How Often To Breastfeed a Newborn

!9# How Often To Breastfeed a Newborn

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Your newborn should eat often and for as long as possible. The best thing for your baby in the first few days of life is breast milk so feedings will be at least eight to twelve times a day.Nursing Eight to twelve times a day works out to every two hours or so and the clock starts at the beginning of the feeding. This will make it feel like you are constantly nursing at first.

The substance that your baby will be consuming when nursing for the first few days is called colostrum. It is actually not breast milk yet. Colostrum is packed full of immune boosters and proteins essential for the transition from the safety of the womb into the real world.

When your milk starts to come in, feedings will become longer at first. Your baby will begin to develop more of an appetite and it is important to allow the feeding to go as long as necessary. The milk that comes down at the very end of the feeding is called the hind milk and there are essential fats in this milk that you don't want to deprave the baby of. At this point your feedings will still be at least thirty minutes at a time and as frequent as eight to twelve times a day.

You will know your baby is getting enough to eat by looking at the diapers. If you are getting a wet diaper after feedings, your baby is eating enough. There is a chart that your doctor might give you before you take your baby home that shows how many wet diapers to expect during the first few months. It is important to keep a good count of the wet and dirty diapers so you know that your baby is eating properly.

A common concern with nursing mothers is that the baby is not getting enough to eat. Breast milk digests much faster than formula so breastfed babies tend to get hungry faster than formula fed babies. Digestion causes an empty belly and an empty belly in a newborn means that the hunger is back. This is why a nursing mother could think that she is not producing enough milk to satisfy her baby. The time for concern is when your baby has a dry diaper for an extended period of time.

Your baby will tell you when the hunger strikes and you will learn very quickly what the signs are. Sucking or even an open mouth could mean it is feeding time again. You should not wait until the cry starts because that may be a sign you waited too long.