My baby eats whenever he or she is hungry for as long as he or she wants. It may be every 1.5 to 3 hours, and adds up to be at least 8-12 feedings in a 24 hour period.

My baby wets at least 6-8 diapers a day and has at least 1-2 poops most days. (After the first week)

When my baby eats, I wait for a big "baby bird" mouth before pulling my baby on. Breastfeeding should not hurt. If I have pain, I should try again. If I continue to have pain, I need to seek help from a breastfeeding professional, doula, or LLL counselor.

My baby does not eat or drink anything else but breastmilk for a full 6 months. (No water or juice)

In order to make plenty of milk, I rest when my baby sleeps, especially in the first few weeks. (Day and night)

I am getting plenty of help for household duties such as cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping, so that I can rest and let my body heal from childbirth. (Especially the first few weeks.)

I am getting a balance of nutritious foods every day, take my vitamins, and drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages to keep me hydrated.

I know alcohol and medications can affect my breastmilk and my baby, so I keep these to a minimum and seek the help of a lactation professional if I am not sure if one is safe while breastfeeding.

I trust my body knows exactly how to make milk and how much. It will make milk for as long as I want to nurse my baby!            

A full night’s sleep for a newborn is a six hour stretch.

Night waking might be one way of baby’s protecting itself from an immature respiratory system.

A newborn will pace its breathing to an adult in the same room.  Having your baby sleep within 5 feet of an adult for the first few months may lower its risk of SIDS.

Babies are safest sleeping on their backs.

Swaddling a baby shuts off the Moro reflex, this often helps a baby to sleep longer stretches. If you are co-sleeping, do not sleep with a baby swaddled, baby needs his/her arms free.

Develop a sleep routine for baby.

For safety sake, baby needs to sleep on a firm surface, with no soft bedding.

If baby has a hard time sleeping flat on his/her back, try letting him sleep in a bouncer or seat (just put it in a safe place off the floor so no one will trip on it!)

Babies have shorter sleep cycles than adults. Night waking is normal. The goal is for your baby to learn to sooth its self back to sleep peacefully.

Some babies are noisy sleepers. They grunt, move around and sometimes even cry out all in their sleep. It may take some time but learning to ignore these sounds and allowing baby to sooth himself back to sleep is a good thing. J

Using white noise helps many babies sleep. It also can help mommies to filter out sleeping baby noises.

Help baby learn to differentiate between day and night. Naps can be done in a lit room but turn down the lights at night. When rocking baby to sleep, some babies respond well to a soft blanket thrown over their head and your shoulder (remember to remove it when you put baby down to sleep). Encourage baby to sleep by attentively ignoring them…hold them in your arms while rocking, bouncing them in their bouncy chair, all while not making eye contact or talking with them. Bore them to sleep.

Stay calm. Remember that night waking is normal and your baby will outgrow this eventually. Babies pick up on our stress. Your stress will only make nighttime parenting harder.

Some helpful books….

Sears and sears sleep book

Happiest baby on the block

The no-cry sleep solution

Helpful websites…

http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/

http://www.askdrsears.com/

Pumps:

·         Choosing a pump involves considering many different factors.  You may want to purchase if you plan to use it often and for years, perhaps a subsequent baby.  If you need to use it to establish or maintain milk supply for a sick or premature baby, renting a hospital grade pump may be most cost effective.  If you are using it to go back to work an electric personal use pump may be the most comfortable and efficient choice. For an occasional bottle, hand expression or a manual pump may be sufficient.  Consider your family’s financial resources and consider it as an investment; compare it to costs of formula feeding and more doctor visits.

·         Your level of breast milk works on a supply and demand system. Due to this, you want to make sure that you are not giving your breast the signal to make twice the milk you need. Pumping is best done when your baby misses a feeding or in very short sessions after your baby has eaten.

·         The amount of milk that you pump is not a measure of your milk supply!  A baby who has learned to effectively breastfeed removes milk better than any pump.  To increase the flow try:

o   pumping in a private warm environment free of distractions,

o   cup your breasts and gently but firmly stroke them from chest toward areola or stroke them lightly with fingertips  (or gently jiggle or shake),

o   develop a ritual- imagine you are nursing your baby and  have a picture to look at, listen to relaxing music or a book on tape, enjoy a cup of tea

·         A flange is the part of the pump that fits over the breast.  It should cover the areola and the opening should fit loosely over the nipple.  Switching to a larger flange makes a difference in pumping comfort and/or output for some moms.   Reevaluate after 3-4 weeks.

·         Always center your nipple in the flange and use only enough suction to make milk flow well.

·         http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/

Bottle Feeding:

·         Hold your baby during feedings, perhaps skin-to-skin, for the interaction s/he needs, bonding and wonderful memories

·         Many moms find the best bottle for supporting breastfeeding has a wide base and slow flow.

·         A bottle is best introduced between 3-5 weeks. Some babies will refuse the bottle if it is not introduced by week 6.  The baby may be more willing to take a bottle from someone other than mom. When introduced too early, a baby may develop a preference for bottle feeding.

·         Once introduced, it is a good idea to offer the baby a bottle once a week.

·         Pacing the feed will help baby to be able to notice when s/he is full and also mimics the flow of breast milk.  Trust your baby knows how much s/he needs to eat, don’t coax him to finish.
http://alliancebreastfeeding.com/docs/Paced%20Bottle%20Feeding.pdf

·         Hold baby semi-reclined for his/her comfort and to avoid swallowing too much air.

·         Switch arms for symmetrical development of eye and neck muscles.

·         If you are concerned about BPA, avoid using bottles with recycling symbol 7, use 1, 2, 5.  http://www.thesoftlanding.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=baby+bottles

how long is safe to store breastmilk?

At room temperature

60 degrees F          24 hours

At room temperature

66-72 degrees F     10 hours

At room temperature

79 degrees F         4-6 hours

In a refrigerator

32-39 degrees F       8 days

In a freezer compartment inside a refrigerator

2 weeks

In a self-contained freezer unit of a refrigerator

3-4 months

In a separate deep freeze with a constant temperature

0 degrees F          6 months or longer

Tonight I went to an open house for the new birth center in Georgetown TX. It is beautiful. The midwives and staff working there are wonderful. I am really happy that we have this as an option north of Austin now! what a great addition to Williamson county.

If you get a chance, go check it out.... www.texasbirthcenter.com