The first six weeks of your newborns life are the most important, and also the most difficult. If you can make it through these first six weeks you are doing great! Setting small goals (3 months might be a next goal) to help keep you motivated and whetherd is always a good idea. Nursing on demand is the way to go straight from the beginning. Being educated as much as you can before your baby is born is a great idea. Hopefully these links will help you wether your baby is still in the womb, or baby is already here!
Skin to Skin at Birth
The First Week
- http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/
- Common Questions for the Early Weeks: http://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/bf-links-concerns/
Feeding Your Baby, Birth & Beyond
Hunger Cues
Cluster Feeding
Gassy Baby
Getting Baby Back to Breast
*if you have to pump and use bottles for some reason these are tips for getting baby back to breast.
Normal Breastfed Baby Behavior
Positions for Nusring
- Dangle Feeding, helpful for plugged ducts: http://kellymom.com/bp/concerns/mother/dangle-feeding/
- Side Lying, easiest for night nursing: http://www.mother-2-mother.com/tut-layingdown.htm
Growth Spurt
- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/ages/normal/growth-spurts
- Is my newborn getting enough (newborn-6 weeks): http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/enough-milk/
- Is my baby getting enough 6+ weeks: http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/enoughmilk-older/
Waking A Sleeping Baby - not necessary unless baby is under 2 weeks old
Sleep Patterns/Sleeping Through the Night
Tongue Tie or Lip Tie
before you leave the hospital have a lactation consultant check your baby for lip/tongue ties. Note: not all lactation consultants will know what to look for and many times they will say your baby doesn't have one when in fact s/he might. IBCLCs will know what to look for.
- http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/bfhelp-tonguetie/
- Tongue Tie: http://santabarbaralactation.com/blog/tongue-tie-what-do-parents-need-know
- Tongue Tie Babies Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tonguetiebabies/
- Step-by-Step Guide to Diagnosing Tongue/Lip Tie: http://www.mommypotamus.com/a-step-by-step-guide-to-diagnosing-tonguelip-ties/
- http://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/files/pdf/bbm-8-27%20Newsletter.pdf
Colic
- http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13:colic-in-the-breastfed-baby&catid=5:information&Itemid=17
- http://www.health-e-learning.com/articles/Lactose.pdf
- http://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussybaby/
- How to change a diaper to reduce colic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9IDpEVkemM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Reflux
- http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/reflux/
- How to change a diaper to reduce reflux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9IDpEVkemM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Jaundice
- http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/breastfeeding/special-situations/babies-jaundice
- https://nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79:breastfeeding-and-jaundice&catid=5:information&Itemid=17
- http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/jaundice-in-the-breastfed-baby
- http://www.drjen4kids.com/soap%20box/jaundice.htm
- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000995.htm
- http://www.mother-2-mother.com/supplement.htm
- http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/bfhelp-jaundice/
Over-Active/Forceful Let Down
- http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/
- http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2014/8/25/coping-with-fast-milk-flow.html
- http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvsepoct95p71.html
Baby Acne
Schedules - its not recommended to schedule feedings, nursing on demand is best for baby and your supply.
- http://www.normalfed.com/starting/scheduling/
- http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/comfortnursing/
- http://kellymom.com/parenting/nighttime/sleep/
- Supplementing With Formula
- *for moms with low milk supply, babies stomaches are small and need to be filled frequently, see chart in comments. Nursing frequently is NOT a sign of not enough breast milk. Breast milk processes quickly and baby's need to nurse often. This is why nursing on demand is best. See the section about knowing how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk. Formula supplementation should only happen in true cases of baby not getting enough and you will know if the diaper output is not what it should be. There are many things you can do to help boost your own supply before turning to formula.
- keep in mind many moms donate breastmilk so if you are able to find breastmilk to supplement that is an option available, check Facebook groups such as Eats on Feets or Human Milk for Human Babies each of the have separate pages for all states.
- Offer breasmilk before formula. Breast milk will help baby process the formula. It will also help protect baby's stomach and ease digestion.
- http://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/infant-formula/
- http://babyreference.com/when-it-has-to-be-formula-optimizing-the-health-of-your-formula-fed-baby/
- http://www.lowmilksupply.org/supplementing-howmuch.shtml
- http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvaugsep99p75.html
- http://www.mother-2-mother.com/supplement.htm
Newborn Poop
- http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvdec97jan98p123.html
- http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/
- http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Babys-First-Days-Bowel-Movements-and-Urination.aspx
Weight Gain of Breastfed Newborns
- Birth to 6 weeks: http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/enough-milk/
- Is baby getting enough milk: http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/enoughmilk01.pdf
- Average weight gain: http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-gain/
- Infant Growth Calculator: http://kellymom.com/health/growth/weight-gain-calculator/
- Average growth of breastfed babies: http://kellymom.com/health/growth/growthcharts/
- Normal weight gain: http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-gain/
- Average breastfed baby weight gain: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/breastfeeding/faqs/how-much-weight-will-my-breastfeeding-baby-gain
- Weighted feedings: http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvjulaugsep06p51.html
When To Pump
- if you will be returning to work, start about a week before you are to return and pump once a day and store that milk in the freezer. When you return to work, the milk you pump that first day will be used for the following day's bottles so there isn't much need for a huge freezer stash. Also, make sure your baby's care givers know about paced bottle feeding (see our file). Babies drink 1-1 1/2 oz per hour since last feeding so that would typically be a 3-5oz bottle every 3 hours. Breastmilk changes to meet babies needs so there is no need to increase the amount given at a bottle feeding.
- if you are engorged you can pump or hand express JUST ENOUGH to get relief. Completely emptying your breasts will cause them to continue to make that amount and you will end up with oversupply and have to deal with those issues.
