Page 14 - GCMC Third Trimester

Exclusive breastfeeding is when you feed your baby only breastmilk.
Breastfeeding is a natural and beneficial source of nutrition and provides the healthiest start for your baby. In addition to the nutritional benefits, breastfeeding promotes a unique and emotional connection between you and your baby. Breastmilk changes in volume and composition according to the time of day, nursing frequency, and age of your baby to promote healthy growth. Breastmilk is the only food your baby needs for the first six months of life.
Frequency of breastfeeding in relation to establishing milk supply
Babies need to eat at least eight to 12 times in a 24-hour period, with no set schedule. The more milk your baby removes, the more milk you make. Breastfeeding your baby as soon after birth and frequently thereafter, is the best way to ensure that your baby will have all the milk needed for proper growth and development.
Baby Led Latch—for babies learning to latch
Newborns know how to find and attach to their mother’s nipples, following inborn instincts in response to physical cues they receive from contact with the mother’s body. Baby’s instincts to look for and latch on to the breast involve a well-documented sequence of behaviors.
1. Start with your baby skin to skin, while in a semi reclined position, with your baby lying upright in the middle of your chest. Just relax and enjoy cuddling with your new baby!
2. Follow your baby’s lead. If they’re hungry and ready to eat, they will let you know by bobbing and moving around. Support their body and they will move their way to the breast.
3. Support the baby as they are latching. When they press their chin into the breast and open their mouth, they’ll get a large mouthful of breast and a deep latch.
Allowing baby to follow this sequence will help to decrease long-term difficulties in latching. Sometimes an attempt to help babies latch can actually interfere with the natural process. If you start with the baby’s mouth at the nipple, a lot of the early steps are skipped. Starting with your baby in the upright position helps the baby organize his behavior and learn the sequence of latching. Once a baby has latched several times, there is no need to follow the whole sequence of baby led latching.
UNICEF, World Health Organization, and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a baby’s life. This is based
on scientific evidence that shows benefits for infant survival and proper growth and development. Breastmilk provides all the nutrients needed during the first six months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding may also reduce infant deaths caused by common childhood illnesses, such as diarrhea and pneumonia, and helps recovery during illness.
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