Breastfeeding

The Three P’s: Position, Patience, Persistence

o what should you be aiming for in those first 6 weeks?
Getting to know your baby and forming that special mother/baby bond

Remember: a baby under 3 months should be sleeping between 12-18 hours a day and feeding every 3-4 hours— not feeding constantly to settle.

n ‘eat, sleep, play’ routine is the only routine you need for a baby under 3 months.

During those first 6 weeks, your body is working overtime to heal. Your uterus will be contracting to bring it back down to its pre-pregnancy size which can be painful and you will feel sleep deprived and exhausted post-labor. Your body is also working to make milk for your baby and therefore needs lots of sustenance and rest.

See the video clips at www.nbci.ca to help you tell them difference between sucking and drinking.

as often as baby needs

Hormones play an important role in milk production. Your baby’s sucking stimulates nerves in your nipple that send messages to the pituitary gland in your brain to secrete the hormone prolactin. Prolactin surges encourage continued milk production.

Breastfeeding also increases your need for folate (spinach, broccoli), Vitamin C (citrus, tomatoes, berries), Vitamin A (carrots, spinach, pumpkin) and B12 (beef, salmon, milk and eggs).

During breastfeeding you need to rebuild your iron stores with iron rich foods such as red meat, chicken, legumes and green leafy vegetables.