Timing of Solids with Bottle or Breastfeeding

Timing of Solids with Bottle or Breastfeeding

September 18th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Through the first year of your baby’s life, the number one source of nutrition is breast milk or formula. Although you can start solid baby foods around 6 months old, it will be a long time before your baby is able to get all of the necessary calories, vitamins, and minerals for growth and health from solids. Therefore breastfeeding or formula remain vital to your baby’s health.

Solids: Before or After?

When you first start out with solid foods, your baby will likely take so little that it won’t really matter when you do the feeding. The small amount consumed won’t have much impact on your baby’s appetite for the breast or bottle. As your baby progresses with solids, however, and starts to take larger amounts, you will need to pay attention to make sure that solid feedings do not replace breast milk or formula feedings.

When your baby starts to take enough solids that it impacts appetite, you should be sure to feed solids after breast or bottle feeding rather than before. Wait a little while before offering the solids so that baby won’t be too full and will be interested in eating, but don’t wait too long. You want baby to have some room for solids, but not be on an empty tummy. If your baby is too hungry and fills up on solids, a missed formula or breast feeding may result. At this stage in your baby’s development, the nutrients from solid foods aren’t enough to make up for what would be missed by skipping a bottle or a nursing session. Furthermore, if you are nursing and baby starts to skip feedings, this will have an impact on your milk production. Milk supply will drop as the demand drops, so make sure baby is nursing often enough to keep your supply up.

When Solids Increase

When your baby increases solid feedings to twice and then three times a day, these meals (as long as they are healthy and balanced, and offer a wide variety of nutrition) will start to fill nutritional needs much better. This is the beginning of baby weaning from the breast or bottle, but make sure it doesn’t happen too fast! Continue to offer breast milk or formula prior to solid feedings. As your baby’s digestive system gets used to the solids, liquid sustenance won’t be quite as filling. It is likely that even after a whole bottle or regular nursing your baby will still have enough room for a solid meal.

As before, give a little time in between to make a bit more room, but don’t wait until baby is starving! As your baby’s first birthday approaches, solids will become more important and you will see a decrease in bottle and breast feedings. This is ok, as long as your baby is gaining weight appropriately and getting all the necessary nutrients for good health. This is also a good time to allow the less frequent feedings to slowly decrease milk production as you head towards weaning.

Remember, babies should continue to receive most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula until their first birthday, at which point you can switch to cow’s milk as long as your pediatrician approves. Up until this point, it’s best to follow the breast or formula first, solids second rule.

Dealing with Pain and Engorgement

Dealing with Pain and Engorgement

August 22nd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Especially in the early weeks of breastfeeding, you may experience swelling and tenderness of the breasts. As your milk comes in, your breasts will become engorged and full of milk, and it will take a little while for your body to regulate milk production so this doesn’t happen all the time.

Breastfeeding is supply and demand – the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body produces. In the first weeks, your body needs to figure out how much milk it needs to make in order to meet your baby’s needs. This process usually begins with a lot of milk being produced, but soon the production will settle down to the right level. In the meantime, there are some steps you can take to ease the discomfort.

Relieving Engorgement

The quickest way to relieve engorgement is to let the baby nurse. If baby is sleeping or not hungry, you can express a small amount of milk to take some of the pressure off, but use caution. Expressing too much will tell the body that the baby needs more, setting off higher levels of milk production and making the engorgement worse! The best way to express only a small amount of milk is to do it by hand, avoiding the breast pump. Try taking a warm shower and gently massaging the breasts until the milk lets down. Just the warm water and massage will ease the pain, even if no milk is released. However, if you can get a small amount of milk to come out this way, it will also take off some of the pressure.

Use warm compresses prior to nursing and cold compresses in between feedings to bring down the swelling. Using a cold compress prior to nursing will make it difficult for the milk to let down for baby. A great way to make a cold compress is to put some water in a newborn size diaper and put it in the freezer. Then, simply slip one into each side of your bra for soothing relief. Some women also use cabbage leaves as compresses to relieve engorgement.

Other Sources of Pain

Not all pain during nursing is caused by engorgement. Your nipples may become painful, red and crack or even bleed, especially as they get used to nursing. Lanolin ointments can help to relieve the dryness and cracking. Cold compresses will also help with pain. Make sure to gently clean nipples after nursing and allow them to dry before putting your bra back on to help prevent further problems.

