Episode 251

When I work with moms in a consult ,it is important that I educate them about the difference between nutritive ( power feeding) and non-nutritive sucking ( pacifying/falling asleep). I am not living with them and and they need a way to evaluate how breastfeeding is going so they can determine this on their own. One of the most important aspects of a good breastfeeding is your babies ability to transfer an average amount of milk in an average time frame. While I am not telling a mom to time her babies at the breast and remove them after 10 minutes of active/nutritive sucking, I am also teaching her what normal newborn breastfeeding behavior is like. What it looks like and what if feels like. I am giving her several tips, several ways of helping her decide if breastfeeding is going well and the focus is not on time.

Your baby should come to the breast with a good latch. It feels like a rhythmic tugging of your nipple back and forth in their mouth. This should be painless. Not a biting, pinching or sensation they are clamping down on your nipple feeling. There should be a rhythm to it. They should have a very wide gape around the breast tissue and have a rhythm of about 5-7 big open and closes & then stop for 10-40 seconds. Without you nudging them/stimulating them, rubbing their face, head, tickling their feet, they should begin the rhythm again… a bunch of sucks with a wide gape and their chin away from the chest and you should see their beautiful rhythm of open and close, open and close. They should have a rest period that lasts less than a minute rest, then start the whole cycle all over again.

I will post a link in the show notes so you can get a visual of this so you can begin to learn what babies look like and act like at the breast when they are getting a good flow of milk. Once they seem to fall asleep, you take them off one side and perhaps after a trial of burp, you offer the other side. Most of the times they will be full from both sides. Sometimes they will need some more time at breast, but this should not be for most feedings. Some moms have an abundant supply, more than there baby will ever need. Combine this abundant supply with a baby that is very efficient at removing the milk, well these are the babies that can feed from one side only and in less then 15 minutes, have a very full belly. This is exactly why we don’t want to rely on time alone at the breast to decide if they have had a good feeding.

I hope you have enjoyed this episode of Breastfeeding Bites. One of the most important message I hope that you are getting is that – While breastfeeding is a natural thing to do, it does not necessarily come naturally for both you and your baby. You are like 2 people who are learning a new skill. Sure, you were born to do this breastfeeding thing. However, you have not done this breastfeeding thing with your partner yet. Your baby is your partner and together you have to slowly learn how to do this breastfeeding dance as partners. It takes time, skill and practice. It may take a bit to clique and when it does, the learning curve will be well worth it.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAslseVzh6I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aXY1fy75Is&t=52s

Compare the above videos where baby is drinking really well to the below video where baby is at breast, but mostly just hanging out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bOZfpEwW14

Difference between milk transfer when your baby does not achieve a good, deep latch and when they do:

https://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/videos/squeezing-nipple-demonstrating-difference-between-poor-latch/