Frequently asked breastfeeding questions part 1

Posted on 8 July 2014

Many women know that breast-feeding is the best choice they can make for their baby. Claire Pitt, paediatric unit manager at Mediclinic Panorama, shares what you need to know if you choose to breastfeed.

How do I know if my baby is getting enough?
If you’ve fed your baby as often as he wants for as long as he wants (demand fed) from birth and practiced skin to skin for the first 48 hours after birth, then your breasts should produce enough milk. Another telltale sign is that he’s settling after a feed and sleeping between two to four hours. Some babies cluster feed (feed frequently i.e. one to two hourly for short periods of time) and, while it’s tiring for mom, this is considered normal.

Breastfeeding isn’t as simple as turning on a tap; it’s a delicately balanced hormonal system affected by various factors including fatigue and stress. Although your baby can’t tell you how much per feed he wants (which depends on whether or not he’s hungry, thirsty or both), the easy answer is ‘what goes in must come out’! Your baby should have plenty of wet nappies and three or more mustard-coloured stools per day.

Weight gain is good indication, too. Weigh your baby at one week and again at two weeks. Babies normally lose around 10% of their birth weight within the first 48 hours after birth – this normal but they need to get back to their birth weight within 14 days. If you have any problems between discharge from hospital and one week, contact your local baby clinic or breast-feeding nurse.

I think I have inverted nipples. Will I able to breastfeed?
Ask your gynaecologist, midwife or local breastfeeding clinic to examine and confirm inverted nipples. If your nipples are inverted, don’t be discouraged – nipples come in all shapes and sizes. Talk to a lactation consultant or midwife before your baby is born so you know what to expect and to learn about the techniques you can use. It may be more difficult and take time to get your baby latched but it’s not impossible.

A friend told me that breastfeeding babies don’t get sick but my baby has the sniffles. What is up with that?
Studies have shown that breastfed babies get sick less often than formula-fed babies. Breastfeeding doesn’t guarantee your baby won’t get sick but that he may not get as sick as a baby who wasn’t breastfed. How sick your baby gets depends on what bug he’s picked up. RSV (respiratory syncitial virus) and adenovirus, for example, can cause small babies to be very ill, whether or not they’re breastfed.

Tips to avoid your baby picking up colds or chest infections:
•    Always make sure your hands are clean. Don’t be afraid to ask people who visit to wash their hands before touching or picking up your baby. You can also keep hand-sanitising gel around the house as an alternative – unless there is visible organic matter on your hands.
•    Discourage siblings with colds or sniffles from kissing your baby.
•    Ask friends or family who are ill not to visit.
•    Avoid highly populated areas like shopping malls. If you have no choice, keep your baby in the pram covered with a blanket. This will limit his exposure to people who are coughing or sneezing, and discourage people from touching him.

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The information provided in this article was correct at the time of publishing. At Mediclinic we endeavour to provide our patients and readers with accurate and reliable information, which is why we continually review and update our content. However, due to the dynamic nature of clinical information and medicine, some information may from time to time become outdated prior to revision.