So, you are starting out on your breastfeeding journey, but you have a barrage of questions that just need some answers?
Great, then this is the post for you! I have put together a list of 5 frequently asked questions that all new mums have asked and provided you with some answers all in one handy place – so whether this is your first-time breastfeeding, or if you a veteran breast feeder needing to brush up on your knowledge then read on.
1. Should I offer both breasts?
This is possibly the most common question asked by breastfeeding mums, and the best advice is to let your baby decide. Just as we as adults feel different levels of hunger throughout the day, so does your baby, and only they will know if when one breast is empty, and they need to move on to the other straight away. If your baby decides to only feed from one breast during a feed, simply offer them the other breast at the next feed. There are no fixed rules for this, but if you feed on demand, as long as your baby is allowed to finish the first breast of their own accord before you offer the second, they are producing plenty of dirty nappies and they are gaining weight well, then there is no need to worry if they prefer one breast at a time or both.
2. Will my baby eat and grow better if I wait until they are really hungry to nurse?
When breastfeeding, the general advice is to feed on demand when your baby is hungry, and it is important to watch for early hunger cues such as rooting for the breast, sucking on hands and fingers and making sucking noises. Crying is a late hunger cue, and it is much harder to latch a very hungry crying baby due to the elevation in their tongue as they yell, as such you will often need to calm baby down before they will nurse, or suckling will be erratic and not as effective. This can lead to baby feeling exhausted, resulting in a short feed before falling asleep; it will be no surprise that this means sleep will be short lived before baby wakes up hungry again – a viscous circle leading to one worn out mamma! A baby will eat better if they are fed when they decide they need to be fed, and a satisfied and content baby will grow much better than one who is not. Remember, not every cry means your baby is hungry, so in the absence of any hunger cues, rather than offering the breast try some of these baby calming techniques.
3. Are there any special milk making food and drinks?
When nursing, we all want to ensure that the milk we are providing our baby with is nutritious, but we also want to produce a good quantity to fill our hungry babies’ tummies. General advice is that consuming a wide variety of foods will give baby all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they need for healthy growth – however a few foods in particular have gained a good reputation for encouraging lactation. Oats are a great source of iron that can increase your red blood cell count and in turn increase production of breastmilk, spinach is another great source of iron that provide similar benefits. Fennel or fennel seeds are a great addition to your diet if you wish to increase milk supply as they contain similar properties to the hormone oestrogen. Fenugreek is a herb well known for increasing lactation that can be consumed either by boiling in tea or in capsule form and carrots are also believed to aid lactation as well as being rich in vitamin A that is great for babies growth! Remember though mammas, before making any big changes to your diet while breastfeeding it is important consult your doctor first.
4. Is it normal for breastfed babies to have so much gas?
All babies, regardless of feeding method, will produce gas, it is normal for them to swallow some amount of air which results in the passing of wind. Some unlucky little ones will get larger amounts of gas trapped in their intestines than others, which can be uncomfortable, leading to a fussy baby that may strain to pass the gas, although unpleasant this is completely normal. Babies have underdeveloped digestive tracts, and as a baby grows and matures so does their digestive system which will normally solve the problem of gas over time. The common causes of gas in breastfed babies are excessive crying which can also lead to swallowing air; a fast milk flow that may cause baby to gulp and swallow air whilst nursing; and food that you have eaten can also produce gas in your baby a few hours after eating the offending food and stay present in baby for a few days. Although less common, food allergies can be a cause of gas in your baby, so if any signs of allergy present themselves consult your doctor for advice on changing yours or your babies’ diet.
5. How long should I nurse to get to the hindmilk.
Hindmilk vs Foremilk is a somewhat debatable subject and as such I have dedicated a whole post to the subject that you can read here. The best advice to ensure that your baby receives enough milk necessary for good growth and weight gain, is to allow your baby to feed for as long as necessary without trying to cut a feed short to suit your own schedule, as this may result in baby not consuming enough. It is important to remember that all breastmilk is good breastmilk, and it is the volume of milk consumed that will impact a baby’s weight gain and growth, not the fat content. As always mamma’s my advice is to feed baby on demand, letting them decide when and how long for as only they know how hungry they are, as well as letting them decide if they are finished with one breast and want to move on to the second.
I hope this has given you a wealth of information on a variety of breastfeeding related topics, remember we have a large number of posts containing even more information so do check out the rest of the Beemom blog for even more tips!
Happy feeding!
Reference:
https://www.strong4life.com/en/pages/healthy-eating/articles/are-you-overfeeding-your-fussy-baby
http://www.beautifulbreastfeeding.com/is-my-baby-hungry-what-are-the-signs-when-should-i-feed-her/
https://breastfeeding.support/one-breast-or-two-per-feed/
https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/top-10-foods-that-increase-production-of-breast-milk-26717/post
http://www.newkidscenter.com/What-Makes-a-Breastfed-Baby-Gassy.html
