New mothers may have a range of emotions regarding breastfeeding. Along with looking forward to bonding with their babies, they usually have questions and concerns.
Knowing what to expect can help reduce anxiety about breastfeeding, and studies show that mothers have better experiences when prepared with information and guidance. A few common questions are answered below.
Is breastfeeding the best way to provide food for my baby?
Breastfeeding is a natural process that is nutritionally sound. Breastfeeding can help your baby stay healthy and offers an intimate way to get to know your newborn. Because the contents of your milk will change as your baby grows, it is perfectly matched to your baby’s needs.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding?
For babies, the benefits of breastfeeding include being linked to lower risks of respiratory infections, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). For mothers, breastfeeding is shown to lower their risk of breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and ovarian cancer. It also makes it easier to quickly lose weight gained during pregnancy.
Will I produce enough milk to begin breastfeeding right away?
Mothers make milk starting in the fourth month of pregnancy. At first your breasts will produce a small amount colostrum, a thick liquid loaded with nutrients and other important substances that helps babies start building up their immune systems. Your newborn has a tiny stomach, so just a few drops of colostrum can provide a good first meal during the first days.
As you begin breastfeeding, your baby’s sucking will signal your body to start making more milk. For most mothers, a thinner and whiter form of milk comes in around three days after birth, but this may take longer for new moms. Your breasts may feel fuller, firmer, and warmer. Your baby may begin to want to breastfeed more often around this time.
Are my breasts too small for breastfeeding?
The size of the breasts or nipples does not determine success in breastfeeding. Most women, even those with very small breasts, are able to produce enough milk for their baby. Even if the nipples are flat or inverted, mothers can successfully breastfeed their baby.
Will breastfeeding be painful?
There may be some nipple tenderness during first couple of days until the nipples adjust. You will feel some tugging on the breast when the baby latches on initially. Any discomfort should go away within a minute or two. Most complaints of pain while breastfeeding are due to how the baby is attached, or “latched on.” Most of the time, an uncomfortable latch can be quickly and easily changed to a better latch.
Your breasts may be uncomfortably firm over the first few weeks after birth, as your body adjusts to making milk. This is called engorgement. It should improve as you get into a routine of emptying your breasts through feedings or by using a breast pump. Frequent feedings usually help relieve discomfort. During the first few weeks of breastfeeding, your nipples may become sore or sensitive as they adjust to your baby’s sucking.
What if my baby stops breastfeeding?
Babies sometimes stop wanting to breastfeed, and it can be hard to understand why this happens. Refusing to breastfeed is usually temporary, and most babies will start breastfeeding again within a few days. Your baby may refuse breastfeeding due to illness, teething, stress, a major change in routine, or a change in environment.
What if my baby is not latching?
Breastfeeding is natural, but the process doesn’t always come naturally on the first try – for babies or moms. It takes practice and learning for both of you. Your maternal and infant care team can show you methods to help your baby latch properly.
Call on the experts
At UAB Medicine’s Women and Infants Center (WIC), registered nurses certified by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants and a team of nurses specializing in maternal and infant care help mothers navigate breastfeeding. Cheryl Smith, RN, has been a lactation consultant for 35 years. She says it’s important for mothers to know that expert guidance and support are available.
“The mothers we assist here can call on us anytime,” Smith said. “That starts with day one of course, but after mom goes home, she can always come back for assistance to address any issues she is experiencing with breastfeeding.”
Smith and the other WIC nurses help give new moms the confidence, knowledge, and skills they need to successfully breastfeed their babies. They can help establish regular feeding patterns, provide instruction on devices and methods for pumping breastmilk, and treat medical issues such as breast pain and blocked milk ducts.
“I always give moms a standard word of encouragement and advice: patience,“ Smith said. “Learning any skill involves knowing that you are not an expert when you start. Breastfeeding is no different. But moms can be confident that they start with a big advantage: Their bodies and their babies’ bodies are communicating. They have skin-to-skin contact that signals feeding, the bonding that takes place, the baby’s instincts, and other things already in place. Our team is just there to help them make the most of all that.”
Click here for details about breastfeeding support at the UAB Women and Infants Center, including contact information for lactation consultants.
SOURCES: National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention