The room is ready, the crib is set, the shiny new stroller and car seat awaits! The diapers, the clothes, the toys… what else did we miss?
Everyone is on a high from the joy a little one brings. The anticipation from conception to being able to finally hold the newborn in your arms is a start of a beautiful journey as parents.
Expectations are also high as the new parents step up to their roles as mom and dad. When a baby is born, a new mother and father are also born. And because every parent wants to provide the best for their baby, new parents will need to make some important decisions—one of the most important being about breastfeeding.
The first three weeks from baby’s birth is the most critical period for success in breastfeeding, and the best way to prepare for this is by equipping yourself. As parents—and especially you, new mom—take on both the joys and challenges of breastfeeding, you will be faced with a lot of suggestions and well-meaning advice that could put a lot of pressure on you as new parents. The challenges of being a new mom are hard enough as it is and then there are still breastfeeding myths that don’t help. Balance what you hear with knowledge: do your research, attend classes, and prepare a plan for your “fourth trimester.”
Breastfeeding will prove physically exhausting. Sleepless nights are real and could feel endless. As such, you will need all the support you can get from your spouse, family and community.
But don’t back down from the challenge, new mom. Here are five breastfeeding reminders to motivate and inspire you:
1. