What should a first-time mom know about breastfeeding? скачать в хорошем качестве

What should a first-time mom know about breastfeeding?

There are many benefits of breastfeeding. There are benefits for the baby and for you. As far as the baby goes, breastfeeding does actually decrease the chance of certain infections like gut infections and issues as well as ear infections and lung infections. As far as mom goes, it reduces your chance of cancers later in life, specifically breast cancer, it helps you lose more weight after the pregnancy if you breastfeed for about six months or more, it helps you have less stress, and breast milk costs less than formula, and it also helps control your bleeding better after delivery. There are definitely advantages. But just because breastfeeding seems like a natural thing, it doesn't mean it comes naturally. There was actually a story published in a journal, a La Leche magazine or something, about a gorilla who was born in captivity. Her baby was born and the baby died because she didn't know how to feed it. She had never seen another gorilla nurse her baby. The next time she got pregnant the people at the facility she was staying at brought in the local La Leche Club and they all breastfed in front of the gorilla. When she had her baby she breastfed the gorilla and the gorilla thrived and did really well. This is a good lesson for us as humans when we have issues with nursing because it shows that even in nature breastfeeding is a learned skill. Here are a few basics to understand after you've had your baby. You will make colostrum for the first few days of your baby's life and it will feel like not much is coming out and that is true. Colostrum is yellow in color and sometimes we call it liquid gold because there is so little of it but it's packed with a punch. It's got tons of good fat and antibodies and protein for your baby. Even though you don't feel like you're making much you need to nurse every two to three hours because this is going to stimulate your body to then produce milk like what you would normally think of human milk to be. Usually somewhere between days two and five after your baby is born, your milk will come in. This colostrum has prepared your baby's gut. It's like a primer for their gut. Once the breast milk comes in then your baby is going to receive it better. Breastfeeding, like I mentioned earlier, is a learned skill. Many moms are confused and a little bit scared after they get home from the hospital because they're not really sure if their baby is getting enough to eat, especially if their milk hasn't come in. Your baby will actually weigh less when you leave the hospital because the colostrum, there isn't a lot of it, and your baby loses weight. But the pediatrician tracks that weight loss and they make sure it's not too much. By two weeks after birth we want your baby to be back up to birth weight. Your pediatrician will see your baby at that time and make sure things are going well. There are two ways to know if your baby is getting enough to eat. Number one, are they gaining the appropriate amount of weight? Most pediatricians' offices will just let you take your baby in and weigh them. The second thing is to pay attention to the number of wet and poopy diapers you're seeing. Once your milk has come in you should see at least six wet diapers a day and about three to five poopy diapers. The number of poopy diapers will probably increase as your milk comes in. They usually eat then poop, then eat then poop, and might have eight to twelve dirty diapers a day. Pay attention to the number of wet diapers because that's a sign of hydration, if they're having enough wet diapers. If you're uncomfortable with nursing when you leave the hospital, which a lot of first time moms are, there are resources once you've left. If you live in Utah County you can call A Mother's Touch, which is a lactation clinic at Orem Community Hospital and their phone number is 801-714-3324. Or if you live in Salt Lake Valley there is a lactation clinic at Primary Children's. If you didn't deliver in either of these areas just call the hospital that you delivered at and ask to speak to a lactation specialist. They can either answer your specific questions over the phone, even make an appointment with you to see you one-on-one in person, or refer you to someone who can help you. There are lots of different people around you who want to help you and want your breastfeeding experience to be successful. Obviously there are going to be nurses in the hospital who are willing to answer your questions and help you as well. If you have any other questions for me though, before you deliver, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page and recommend us to your friends and family too.