Reviewed by Dr Avinash Kamat, consultant pediatrician from Mumbai.
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for your baby for the first six months. This means that apart from breast milk nothing, not even water should be given to the infant.
Almost half of all new mothers are concerned that their breast milk supply is inadequate. This perception is wrong in most cases since mothers produce much more breast milk than essential.
However some women do suffer from inadequate milk. This may be due to fatigue, stress or illness in the mother, or increased milk requirement in the baby, such as during growth spurts. Milk supply may also diminish if mothers do not feed the baby enough or do not empty the breasts after each feed. In such cases, or in cases where there is failure of lactation, formula feed can help.
Breastfeeding These are things to remember while breastfeeding your baby:
Breast milk is the ideal food for a newborn baby. It has the right balance of calories, proteins, fats and vitamins needed by the baby. Colostrum, the thick, yellowish and scanty milk secreted just after delivery is also rich in nutrients and contains protective elements for your baby.
The tendency to feed the baby by the clock is undesirable. Breastfeeding should ideally be “on demand”. Wait till your baby demands to be fed by moving the hands towards the mouth, making sucking or smacking noises or trying to seek your breasts. If you fail to respond to these signs, the baby may even cry. A minimum of 8 to 12 feeds a day are needed for your baby. The baby should guide you to the amount and number of feeds.
Breasts produce milk according to the baby’s needs. Foremilk, the initial milk from the breasts is watery and rich in lactose. This is followed by the more dense and calorie-rich hind milk. At each feed ensure that your baby is fed both fore and hind milk. Babies typically feed around 10 to 20 minutes on each breast.
During breastfeeding most of your areola (dark area around the nipple) should go into your baby’s mouth, called latching. Correct latching will cause a tingling sensation in the breasts as your baby feeds and you will also be able to hear the soft gulping sound of milk being swallowed. Loud smacking or sucking noises, or pain around your nipples, indicate improper latching.
At least six to eight wet diapers a day, in the case of breast-fed babies, means your baby is getting adequate milk. During weeks four to six, breast-fed babies pass adequate stool at least thrice a day. Subsequently the baby usually has one or two messy diapers a day. Beyond two to three months of age, the number of messy diapers decrease. The baby may go days or even a week without passing stool. Breastfed babies have formed but soft stools that cause no pain.
Formula feeding These are tips to help you formula feed your baby:
Formula food is heavier than breast milk so the typical two to three hourly schedule for breast-fed babies needs to be adjusted to allow longer gaps. Your newborn can take in one to two ounces of formula at one go. By six to eight months your baby should be able to take six to eight ounces.
With formula, you need to be extra careful while preparing the baby’s bottle. Regular hand washing, and washing and sterilization of the bottle and nipple are important to avoid contamination. Do not leave your baby with the bottle in the mouth unattended as your baby can choke on the milk. Look for rash or itchiness around the baby’s mouth and chin as these could be signs of allergy to the formula. In such a case, stop the feed at once.
Whether you breastfeed or use formula, Induce burping after each feed of formula to prevent the colicky pain caused by air swallowed by the baby. Loss of some weight in the initial week of life may not be related to feeding. Infants usually regain their birth weight by two weeks of age and double it by four to five months. Inadequate weight gain may indicate inadequate feeding.
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for your baby for the first six months. This means that apart from breast milk nothing, not even water should be given to the infant.