Breastfeeding

Is it important to start breastfeeding right after the infant’s birth?

Yes. Breastfeeding immediately (within one hour) after the infant’s birth can help expel the placenta and reduce blood loss. Breastfeeding soon after the infant’s birth also keeps the infant warmer and sets the stage for healthy breastfeeding in the coming weeks and months. Colostrum, the yellowish fluid produced by the mother’s breasts during the first days after childbirth, provides the infant with essential immunities and acts as a natural laxative to help the infant with the first bowel movements. Early breastfeeding helps milk come in more rapidly, too.

How often should a woman breastfeed her baby?

A woman should breastfeed her baby on demand, day and night. Normally, healthy babies breastfeed about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. An infant’s stomach is small and needs to be refilled often—sometimes more often than every two hours in the early days and weeks of life. A woman should watch for signs that her baby is hungry. When hungry, the baby will turn towards the mother with an open mouth as if to start nursing. Other signs are that the baby is more alert or chews and sucks on hands or fingers. It is normal for baby’s breastfeeding patterns to vary. Feedings can be closer together at certain times of the day and further apart at othertimes. When the baby has a growth spurt, demand for feeding will increase. Growth spurts usually occur when the baby is about three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months old.