Mastitis, a painful infection of the milk ducts, can occur anytime during breastfeeding, but is most common in the early months. It happens when a milk duct becomes clogged and it is not relieved quickly. Avoid mastitis by making sure to empty the breast completely, nursing baby on both sides equally, and dealing with any sign of a blocked duct quickly. If you notice a tender spot on the breast, a hard area where engorgement is not relieved in spite of nursing, or a general feeling of pain in the breast, you may have a blocked duct. Massage the area gently, apple heat, and allow the baby to nurse regularly to free the blockage. If you notice redness, swelling, or the pain does not go away within a few days, contact your doctor.

Some pain and discomfort during the early stages of breastfeeding is normal, and should resolve within a couple of months. With careful treatment and precautions, you can avoid most breastfeeding pain. However, don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you have continuing problems.

Your Nutrition while Breastfeeding

Your Nutrition while Breastfeeding

August 6th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Your days of watching what you eat aren’t over when your pregnancy ends. If you are planning to breastfeed, you will need to continue your healthy habits. Nursing your baby means that your body must provide all of the nutrition required for baby to grow strong. Your body is working hard to produce the milk, so you will need some extra calories to keep it going, but make sure you get those extra calories from healthy, nutritious foods.

What You Should Eat

A balanced diet from all four food groups is vital while you are breastfeeding. Be sure to eat a varied diet that will give you all of the necessary vitamins and minerals. You should already be used to eating well from your pregnancy, so you can simply continue those good eating habits into your nursing diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources such as poultry and fish, good sources of calcium, and whole grain options for lots of fiber.

You will probably find that in the early months of breastfeeding, you have a very good appetite. Most nursing moms will feel very hungry, and this is because the body needs a lot of fuel to keep producing that milk. A nursing mom requires about 500 calories more per day than a woman who is not nursing (and not pregnant). This means only another 200 calories above the extra 300 needed during pregnancy. Add a healthy snack or two to your daily intake to meet this need.

Adding extra fluids to your diet is a good idea while breastfeeding. It will keep you hydrated and help your milk production. Try to add several glasses of water every day.

What You Should Not Eat

The main difference between a pregnancy diet and a breastfeeding diet is that you won’t have to follow all of the same dietary restrictions you did while pregnant. Foods like sushi and eggs over-easy are no longer off the menu. Alcohol and caffeine, however, do pass into breast milk. You should continue to avoid them or consume them with great caution. Most experts recommend that you wait 2 hours after an alcoholic beverage before breastfeeding, but it’s best to skip it altogether. Caffeine is ok in moderation, but it may make baby jittery or affect sleep, so use it carefully.

Although you may have heard a lot about how certain foods can make your baby gassy or fussy, there is no reason to avoid foods such as those that are spicy unless you actually see a reaction in your baby. Most babies will not have a problem with these types of foods. A food that makes you gassy is not going to make your baby gassy, but there may be a food in your diet that baby is allergic to or simply sensitive to, which could cause gas. If you notice that your baby becomes gassy or fussy around 6 hours after eating a certain food, try eliminating it for a while to see if it helps.

Your breastfeeding diet should simply be a continuation of your healthy pregnancy diet, with a few minor changes. Just as in pregnancy, your body is feeding your baby, so keep that in mind when planning your diet. You should also continue taking supplements just as you did during pregnancy to make sure your body gets everything it needs.

The First Days with Your New Baby

The First Days with Your New Baby

March 31st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There is nothing like the magical moment when you see your long-awaited baby for the first time. The first few days of life with baby are both the most wonderful and some of the most challenging for new parents. Suddenly everything has changed, and your world revolves around this tiny little person whose health and well-being are entirely in your hands.

What Your Baby Looks Like

Years of seeing babies being “born” on television and in movies have ill prepared new parents for the reality of a newborn. Your baby might not be the perfect bundle of joy you were expecting. The process of birth can be difficult on a baby, especially with a long vaginal birth. You might see things like a cone-shaped head, squished nose, and red marks on baby’s face and body.

Babies often have blotchy skin and still have some of the waxy white coating on their skin known as vernix, which covers a baby’s skin in the uterus to protect it from the long exposure to amniotic fluid. It is not uncommon for babies to be born with a little extra hair on their bodies as well. Both of these will soon be gone.

Your baby will also have a piece of the umbilical cord still attached, which will be clamped off at first. This usually falls off within the first few weeks of life. You may notice that your baby’s genitals appear swollen – this is a normal reaction to hormones passed from the mother, and will recede over time.

