How often does the baby need to be fed?
Once a mum is by herself again at home, she might feel confused. She cannot measure how much milk her baby is consuming unless she weighs it regularly before and after feeding it. Some babies need more milk than others, while some need less.
In the early weeks, most babies need at least 8–10 feeds in 24 hours.
The baby will usually be back to birth weight by two weeks of age. Normal weight gain is between 20 and 30 grams per day (140 - 210 grams per week).
Feeding feedback
You know your baby is feeding well when:
- s/he is calm after most feeds
- s/he is alert and active when awake
- you have changed at least three or four nappies
1in 24 hours - your baby has at least one loose, yellow bowel motion daily (after the dark green meconium that is seen in the first few days)
You know your baby is feeding correctly when:
- short frequent sucks to stimulate milk flow are followed by swallowing, which you can hear or see. Sucking becomes slower, deeper and more rhythmic with rest periods between each sucking episode. As the feed progresses, the sucking intervals become shorter and the rest periods longer.
Some disadvantages of breastfeeding
However, even though breastfeeding is certainly considered the best option, there might also be some inconveniences for the mother. For example, everything the mum consumes is passed on to her baby. Any food she eats1 , medication she uses, or anything that she applies to her skin can therefore be passed on to the baby.
WARM UP
• Do you sometimes see women breastfeeding in public? Does it embarrass you?
MORE
1 VaIeri e Hunter Gordon (UK) created the first disposable nappy after having her third child, Nigel, in 1947 becoming tired with washing traditional nappies. lt was initially made out of old nylon parachutes, tissue and cotton wool.
DO
1 What foods are not recommended for breastfeeding mothers?
