baby's laundry carry a onesie in your pump bag.
  14. Do some relaxation breathing.
  15. Massage the breasts to make sure the milk ducts empty completely.
  16. Try your hardest to clear your mind while you are pumping.
  17. Some mothers find that eating is oatmeal helpful.
  18. Some mothers take fenugreek or mother's milk tea.
  19. Don't be concerned about the amount you are pumping at the beginning. Just keep pumping to give your breasts the stimulation. It is no indication of the amount that the baby is getting.
  20. Rotate the pump cones around the breast to get different pressure on different parts of the breasts.
  21. A warm cloth laid on top the breasts during pumping helps letdown.
  22. To avoid nipple confusion, babies can be fed breast milk by syringe or spoon or even cup at an early age (earlier than I thought!).

Pumping Schedules

--Well... how do you feel about tanking her up before you go to bed? If you get a feeding in around 10:30 or 11, then pump around 4, maybe... you'll have to experiment. Many moms find they can get much more milk at that early morning time... don't know if it’s because we are half asleep, or if we are relaxed or what...

Actually, small babies sleeping all night is really hard on work outside the home moms that have to pump. Think about it... 2/3 of your day is spent without your baby stimulating your breasts. You are either using the pump, or she's sleeping. So, getting in a feeding or two overnight, and a pump session early in the AM can do wonders for stimulating your breasts.

Pumping Session Length

How long to pump?
Q:I have a Medela Lactina Electric Express pump. I get anywhere from 3- 5 oz. when I pump, closer to 3 oz. Is this enough? How long should I be pumping?

A:This is GREAT!! Are you pumping for a long enough time to get a second let down? And are you pumping for 5 or more minutes AFTER the flow of milk stops? The more you let that pump work on your body, the more your breasts get the signal to MAKE MORE MILK, so always let that pump do it's thing for as long as you can. If you can squeeze your pump times closer together and work one more in, that can help. I know, easier said than done. You DO have a job to do... right? Sneak in extra pump sessions on the weekends and don't give your baby a bottle when you are with her. Can you go feed her over your lunch break? Can the sitter bring her to you to nurse over lunch?

My rule is if I can get to her, she's getting the breast, no bottle. I knew I'd have enough work keeping up with her just from her time on bottles while I was at work. I wasn't going to add more to that by giving her bottles at home. If you DO decide to give her bottles when you could nurse her, you need to be on that pump for at LEAST as long as she is on the bottle. Your breasts need to know to keep up on that milk!!

Introducing Bottles to the Breastfed Baby

Kellymom's Bottle Feeding Resources
Bottle-Feeding as a Tool to Reinforce Breastfeeding by Dee Kassing

--It is totally fine for baby to wait for you if you don't have to leave her for extended periods of time! And since, you will be returning to work when she is 6 months old, you may not even need to use a bottle... find a sippy cup that she likes or she can receive milk from a regular cup, medicine dropper or even a spoon. Some babies, even if their moms return to work when they are younger, do what is called reverse cycling, where they will consume the majority of their calories during the time they are with mom, and wait it out for her when she's not...even if that mom is working an 8 hour day. My son did this, and NEVER took a bottle, even though I had to return to work when he was 10 weeks old. He just played with the bottles or sippy cups offered to him during the day and really made up for it in the evening (and ALL through the night, which was fine with me... it didn't last forever!) So, maybe continue to offer, but don't stress *too* much if she never takes the bottle. Dad can experiment with spoons, cups, droppers, different bottles, etc as she gets a little bigger. And, she will not starve. She won't. I promise.  :)

Sending Bottles to Daycare

--Holy moley! That is SO much milk... Well, babies vary widely, but here's an excerpt from www.Kellymom.com (a terrific breastfeeding resource, if you haven't found it already): 

"How much milk do babies need?

Many mothers wonder how much expressed breastmilk they need to have available if they are away from baby. In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months (though it likely increases short term during growth spurts). Current breastfeeding research does *not* indicate that breastmilk intake changes with baby's age or weight between one and six months. After six months, breastmilk intake will continue at this same level until -- sometime after six months, depending in baby's intake from other foods -- baby's milk intake begins to decrease gradually. The research tells us that exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. Different babies take in different amounts of milk; a typical range of milk intakes is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day)."

