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Frequently Asked Questions On Breastfeeding

What mothers need to understand is that a hungry baby will have 50% of the milk it needs from one breast in the first 2 minutes. The baby will finish the remainder of its feed in the next 10-15 minutes. After this, the baby continues to latch on to the breast for comfort and satisfaction, even though no milk is produced.

Frequently Asked Questions On Breastfeeding
Compiled by the ApolloLife Content Team in consultation with Dr Radhakrishna Hegde S, Senior Pediatric Consultant.
  

  1. For how long should the baby be fed?
    2. There is no specific length of time recommended as ‘duration’ for breastfeeding, but an ideal session generally lasts for 15 to 20 minutes. Most mothers keep holding the child for much longer while feeding, and the usual reason given is that the baby goes off to sleep after sucking for a few minutes. When the mother tries to pull out the breast from the baby’s mouth, the baby wakes up and latches on to the breast, and this process repeats itself over an hour or more.

    What mothers need to understand is that a hungry baby will have 50% of the milk it needs from one breast in the first 2 minutes. The baby will finish the remainder of its feed in the next 10-15 minutes. After this, the baby continues to latch on to the breast for comfort and satisfaction, even though no milk is produced.

  2. How to take the baby off the breast?

    3. Most mothers simply pull the baby out and when they do that, the baby latches on even more. The process of baby sucking at the breast creates a sort of vacuum in the area, and the way to release the vacuum is for the mother to use her free hand, put a finger between the baby’s mouth and the nipple, and gently take the nipple out of the baby’s mouth. The mother should never attempt to simply prise the baby out from her breast.

  3. How to judge the adequacy of feed?

    4. The adequacy of feed can be known by how many times the baby passes urine. A baby that has been fed adequately should pass urine 6-8 times in 24 hours. Another way of judging adequacy of feed is to note if the baby sleeps for at least an hour or two after feeding. If the baby sleeps for two hours at a stretch, this is indicative of good adequacy. A third way would be to look for weight gain after each feed, which is not practical at home, but can be done at the doctor’s clinic.

    Mothers can test for inadequacy of milk by expressing milk out of the breast and seeing if the milk secreted is in drops, or if it is a stream of milk that comes out. Remember that if the baby wakes up frequently, it is not always due to inadequacy of the feed. Ensure that the baby is offered the complete breast and not just the nipple, for sucking at the milk ducts around the areola ensures secretion of milk, and hence sucking just at the nipple will not yield enough milk.Also ensure that the baby’s position is right and it is turned completely towards the breast.

    Mothers should not succumb to anxiety. Generally, if the baby passes urine and motion normally, sleeps well, and is gaining adequate weight, there is nothing to worry.

  4. What should the mothers eat and not eat? Is there any truth to the old wives’ tales of the ‘right’ foods for new mothers that aid lactation?

    5. From a doctor’s point of view, there is no relation between the intestine and the uterus, or food to lactation. Hence there is no recommended right food to aid lactation. The mother should eat whatever is nutritious. The mother should be able to eat and drink as much nutritious foods as she likes because that would help her produce good quantity and quality of milk, besides helping her to bounce back to good health and normalcy.
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