One of my favorite roles as a NICU nurse was teaching parents how to safely feed their new baby. It's truly your sole focus for quite some time, so let's make sure you're confident that your baby is eating enough in the most efficient way, so you have time for other things. Napping, maybe? We can hope!
Feeding Tips
The AAP recommends breastfeeding for at least 6 months. I think breastfeeding is great, but I support whatever you choose. While I’m not a lactation consultant, I’ve helped many mamas learn how to breastfeed, so I’ll offer some of what I know here, along with bottle feeding tips.
Breastfeeding
Make sure you’re seated comfortably and you’ve got everything you need in reach - water, phone, chapstick, your dog... whatever you could want for 20 minutes!! Grab some pillows to support your baby so you don’t have to hold them in place the whole time. Their head and spine should be in alignment and their mouth/nose should line up directly with your nipple. Your baby should be tucked right up next to you - as they go to latch, you want to bring them closer by supporting their back toward you, not their neck. Think of their body as one unit you want to move together.
When your baby latches, those tiny lips should be flanged out. It might be painful the first few sucks but it shouldn’t continue hurting - if you feel pinching or hear your baby’s mouth clicking, unlatch and restart. Stick your (clean) finger alongside the baby’s cheek to break the seal without hurting yourself, then let your baby re-latch with a bigger mouthful.
Feeding tips for both breast and bottle
If your baby was born premature, they are likely on a feeding schedule from the hospital. This is great and I suggest sticking with it until your pediatrician gives you the green light to back off. For healthy, full-term babies, they can eat “on demand” or when they want. That’s the life, huh?
- Most newborns eat 2-3 ounces of formula or pumped breast milk every 2-3 hours, or 8-12 times in a 24 hour period
- 1 month: 4 ounces per feeding; eat every 2-3 hours
- 2 months: 5 ounces per feeding; eat every 3-4 hours
- 4 months: 6 ounces per feeding; eat every 4 hours
- 6 months: 7-8 ounces per feeding; eat every 4-5 hours
These are generalizations of course - every baby will have a different appetite. As long as your baby is happy, filling their diaper and following the growth charts during pediatric visits, you’re doing great.
Feedings should take approximately 20 minutes - maybe a little longer if you’re breastfeeding; 10-15 minutes per side should be an average feeding. If you’re bottle feeding, whatever is left in the bottle at the end of the feeding has to be thrown away (bacteria can grow in it so it shouldn’t be reused.) If the feeding is carrying on longer than 20-30 minutes, your baby may be sucking to comfort themselves. The sucking reflex is their biggest coping tool! If you notice this happening frequently, try offering a pacifier instead.
Burping your sweetie halfway through and at the end of the feeding can help prevent extra spit up. One minute of back-patting is sufficient to get a burp if they’ve got one! If your baby is spitting up more than you’d expect, try holding them upright for 20-30 minutes after each feeding and see if that helps. Some babies are spittier than others and they will outgrow it. If the spit up ever seems forceful or as if it’s shooting straight out, it would be crossing the line into vomiting and you should call your pediatrician.
Keeping your baby awake during a feeding can sometimes be a chore. If you’re breastfeeding, you can’t get rid of the snuggle factor. 😊 Undressing your baby and lightly tickling their feet can help keep them awake and focused on the task at hand. Changing their diaper between sides also helps.
If you’re bottle feeding, you can actually pull the baby out in front of you which eliminates the sleepy, snuggle factor. This is easier to explain visually, so I've included some pictures of me demonstrating from my living room. Excuse the dorkiness.
The early days are a blur of feedings - it feels like feeding your baby is the only thing you’re doing. If someone else offers to give the bottle or clean your pumping supplies, let them! Leaning on your support system to do something as simple as carrying your baby to you for middle-of-the-night feedings will go a long way in maintaining your new-mom/dad sanity.
