The First Weeks
The first weeks of bringing home baby are filled with as much excitement and happiness as they are filled with doubts and sleepless nights. The purpose of this section is to help you normalize the first few weeks, from the perspective of breastfeeding.
What should you expect from baby the first few weeks?
Growth Spurts
From a breastfeeding perspective, we should expect that your baby is the one who programs your milk supply by allowing them to have full access to your breasts. It's important to know that from time to time they will have growth spurts, which commonly happen near the third and sixth weeks of life. Generally, moms are able to tell when a baby is going through a growth spurt because the frequency of feeding increases to 30 or 45 minute intervals, up to every hours...but these are followed by longer stretches of sleep (sometime even up to 6 hours). It's important to know what a growth spurt is since it's easy to confuse one with low milk supply (since babies will nurse more often and breasts may feel softer). Ironically, around 2-3 weeks after birth is when the milk supply lowers if it wasn't programmed correctly from the beginning (by letting baby feed frequently).
Learn to tell the difference between a growth spurt and low milk supply
The two main differences between a growth spurt and low milk supply are:
Sleep-Expectations
The subject of infant sleep is one of the most popular subjects written about in books and baby forums online. Since for years as a society have attributed good infant sleep to infant formula, it has been hard for us (as a society) to redefine norms about infant sleep-especially for breastfed babies.
Normas
La verdad es que los bebés nacen con instictos de programar volumenes de leche en sus mamás, y de querer y necesitar comer o succionar cada par de horas por cuestión de sobrevivencia-esa es la norma humana.
Because mother's milk is digested perfectly and efficiently, it's possible that a baby may wake more frequently to feed. Of course, infant formula might get your baby to sleep longer (which is the appeal to parents, in particular at night), but it's because formula is digested more slowly because the body's organs have to work harder to digest non-human, more complicated proteins (from cow or soy). So even though one might think that it makes "sense" to use formula to help a baby sleep longer, parents must ask themselves at what cost it is being used...not to mention the risk of reduced milk supply in mom when evening feeds are replaced.
Perspective
If we viewed infant sleep through th elense of what is normal, we might measure it on the same scale that we measure not only an infant's need to seek food, but also the need for a mother's breasts to programmed to produce it. We would then understand that an infant's ability to wake frequently is a matter of survival. An infant wakes frequently in order to maintain high levels of nutrients, electrolytes, immune factors, etc. which are imperative to their development.
What to expect from mom during the first few weeks?
Breasts and normal milk production amounts
Mom's breasts might possibly experience a drastic change during the first 3-5 days after birth. Most moms feel their breasts fill, which at first is more from glandular inflammation than from milk coming in. After the first week, the milk created turns from colostrum into transtional milk (most moms will average about an oz of production between both breasts during this time); this mature milk contains both colostrum and mature milk. After the second week, most moms will produce about 2 oz between both breasts of mature milk.
Around 2-3 weeks (as mentioned earlier) is when moms will be able to note of of two things:
*If this happens there are ways to increase milk supply. Contact an IBCLC to have your situation assessed and receive effective advice based on your situation and birth situation/post-partum stage.
HOMEWORK:
What should you expect from baby the first few weeks?
Growth Spurts
From a breastfeeding perspective, we should expect that your baby is the one who programs your milk supply by allowing them to have full access to your breasts. It's important to know that from time to time they will have growth spurts, which commonly happen near the third and sixth weeks of life. Generally, moms are able to tell when a baby is going through a growth spurt because the frequency of feeding increases to 30 or 45 minute intervals, up to every hours...but these are followed by longer stretches of sleep (sometime even up to 6 hours). It's important to know what a growth spurt is since it's easy to confuse one with low milk supply (since babies will nurse more often and breasts may feel softer). Ironically, around 2-3 weeks after birth is when the milk supply lowers if it wasn't programmed correctly from the beginning (by letting baby feed frequently).
Learn to tell the difference between a growth spurt and low milk supply
The two main differences between a growth spurt and low milk supply are:
- That babies don't increase in weight during an episode of low milk supply and babies increase in weight during or after a growth spurt
- A growth spurt generally lasts 3-5 days and then baby goes back to feed in normal intervals; with low milk supply babies continue on to act hungry after feeds even after 3-5 days-if this happens, contact a lactation consultant
Sleep-Expectations
The subject of infant sleep is one of the most popular subjects written about in books and baby forums online. Since for years as a society have attributed good infant sleep to infant formula, it has been hard for us (as a society) to redefine norms about infant sleep-especially for breastfed babies.
Normas
La verdad es que los bebés nacen con instictos de programar volumenes de leche en sus mamás, y de querer y necesitar comer o succionar cada par de horas por cuestión de sobrevivencia-esa es la norma humana.
Because mother's milk is digested perfectly and efficiently, it's possible that a baby may wake more frequently to feed. Of course, infant formula might get your baby to sleep longer (which is the appeal to parents, in particular at night), but it's because formula is digested more slowly because the body's organs have to work harder to digest non-human, more complicated proteins (from cow or soy). So even though one might think that it makes "sense" to use formula to help a baby sleep longer, parents must ask themselves at what cost it is being used...not to mention the risk of reduced milk supply in mom when evening feeds are replaced.
Perspective
If we viewed infant sleep through th elense of what is normal, we might measure it on the same scale that we measure not only an infant's need to seek food, but also the need for a mother's breasts to programmed to produce it. We would then understand that an infant's ability to wake frequently is a matter of survival. An infant wakes frequently in order to maintain high levels of nutrients, electrolytes, immune factors, etc. which are imperative to their development.
What to expect from mom during the first few weeks?
Breasts and normal milk production amounts
Mom's breasts might possibly experience a drastic change during the first 3-5 days after birth. Most moms feel their breasts fill, which at first is more from glandular inflammation than from milk coming in. After the first week, the milk created turns from colostrum into transtional milk (most moms will average about an oz of production between both breasts during this time); this mature milk contains both colostrum and mature milk. After the second week, most moms will produce about 2 oz between both breasts of mature milk.
Around 2-3 weeks (as mentioned earlier) is when moms will be able to note of of two things:
- Moms may see their milk supply increase if baby hasn't been supplemented with formula, if baby was permitted to breastfeeding frequently, and if there was no separation between mother and baby
- Moms may see their milk supply decrease if baby was supplemented early with formula, wasn't breastfed frequently, or was separated for prolonged periods of time
*If this happens there are ways to increase milk supply. Contact an IBCLC to have your situation assessed and receive effective advice based on your situation and birth situation/post-partum stage.
HOMEWORK:
- Read more about the first weeks after baby arrives
- Talk to your family about infant-sleep expectations; include your partner, your mother (and mother-in-law) in this conversation
Use of this class by non-parents: This class has been written for parents, and while birth and breastfeeding professionals may share it with their clients, it must be shared as a web-links or printed directly from this site. This class or any portion of it cannot be used a class outline for another breastfeeding professionals' breastfeeding class, nor can any portion of it be copied or pasted. Any dissemination of this class must be in its entire original form (weblink or printed pages) and must cite Breastfeeding Housecalls and Laura Gruber, IBCLC as its author and owner.