A Guide To Your New Family's First Weeks - Meriter Health Services

Nutrition and Feeding: Breastfeeding
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding babies during the first six months in order
to provide optimal growth and development. The academy also recommends continuing to breastfeed through the first
year of life and as long as both mom and baby would like beyond the first year.
Benefits of Breastfeeding: For Baby
• Provides protection from many illnesses including
diarrhea, pneumonia, meningitis, ear infections and
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Provides long-term health advantages, such as
fewer allergies, decreased risk of obesity, and lower
incidences of diabetes and other autoimmune
system disorders.
• Breast milk changes to meet your baby’s
nutritional needs as he grows—from day to day
and month to month.
• Breast milk is easy to digest and never
constipating. Mother does not need a special diet.
• Breast milk tastes different every time your baby
eats. This helps develop your baby’s sense of taste
and smell.
• Breast milk is always ready and available.
Benefits of Breastfeeding: For Mom
• Breastfeeding helps the uterus contract, which
limits the bleeding experienced after delivery.
• Breastfeeding causes the release of prolactin, the
“mothering” hormone, which helps mothers feel
more relaxed.
• Women who breastfeed also tend to lose their
pregnancy weight more quickly.
• Studies show that breastfeeding reduces a woman’s
risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and decreases
the risk of osteoporosis.
Additional Assistance
If you ever have questions or concerns about
breastfeeding, call Meriter’s Breastfeeding Helpline
at (608) 417-6547 or 1-800-261-4449, or speak with
your infant’s physician or nurse. Always feel
comfortable asking for help—it is better to address
breastfeeding concerns early on than to wait for a
serious problem to develop. You can easily correct
most breastfeeding challenges if you handle them
early. We offer book and Web site suggestions in the
Healthy Living section of www.meriter.com.
Breastfeeding Your Baby
As with any new skill, it may take practice for breastfeeding
to become “second nature” for both you and
your baby. Your nurse is an excellent resource; ask
her for help. We hope this information also supports
your breastfeeding experience.
Steps to Promote Successful
Breastfeeding
• Breastfeed “on cue”—Feed your baby when he
shows early feeding cues (see page 24) and until
content. Breastfeed for as long as your baby is
actively nursing.
• Breastfeed your baby at least 8-12 times per
day—This gives babies the fluid and nutrition they
need, and encourages a good milk supply.
• “Room-in” with your baby—Keep your baby
with you as much as possible, which allows you
to identify early feeding cues. Spend as much
time with your baby skin-to-skin as possible
(see page 12).
• Make sure your baby latches correctly—Look
for a wide-open mouth, flared upper and lower
lips and absence of pain while nursing. Your baby
should be facing you, tummy against your body,
her chin deep into the breast and her nose close.
• Avoid giving your baby a pacifier in the early
weeks—This decreases the time your baby gets
to learn how to breastfeed, and may affect your
milk supply and baby’s weight gain. Some babies
can also have a hard time learning how to suck
at your breast if using a pacifier. By waiting until
breastfeeding is well established, your baby will be
better able to learn how to nurse correctly.
• Unless medically indicated, avoid giving your
baby any supplements (water, sugar water,
formula)—Giving fluids other than breast milk
will fill up your baby and decrease the feeding time
at your breast.
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