So although it sounds like you trust your sitter to know whether she is hungry or not, maybe you can show her this and talk about ways to cut back a little (like maybe to 16 or 15 oz). You can see from this info that your baby girl is taking nearly all her intake of milk in the time you are away from her. I'd work hard at shifting this, if you really want to keep up with her... It might mean that she is attached to you from the time you get home until she goes to bed, but it won't last forever. I promise!! I really think more frequent feedings at home and hyper-attentiveness to hunger at the sitter will help you out loads.

Pacifiers and Working Moms

pacifier without it causing nipple confusion? Last night I ended up using a pacifier and then today he did not seem to latch on as well so I was paranoid the pacifier caused the confusion.

--I think the typical advice about pacifiers and breastfeeding is that you should wait to introduce anything that isn't your nipple until the breastfeeding relationship is very well established. This typically takes 6-8 weeks or so. There are several reasons for this, including nipple confusion. Another big reason to wait is that your milk supply is still being established, and any time you put something besides your nipple in your son's mouth, that is milk that your body isn't being told to make. At this point, you want your body to make as much milk as your baby needs, but the only way your body knows how much he needs is if he is allowed to nurse on demand--whenever he gives you cues that he wants/needs to suck. It isn't uncommon for newborns to spend quite a bit of time at the breast until the milk supply is well established and they become more efficient at nursing.

--I would highly recommend letting baby suck as much as he wants. There is scientific proof that the longevity of your milk supply is specifically tied to how much stimulation your breasts receive in the first months of breastfeeding. So, even if he is just wanting to suck for comfort, that's OK! There's no reason you have to limit his time at the breast. Now, I know in real life, sometimes you have to do things that don't involve having a baby stuck to your breast, but these first weeks are vital.

Now, some moms will probably post and say they introduced a paci at a very young age and their child nursed fine. And others will say the opposite. Each baby is different, and I think your baby is telling you that right now is too early. It is also very important that you establish your milk supply well before introducing artificial nipples, because you need to make sure baby is getting good mommy milk into him, and it is very easy to rely on the paci. Baby needs to gain weight, and if he is meeting his sucking needs with the pacifier, he won't be getting the milk he needs. Does your baby take a pacifier? She could have a high need to suck, especially if she is in a high energy environment and might be getting overstimulated (just entirely a guess on my part, I don't know the environment, but I recall my son wanting to suck ENDLESSLY when he was in a busy environment. This will help your caregiver find out if it's hunger sucking or tired sucking, etc. I would ONLY use the paci at the caregiver. Not with you. If she needs to comfort suck when she's with you, breast should be given.

Pumping Environment


--YES! You need a relaxing environment to pump. You have to be able to turn your mind off and let your body do its thing to get all that milk out. It can be very hard. Do you have a private place? Are you left undisturbed during your pump sessions? A few things I have found that help me...

Dim the lights. Wear a sweater (so I don't get breezes on my exposed skin, mostly my stomach). Wear headphones with soothing music. Sniff a piece of my baby's laundry (I used to carry a onesie in my pump bag). Do some breathing relaxation stuff. Massaging the breasts to make sure you empty all the milk ducts. Try your hardest to clear your mind while you are pumping.

Kellymom's Pumping and Bottlefeeding

Eating Issues for Older Children

How many separate meals should you prepare for your family?

Do you offer 1 standard alternative (pb&j or cereal and milk)? Do they need to prepare it themselves or wait until you've finished your dinner? Do they need to try what you've made? Do you ever send your kids to bed hungry because they refused to eat what you've cooked or they didn't want to eat at dinner time but they *suddenly* become hungry when it's time for bed? At what age did you start enforcing these rules?

Post to add content

Resources

La Leche League International
Kellymom - Breastfeeding and Parenting
Dr. Jay Gordon
Dr. Hale's Medications in Mother's Milk Info Forum
LLL Podcast
The Breastfeeding Cafe
Common Sense Breastfeeding Topics
Nursing:It's More than Breastfeeding

Personal Experiences

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This page has been accessed 4,184 times. This page was last modified 19:34, 5 December 2008.


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