Breastfeeding your baby

Breastfeeding is by far the best and most natural way to feed your baby. Aside from promoting maternal infant bonding, breast milk offers many other advantages; these include protection against intestinal, ear and other infections. In addition, breast milk is made up of easily digestible protein, fat and iron which your child's intestines can easily absorb. Here are some important breastfeeding facts:

• Many new breastfeeding mothers wonder if their baby is getting enough milk. It may seem at first that your baby is hardly nursing at all. But rest assured that it's normal for your baby not to drink a lot during the first few days after birth, as she doesn't yet need much milk. By the 3rd or 4th day, your breasts will begin to produce more milk and your baby will also start to drink more.
• Once your baby has begun to feed more, be sure to give her both breasts and empty at least one at each feeding. It takes at least 10 minutes to empty a breast. Your baby will need to feed at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and shouldn't go more than 3 hours during the day, or 5 hours at night without a feeding. If she doesn't demand a feeding during this time, you may need to encourage her to nurse.
• Breastfed newborns will have anywhere from 1 to 12 bowel movements each day. They tend to eat more often and have more bowel movements than bottle-fed babies.
• One simple way to knowing if baby is drinking enough is to count the number of wet diapers. Usually 6 to 8 wet diapers a day is a sign that a baby is drinking enough. The most accurate way to be sure that your baby is getting enough milk is by following the weight gain: on average, during the first 3 months of life babies gain about 2 pounds, or 1 kilogram, per month. This equals about one ounce per day. Between the third and sixth months, babies gain about half that amount during the first 3 months or about half an ounce a day. In general, babies double their birth weight by about 4 months.

Eating for two

It's important for the breastfeeding mother to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, both for her own good and to ensure that her baby is getting the healthiest breast milk possible. The following are general guidelines for the breastfeeding mother:

• Follow Canada's Food Guide for good nutrition guidelines.
• Make sure to drink 6 to 8 glasses of liquid daily to replenish the fluids lost during breastfeeding.
• Eat an extra 500 calories a day of nutritious food, to support your supply of breast milk. The extra calories will not cause you to gain weight. In fact, you may find that you lose weight in spite of your increased food intake.
• It is likely that you will need to take iron supplements to replenish the iron transferred to breast milk. Consult your physician for advice.
• Avoid foods that seem to be irritating your baby and limit caffeine and alcohol intake, as these are passed on in breast milk.
• Consult your doctor about taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications, as these may pass through your breast milk to your baby. It's best to avoid taking medications altogether unless it is absolutely necessary.

Reference:
DR.PAUL’s Child Health and Wellness Info Site, www.drpaul.com. Pediatrician Dr.Paul Roumeliotis is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.