Behind - 9 months of pregnancy and difficult birth hours for any woman. The baby was born. Women often feel joy, fatigue ... and confusion. This little man does not at all look like an adult, and he seems very tender and fragile. What does he need, how to handle him? If instincts tell animals everything, then they are silent in humans. And if before people grew up in large families, among numerous brothers and sisters, now many people are holding a baby for the first time when their first child is born. Therefore, advice to young mothers is so in demand.
Of course, one of the main needs - after the air that the child first draws into the lungs at the first cry - for the baby becomes food. Perhaps born into the world is hard work and he is terribly hungry? Or vice versa, he is only moving away from shock due to a meeting with the outside world and is he just not up to it?
Breastfeeding after childbirth
If before the baby was usually taken immediately after birth and laid separately from the mother, then in modern maternity hospitals it is customary to immediately put the baby to the chest. Should this be done if there is no milk in the breast yet? The answer is one: it is necessary. There are several good reasons for this. Firstly, breastfeeding is not just about nutrition. From birth, an infant is important for an emotional connection with her mother and pressing her mother to the warm chest, the smell of her body and milk, her voice and touch - this is the first contact. This softens the stress experienced by the baby at birth, and has a beneficial effect on his further psycho-emotional development.
Colostrum Feeding
But feeding the newborn will only benefit. Most likely, immediately after giving birth, the mother will not have milk, but colostrum. It is a thick, yellowish or clear liquid, and there is usually not much. But this amount is enough for the baby. How much should a newborn eat per feeding? The first time, usually not more than a teaspoon. But colostrum is very valuable in its composition: it is rich in nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and most importantly, it contains white blood cells and antibodies that help the child form immunity. After all, the baby spent the entire pregnancy in a sterile environment of amniotic fluid, and his body still does not know anything about the fight against infection. Colostrum is also different in that the proteins in it are split into amino acids - the baby's body has less work to do, the proteins do not have to be digested. At the same time, the caloric content of colostrum is significantly higher than that of milk, and the liquid in it is relatively small. This is done by nature for a reason. Kid's kidneys still can not cope with a large amount of fluid. And the child’s body contains a supply of water for the period until mature milk has appeared.
Colostrum is very beneficial for the intestines - it helps to form a healthy microflora, and also causes the first peristalsis. At the same time, meconium is released - primordial feces, with which the child's body is released from bilirubin. This is an excellent prevention of jaundice in newborns.
How to apply a baby to the chest
You need to put the child to his chest for about half an hour after giving birth: you need to give him a little getting used to a completely new environment - a whole avalanche of new sounds, bright light, from which he was fenced in the womb. At the same time, the baby will begin to exhibit search behavior - from birth it is inherent in him to look for the mother's breast. He opens his mouth, sticks out his tongue.
The sucking reflex is especially strong in the first hour after birth. You need to try to take advantage of this in order to immediately correctly attach the baby to the chest.
How to do it? When feeding a newborn, you need to press the tummy to yourself so that the nipple points to his nose. The chest should be supported with the hand so that the thumb is on top, and the rest - from below, at the level of the baby’s lower lip. The index finger is best kept away from the nipple so as not to interfere with the baby. We must wait until he opens his mouth wide, as if yawning. At this moment, you need to press it closer to you and direct the nipple into the upper part of the mouth. With proper feeding of the newborn, the nipple and areola are in his mouth, from below more than from above. The lips of the child at the time of sucking turn out. You need to attach the baby to each breast for about 20 minutes.
What to do after feeding a newborn? The baby must be kept in a column, i.e. vertically. In this case, he will be able to free himself from the swallowed air, and the food will enter the stomach faster and will not stagnate in the esophagus. The baby’s gastrointestinal tract is still immature, so this will be beneficial for him.
Children behave differently: someone more actively sucks, someone falls asleep. On the 2-3rd day, usually all children begin to ask for breasts more often. Inexperienced mothers get scared and think that they need to feed the baby with a mixture, since there is not enough colostrum. But this behavior of the baby is quite natural - it stimulates the production of milk. Incidentally, feeding the newborn with colostrum also affects the mother's body. It stimulates the release of transitional milk, which is more high-calorie, rich in fats and lactose. On the 12-14th day after birth, it is usually replaced by mature milk. It seems completely liquid and has a bluish tint, but is an excellent nutrition for the baby.
Its always the best!
Feeding with the mixture should be avoided if possible. The fact is that in children who eat the mixture, the acidity of the gastrointestinal tract is noticeably higher. This provokes its colonization with putrefactive bacteria, causes dysbiosis, a tendency to intestinal diseases and allergies. Unfortunately, in babies who are fed milk, but at least once a day they add a mixture, the microflora, more likely, resembles that of artisans. If the mother has milk and she refuses to use the mixture in feeding her baby, the microflora will recover in 2-4 weeks.
In general, you should not take unnecessary initiative and look for a bottle with the mixture. If supplementary feeding is really necessary, it is usually prescribed by a doctor.
Artificial Feeding
Sometimes artificial feeding is a necessity. Although you should not practice it unnecessarily, it is not a tragedy. A huge number of children were fed using mixtures. Moreover, science is constantly moving forward, and new, more useful and safer formulations of baby food are being developed. Mixed feeding is very common - when there is not enough milk, it is combined with the mixture. If breast milk is only a third of the baby’s diet or is completely absent, breastfeeding is considered artificial. The appropriate mixture is usually selected by the doctor. If a child has digestive problems, the mixture may not be suitable for the baby. Doctors in this case select a new one based on the condition of the child.
That’s exactly what you shouldn’t do - it’s yourselves to inject cow or goat milk into the infant’s diet. Animal milk for babies can only be given after a year. For feeding a newborn baby, it is not at all suitable. Yes, we are all mammals. But the needs of cubs of different species differ markedly. Cow's milk contains more fat, but less polyunsaturated fatty acids - the famous omega-3 and omega-6, as well as iron. Manufacturers of mixtures take this into account, and if the mixture is based on cow's milk, it is enriched with the necessary substances. In addition, babies are allergic to cow's milk.
True signs
Does the child have enough food? Many mothers are afraid of weight loss in the first 3-4 days of life. But if it does not exceed 5-8% of the child’s weight, it is physiological. The baby gets rid of the accumulated meconium in the intestines, as well as the fluid that helped him pass through the birth canal without injuries. If weight loss is greater, doctors usually prescribe supplementary foods. But it is better to feed the baby with a mixture from a spoon, and not from a bottle. Otherwise, it may affect the behavior of the newborn during breastfeeding.
It can be determined, oddly enough, by wet diapers. Usually a baby will write up to a week during the day as many times as there are days, sometimes one more. This will also be a sign that he is getting enough nutrition.
Feeding rates for newborns in the first days of life
It is important to understand that in everything related to the development of the child, any norms are approximate. Nevertheless, it is better to be familiar with them in order to understand whether the baby is eating enough. How much milk does a newborn eat per feeding? As already mentioned, a newly born baby is small enough. The baby’s stomach can hold only 7-10 g of colostrum or milk at a time for several more days. Sometimes after feeding, vomiting may occur. Do not be scared. Most likely, the child swallowed air while sucking and now gets rid of it. It is better if he does it right away - colic and gas will give him much more discomfort. But the baby will eat often - about 15 times a day. The interval between feedings will be about 2-3 hours. It is better to give breasts on demand. How much a newborn eats in one feeding can be found out by weighing the baby before and after meals. Accurate scales should show the difference down to a gram. By the first week of life, the baby can drink from 50 to 80 ml of milk at a time.
Understanding that a child is hungry is easy. If you feed him, but he did not have enough, he will not let go of his chest. If some time has passed and he is hungry, he will cry, and also keep his hands near his mouth - this is one of the first gestures with which the child shows that he is hungry.
Conditions for feeding
The very first feeding of the newborn will take place right in the delivery room, then in the ward. And when you get home with your baby, you can choose the most suitable place. It should be quiet and comfortable so that you can relax. Best of all - a sofa or chair where you can sit reclining. There are also special devices for the convenience of nursing mothers, for example, horseshoe-shaped pillows. Nothing should distract the child from eating. And you can quite afford to entertain yourself with something interesting. Feeding can be stretched, but you should not rush the baby. Therefore, you can stock up on a book or magazine, put some cookies next to it.
Feeding poses
A comfortable position for feeding a newborn - lying on his back on a fairly high pillow. The child is on his mother’s stomach and rests on him with arms and legs. You can sit on your side, the child also lies on his side and sucks the chest, which was on top. You need to hold it with both hands. Periodically, postures should be changed in order to use both mammary glands and use their different lobes.
Breast preparation
Breast of a nursing mother requires careful hygiene. You need to wash it with soap, wipe with a towel and arrange air baths. It is also important to choose the right bra. It should be made of natural material, fit in size, and during pregnancy, the breast could increase. Lingerie for nursing mothers has a special device of a fastener and cups for convenience of feeding.
How to avoid problems
To avoid injuring the nipples or insufficient feeding of the baby, it is important to correctly apply it to the chest. To prevent the transmission of milk ducts, you need to feed the baby often enough. Usually in the first days of life, babies require feeding very often, sometimes every half hour. After all, this is a transitional stage from the prenatal period, when the fetus continuously received food and was completely dependent on the mother, for independent nutrition. So you need to understand that frequent feeding of a newborn with breast milk, although tiring, is physiological for both the baby and the mother.
And to avoid nipple cracks, it is important that the child swallows the nipple deep enough. Otherwise, he may chew on his gums, which causes injury. If there are cracks in the nipple and you are in pain, you will have to stop letting the baby suckle. Neither you nor the child need sacrifices.
Feeding duration
The duration of feeding a newborn with breast milk can be very different. Some children suck greedily and eat up quickly, while others do it leisurely. Sometimes feeding reaches an hour or even two. Tear off the baby from the chest is not worth it. He won’t understand your wishes to suck faster. And while feeding, the child also comes into emotional contact with his mother, and his attachment forms. It all starts with bodily sensations - he feels the heat of the body, hears breathing and a heartbeat. At this time, you can not only doze or read, but also watch TV or talk on the phone, if only the sounds do not distract the baby from food.
Milk pumping
It is considered normal when the milk is more than the baby needs. Nature ordered that there be enough food. Whether it is necessary to express it is a question that raises debate. One point of view is that it is useful because it stimulates the production of milk and is the prevention of its stagnation. Another is that it is unnatural and changes the composition of milk. Expressing milk is important if you need to stock it for the future. When the mother is constantly next to the baby, usually such a need disappears. Breast pumps are sold in pharmacies to help express milk. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 12 hours without pasteurization. Moms who could not resist and out of curiosity tasted their own milk, they say that it is much sweeter than cow's milk and even resembles condensed milk diluted with water. This is due to the fact that breast milk has a high content of lactose - milk sugar.