Early Days
First Moments
The first few hours and days are crucial for breastfeeding. They can help set you up for breastfeeding success later. Here are some tips to help you make the most of those precious moments.
Ask for immediate skin-to-skin contact.
Wear clothing that’s easy to open/remove or don’t wear clothing during delivery, as skin-to-skin requires direct contact between mother and baby.
Ask your your provider to place baby on your chest as soon as possible after birth. Your baby will instinctively move towards your breasts for their first feeding.
All necessary procedures should be delayed or done with baby nestled on your breasts.
Skin-to-skin promotes breastfeeding as well as helping baby regulate temperature, heart rate, and breathing.
Feed baby as soon as possible after birth.
Preferably with the first hour after birth (often called the Golden Hour).
Let baby crawl towards your breast. You can provide gentle guidance but allow them to try with minimal help. They can do it!
Keep baby skin-to-skin until the first feed is done.
Get breastfeeding off to a good start before allowing others to hold baby.
Massage your breasts to increase flow to baby. Massage from the outer edges of the breast towards the nipple and gently squeeze. This will move the colostrum down to nipple.
Put baby to breast often to allow them to “sip” on the colostrum. This help encourage breastmilk production. (See section below to learn more about colostrum!)
Delay first bath. Gently wipe baby to clean them of birth fluids but do not use water and soap until after the first 24 hours.
Babies are very sensitive to smells so it is recommended that you wait until after the first few feedings to allow baby a chance to know your scent
If supplemental feeding is medically necessary, give only 5-10 mLs and continue skin-to-skin and encourage nursing as baby is able to.
When you are moving to the postpartum unit, wrap yourself up with baby to maintain contact while you’re being moved.
Keep baby in the room with you (rooming in) as much as possible, day and night, so you can respond quickly when you baby shows signs off wanting to feed.
Hunger Cues
Awakening
Soft sounds
Mouthing (licking lips, sticking tongue out)
Rooting towards the breast (turning the head and opening the mouth)
Hand to mouth activity
Crying beginning softly and gradually growing in intensity
Try to catch your baby’s feeding cues early in the cycle – avoid crying – and begin breastfeeding!
All About Colostrum
Colostrum is the “first milk” that a breastfeeding mother produces in the weeks before delivery and in the early days of breastfeeding. This early milk is differs from the mature milk your body produces afterwards.
It is lower in fat and higher in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies, making it extremely easy to digest and highly concentrated. It is the perfect food for brand new babies!
Colostrum is dark yellow in color, which will fade into white as your body shifts to mature milk production.
Your body only produces a small amount. Do not worry if you aren’t producing much during the first few days after delivery. Newborn babies’ stomachs are very tiny and a little bit of colostrum goes a long way.
Colostrum has a laxative effect on your baby, helping them pass meconium, which aids in first bowel movements and helps prevent jaundice.
Colostrum is often called “white blood” because it has large amounts of living cells (lymphocytes and macrophages) which will help defend your baby against infections and illnesses.
It is also considered your baby’s first immunization due to large quantities of an antibody called secretory immunoglobulin A (slgA).
Mature milk has a lower concentration of immune factors and antibodies but is produced at a higher volume so the amount of infection fighters remains fairly constant!
Colostrum is especially important in protecting your baby’s gastrointestinal tract. Newborn babies’ intestines are very permeable, or leaky, and colostrum helps seal the microscopic holes by coating the GI tract with a barrier that prevents foreign proteins (from food mother has eaten or from infant formula) from penetrating the gut (which can potentially sensitize your baby to an allergy).
For full benefit of colostrum, it is important that the first several feedings are only colostrum. If baby is having feeding difficulties, you can express colostrum via hand expression or breast pump and feed baby using a syringe or spoon. Ask the hospital lactation consultant for help with this! It is best if baby’s gut is fully protected before any other fluids are given.
