Isn’t it wonderful that breastfeeding is a great way to provide babies with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Did you know “colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by the World Health Organization (“WHO”) as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth?”
As National Breastfeeding Awareness Month (#NBM18) concludes, Dr. Bess Milliron, the Medical Director for the Breastfeeding Center of Charleston, shares her tips for breastfeeding success in the 4th trimester.
13 Tips for Breastfeeding Success in The 4th Trimester
- Get baby skin to skin right after delivery and as often as possible.
- Breastfeed during first hour after birth.
- Ask for help from the lactation consultant and nurses as much as needed in the hospital; have them evaluate your breast pump and make sure flanges are correct size.
- Wake baby for feedings every 2-3 hours. Expect baby to be sleepy first day and awake more on second/third day.
- Ensure that if you are not able to feed baby at the breast that you are stimulating your breasts at least every 3 hours.
- Use breast compressions during feedings to stimulate milk supply and maximize transfer by baby.
- Offer both breasts at a feeding until supply is well established.
- Limit visitors so that you can breastfeed uninterrupted and get to know your baby’s feeding patterns.
- Ask family and friends for help with meals, housework, pets, and other children so you can bond with baby.
- Rest as much as you can.
- Have snacks and water readily available close to where you are usually breastfeeding baby. Breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories per day and it’s important to maintain maternal nutrition.
- Watch for milk to come in fully around day four and have cold compresses and ibuprofen on hand to help with engorgement.
- Schedule a visit at a breastfeeding center that has International Board Certified Lactation Consultants post discharge to ensure that you get off to the right foot with breastfeeding.
Smile Mama…it’s been three trimesters and baby is here!
Dr. Bess Milliron MD, FAAP, IBCLC, is Board Certified in Pediatrics, a Fellow of The American Academy of Pediatrics, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and is the Medical Director for the Breastfeeding Center of Charleston.
The Breastfeeding Center of Charleston “believes the health of the mother and her newborn are intricately intertwined. For this reason, we will be providing comprehensive, coordinated care to the mother and baby as a unit at the Breastfeeding Center of Charleston. Comprehensive care includes exams for the both the mother and baby to ensure optimal health for the breastfeeding duo. Our team will work closely with the mother’s OBGYN and the baby’s primary pediatrician to provide continuity of care for the breastfeeding duo. We will communicate the plan of care that is rendered at each visit back to the primary providers.”
For more information on breastfeeding, contact your local hospital, breastfeeding center or the Breastfeeding Center of Charleston today.
