Better than any 'udder' milk

When preparing for a new family addition, everyone seems to have a different opinion on what style, technique or product is best. But what most can agree on is any amount of chest/breastfeeding (no matter how much) is beneficial. Mother nature has gifted us the perfect food for our babies. Chest/breastmilk contains just the right amount of nutrients. It is also gentle on your baby's developing stomach, intestines, and other body systems. But is chest/breastfeeding just another ‘motherly instinct’ my body is going to know how to do post-partum? That’s where Mallory comes in. She has worked with chest/breastfeeding moms for more than six years, is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and holds the distinguished role of chest/breastfeeding mom. To help celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, we sat down with Mallory to help new parents navigate chest/breastfeeding and see why it is better than any ‘udder’ milk.

Mallory, how soon after welcoming a new baby can we expect to see our milk come in? And what will it look and feel like?

About 3-5 days. During your second trimester of pregnancy your body will start producing colostrum and continue to do so 2-5 days after delivery. Colostrum is thick yellow milk that is full of nutrients and antibodies that help protect your baby from infections. You may have heard the terms “liquid gold” or “your baby’s first immunization” used when describing colostrum. Your breasts may feel full, heavy and firm once your milk changes from colostrum to mature milk. It is also normal for women to not notice these physical changes in their breasts, and if that is the case for you (like it was me), it does not mean your milk has not come in or you are not producing. Being induced, having a C-section or complications after delivery (such as excessive bleeding) could delay your milk production. Even in those cases, your milk usually can be expected by 5 to 7 days post-partum.

Once my milk comes in, then what? How do I know how much, or how often they need to nurse? Am I making enough milk? Are they getting enough to eat? There is so much to know, it feels a little overwhelming.

I felt overwhelmed having a newborn and many of the new moms I have worked with felt the same. Just know you are not alone and you are not expected to automatically know how to breastfeed.  Every baby and breastfeeding experience is different, so try not to compare your journey to others.

At birth, your baby's stomach is very small, about the size of a marble (1 to 2 teaspoons) and by day 10, it grows to the size of a ping-pong ball (2 ounces). You can expect to nurse every 2-3 hours or 8-12 times per day. Some babies want more; they may even want to nurse every 30 minutes.

The best thing to do is let your little one lead the way by nursing when your baby shows signs they are hungry. These signs may include:

• becoming more alert and active
• moving their fists to their mouth
• sucking on their hands or lip smacking
• turning their head towards the breast.

Crying is a late sign of hunger, so it is best to feed your baby before they get to this point. Once baby is crying, it can be harder to latch and can stress you both out. Signs that baby is done eating include:

• releasing off the breast
• turning away from the nipple
• relaxing their body
• opening their fists.

It is best to offer both breasts at feedings, but some babies may be content only nursing from one side.

The best ways to tell if your baby is getting enough is to monitor their weight gain and wet/poopy diapers. While the pediatrician will monitor growth periodically, you can monitor wet and dirty diapers every day. The amount of wet diapers your baby has daily will slowly increase during the first week of life. Once your baby is 6 days old, you should see 6 wet diapers daily. By day 4, you will typically see 3-4 poopy diapers per day. Expect black sticky stools at first that will change to green and then by day 7 they will be yellow and seedy.

Where, when and how can I get support if I am worried about any of those things?

The pediatrician’s office, WIC office (for those eligible) or the lactation clinic at the hospital are great places to start. Both the Health Department and Healthy Families NY have home visiting programs and can help with chest/breastfeeding from the comfort of your own home. There are breastfeeding groups in the area where you can receive information and talk with other moms who are nursing. For additional resources available in our area click here.

WIC moms also have access to free resources. I am a lactation consultant and the Breastfeeding Coordinator at WIC and am available to help WIC moms with questions and concerns. We also have another lactation consultant, a lactation counselor and two breastfeeding peer counselors (PCs) on staff. Our PCs are moms just like you who live in our community and have personal breastfeeding experience. They’re available 24/7 via text or call. Not sure if you qualify for WIC? Click here to learn more.

I wish I could stay home and nurse my baby, but I have to go back to work. How soon should I start thinking about pumping and how should I go about it?

I completely relate. Returning to work was very emotional for me. I did not want to leave my daughter and was nervous about how being separated would affect breastfeeding. You can help the transition go smoothly by planning ahead before you go on maternity leave. There are laws in place that protect your right to breastfeed at work. Talk to your employer about having a private and convenient place to pump and discuss how much maternity time you plan to take.

If chest/breastfeeding is going well it is not necessary to start pumping until few weeks before you must return to work. Many women think they need to have a lot of milk stored in the freezer and, let’s face it, social media does not help. We often see women online who have freezers full of milk making us feel we need that much milk too, but that is not realistic for most of us. In reality you only need enough breastmilk for your baby to eat the first shift you will be away. So depending on how long your work day is, that amount may only be 6-14oz.  While you are at work you can pump milk for the next day. If you work an 8 hour shift, aim to pump 3-4 times or as often as your baby typically nurses during that time.  If your little one typically cluster feeds during your scheduled shifts, you may notice they will compensate by nursing more when you are home.

Ideally, your workplace will have a refrigerator to store your expressed milk, but you can also use a small cooler and ice pack. Expressed milk is good for up to 4 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer. Once you thaw breastmilk, it should be used within 24 hours.

You can find additional resources to help with your transition back to work here.

My partner has mentioned they feel useless because they can’t nurse the baby. What sort of things can we do to support each other, even though our roles are so different?

Feeding your baby is just one of so many things they need. Partners can bond with and help care for baby by putting them skin-to-skin, giving baths, changing diapers, reading to them and more. I often felt that I didn’t have enough hands when nursing my daughter. Your partner can help by being available to bring baby to you and can help with positioning. They can also support you by bringing you water and snacks while nursing. Try to make your partner feel important by including them in all baby activities and asking for help when needed.

Top 3 things to remember.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Chest/breastfeeding may be very overwhelming at times, but having a good support system and asking for help when things do not seem right can make all the difference.
2. Any amount of chest/breastmilk is beneficial. If you are unable to fully chest/breastfeed (for whatever reason) know that any chest/breast milk your baby receives is amazing and the benefits are still there. 
3. You are not expected to have all the answers. Chest/breastfeeding is a truly unique experience and there is so much to know. You may not always feel you know what you are doing and that is okay. Don’t be hard on yourself and take it day by day.