A recent article from The New York Times
"A Free Miracle Food"
Monday, July 15, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
If at First
What happened last
time? It’s important to think about why breastfeeding was unsuccessful and see
if those issues can be avoided this time. Often, early supplementation with
formula is the culprit and it often happens in the hospital. This is such a
set-up for problems! I tell moms to nurse early and often and to resist offers
of formula (“so mom can rest”, e.g.). Babies don’t need to eat so much in the first
24-48 hours, nor do they automatically require supplementation if they have greater
than 7-10% weight loss. An immediate assessment of breastfeeding, by an IBCLC,
can help to turn things around.What about anatomical
issues like tongue tie (baby) or inverted nipples (mom)? Inverted nipples can
be easier to evert with later pregnancies and, a sibling of tongue-tie means
that the baby should definitely be evaluated, both for tongue tie and labial or
lip ties as well.Some situations cannot
be resolved, such as glandular insufficiency or galactosemia, but these are not
very common. Most important is to support the mother to have a new and better
experience and hopefully, to successfully breastfeed.
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