What Your Baby Needs

In the first days of life, what your baby will do most is eat and sleep. It is not unusual for baby to fall asleep not long after birth; after all, it has been a long and trying day. While it is tempting to stay awake and watch this sleeping miracle you have waited so long to see, new moms should take advantage of their newborn’s naps to get some much needed rest as well. Sleep in the first days will be erratic, so get it while you can!

If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may put her to the breast immediately following birth, but don’t expect much. She may be tired and has not yet mastered latching on, although the sucking reflex is well developed in full-term infants. When she is awake, you can try again. The first few days are a time for mom and baby to learn the ropes of nursing. Don’t be concerned if your baby doesn’t seem to be eating a lot at first. She is still being sustained by nutrients passed through the umbilical cord, and her appetite will soon grow.

It is entirely normal for a newborn to lose up to 10% of her birth weight within the first few days of life. Your doctor will monitor her weight to ensure it starts to climb again.

Bringing Baby Home

Depending on whether you had a vaginal birth or a caesarean section, you will likely be in the hospital for the first 2-4 days of your baby’s life. During this time you will have the assistance of the nurses in caring for your baby. Don’t be surprised if going home, that much anticipated event, feels a bit overwhelming or even frightening. This is a normal reaction to the realization of the monumental task before you.

In these early days, focus on caring for your new baby and yourself. Don’t worry about the housework, and if you have offers of help don’t be afraid to accept. The first days with a newborn are exhausting and challenging, especially for moms recovering from a difficult birth or from a c-section.

Remember that both you and your newborn are making a major adjustment to a whole new life, and there are bound to be some bumps in the road. You will soon settle into a new routine, and things will smooth out again.

What to Expect at Baby’s First Check Up

What to Expect at Baby’s First Check Up

March 12th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Your newborn will probably be due for his first in-office visit with his doctor at two to four weeks old. This first check up is a great time to address any concerns you might have as a new mother, and also an exciting chance to see how your little one is growing and changing.

At this visit, your baby will be weighed and have his head circumference and length measured. Then the doctor will give your newborn a thorough physical, and ask you some questions about his progress. Depending on your baby’s vaccination schedule, he may be due for immunization shots at this visit.

What the Doctor is Looking For

Your baby’s doctor will check his eyes, ears and mouth, and listen to his heart and lungs to make sure everything appears and sounds normal. The doctor will also check baby’s genitals to ensure everything is normal and also to check the progress of healing if your baby boy was circumcised. Next, the doctor will lay baby on his back and bicycle his legs to check for normal hip function.

Your baby’s weight and height will be recorded on a growth chart, which will track his progress throughout childhood. You will probably be given a percentile into which your baby falls for height, weight, and head circumference. The percentile simply tells you what percentage of babies fall above or below your baby at that age for these measurements. New parents are often concerned about percentiles, but there is no reason to be! As long as your baby continues to follow his growth curve, the percentiles are nothing to worry about.

Questions the Doctor May Ask You

Much of the discussion will revolve around baby’s sleep and feeding patterns. The doctor will want to know how often baby feeds; you will be asked how long she stays on the breast if nursing, or how much she takes in a bottle if using formula. Although it might seem like a strange question, your doctor will want to know how many wet and dirty diapers your baby has every day. This is important to ensure baby is getting enough food and liquid. You will also be asked how long her stretches of sleep are, and what type of pattern they follow.

In addition to checking her ears and eyes, the doctor will ask you some questions regarding sight and hearing. You will likely be asked whether your baby turns her head at the sound of your voice, and if she startles at loud noises. Sight questions might include whether baby makes eye contact with you or follows an object with her eyes. These questions will help your baby’s doctor to determine that your baby’s eyes and ears are functioning properly. Finally, you will be asked about baby’s strength and gross motor skills, such as ability to lift her head.

Questions You May Have

When your baby’s doctor has completed the examination, it will be your turn to address any concerns you might have. It’s a good idea to keep a list of the questions that have come up since bringing your baby home, so that you don’t forget what you wanted to ask. Don’t be afraid to speak up even if you think a question is silly. Your baby’s doctor is there to help you to understand your new baby’s development.

This first visit will set the tone for all your baby’s future check ups, which will follow the same pattern. Your doctor will probably want to see baby again at two months old for her next check up.