My goal is to increase knowledge and understanding of what is a normal in a newborn so a new Mom who wishes to breastfeed her baby can accomplish that which she has set out to do. It is not my desire that this post cause pain or guilt to those, who for many reasons, find that they cannot nurse such as those on medication or chemotherapy.
This visual is brilliant!
Being a visual learner, I have always done better with a picture! When I saw Katie’s infographic on Facebook (from Babies First Lactation) it was my hope that lots of people (Moms, Dads, and extended family members) could gain understanding from it. The La Leche League also has a valuable visual here.
As an RN, I have had lots of occasions to talk with new Moms who felt their newborn was not getting enough milk or maybe not good quality milk. They felt their milk supply was inadequate somehow and so began to question their ability to supply it. If they were to stop nursing at this point, their babies would miss the colostrum God designed to pass on antibodies to build the baby’s immune system.
When well-meaning family members say “The baby is crying again, he must be hungry” or “she (the baby) just ate an hour ago; you must not have enough milk if she is hungry already”, this can create, or further feed, an insecurity the new mother may already be feeling, and often leads to unnecessary supplementation.
What a perfect scenario to cause doubt, open the door to formula, and possibly lose your milk supply. I urge you to persevere with good counsel from a lactation specialist.
Leaders accredited by La Leche League International are available around the world to help mothers who wish to breastfeed their babies, or contact a leader anywhere in your state. Use the map. There is also a ‘Help request’ you can use for specific questions and support.
Also consider asking for guidance or support from an experienced Mother who has breastfed her children. I believe they would be honored to come alongside you and would likely be a huge help to you.
Studies Show Potential Health Advantages For Breastfeeding Mothers
~prevent postpartum hemorrhage
~promote uterine involution (return uterus to a nonpregnant state)
~delays menstruation which has the important benefit of conserving iron in the mother’s body and often provides natural spacing of pregnancies
~physical recovery of the mother between pregnancies
~optimal increased metabolism, giving an edge on losing weight gained during pregnancy
~lactation may actually result in stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
~reduced risk of various cancers and heart disease
~produces a special hormonal milieu for the mother. Prolactin, the milk-making hormone, appears to produce a special calmness in mothers.
Mother’s milk also confers untold lifelong health benefits to your newborn.
No one could ever make a more perfect food.
Understanding how crucial these benefits are for long term good health, you may want to work extra hard to not lose that beautiful and womanly art of breastfeeding. How do you measure the peace of mind of having a healthy baby who is developing optimally? Where do you factor in the financial burden of formula prices and increased medical costs?
In my humble opinion, many man-made formulas are problematic. Here are infant formulas which contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG) and processed free aspartic acid – both neurotoxins.
A newborn is tiny for only a short time, their stomachs grow quickly and they become much more efficient which means breastfeeding sessions become shorter and less frequent. For now enjoy those cuddles. Be encouraged that your baby is feeding frequently and doing a fantastic job of “demanding” a healthy supply of breastmilk. The great effort you and your baby put in during the first few days establishes a solid start for a happy and healthy breastfeeding relationship.
Do you have a story to share?
Mother and Three daughters by an Open Window by Giuseppe Magni
“Breastfeeding is a natural “safety net” against the worst effects of poverty. If the newborn survives the first month of life (the most dangerous period of childhood) then for the next four months or so, exclusive breastfeeding goes a long way toward canceling out the health difference between being born into poverty and being born into affluence…It is almost as if breastfeeding takes the infant out of poverty for those first few months in order to give the child a fairer start in life and compensate for the injustice of the world into which it was born.” ~James P. Grant, former Executive Director, UNICEF
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Thanks for reading!
KM Logan @lessonsfromivy says
This is seriously excellent to remember.
Roxy says
Wonderful post! I think you should repost this every nine months!! 🙂
Blessings, Roxy
Jacqueline says
Haha! Maybe I will…on FB! Thank you, Roxy!
Lindsey @ Road to 31 says
Thank you for this. Having a new baby, this is very helpful to visualize! Sharing!
Jacqueline says
Oh, bless you, dear Mama! May this time be a wonderful and precious time for bonding 🙂 Writing this made me want another baby!!
Jenn says
Thank you for the sweet comment over at my blog! We are doing well and I am closing in on the last 6 weeks of pregnancy! I do go late so baby might come after those six weeks but oh well 🙂
Also, I have been thinking much about breastfeeding lately (of course) and refreshing myself on all the info, so this post was helpful for me and encouraging too. So thank you! 🙂 Take care!
Jacqueline says
Jenn,
I hope you will post photos!! Six weeks will be here before we know it!! So excited for you and the family!!
Amanda Lou says
Thank you for sharing this! I would love to have known this before, but now that I know, I can hopefully share it with other struggling mothers. Thank you for the encouragement!
Jacqueline says
Amanda,
I was a struggling Mother, too, many years ago. I will never forget how afraid I was, so I love coming alongside of you gals 🙂 Thank you for sharing it with others and may God bless you now right where you are.
Caitlin says
Thank you so much for this. When my daughter was born she was in the NICU where I felt very pressured to supplement because they were concerned for her weight gain, so I breastfed and supplemented with formula until my daughter was 7 months and refused to nurse thereafter. With my next child I am determined (God willing!) to nurse exclusively!
Jacqueline says
I pray for all you young mothers, Caitlin. I was also pressured with one of our twins~ they started giving him glucose without conferring with me and were going to inset a scalp vein b/c the NICU was empty. I fought it and won, but only b/c I was a heart nurse and rather a pushy nurse! Haha!
I do trust the Lord will give you wisdom as you ask for it and the help you need. Remember He will never leave you or forsake you!!
Tulip says
Love the visual! It is hard to remember when baby cries that it could be something other than hunger 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Jessica says
I love this!! The neatest thing I ever heard about breastfeeding was that when your baby nurses, the saliva from his/her mouth enters the breast and tells the mother’s body exactly what the baby needs in the next feeding. So each feeding is custom made for the baby! Is God’s design amazing or what??
Jacqueline says
I had not known about that, but I am not surprised as we have the amazing Creator doing the blueprints! Thank you for telling us here 🙂 Wonderful!
Udoka Ohuonu says
Hi
(This is an enquiry not a comment)
My name is Udoka and I am the Production Manager of a medical publishers, Mac Keith Press (www.mackeith.co.uk)
There is a photograph in this issue of amother holding her baby that we would like to use in a book we are producing on developmental assessment.
Do you hold the copyright to that image and if so, would you grant us permission to use it?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes
Udoka
Jacqueline says
Udoka,
I got that photo here: http://pixshark.com/mother-and-new-born-baby-pictures.htm Hope that helps!
Ashley says
I thank the Lord that I’ve been able to breastfeed and do not take it for granted. My 15 month old is still going strong and only recently has he begun to get interested in table food. I have been praying about sharing the next time I have a newborn…I now have a pump! I always have an abundance of milk the first few months and would love to help those who truly cannot breastfeed.
Jacqueline says
Ashley,
Did you know about the Helping Hands Milk Bank? http://www.helpinghandsbank.com/?gclid=CMiZ1q-ynM0CFQiqaQodHwQFAw
Thank you for your care and concern for others 🙂 God bless your growing family!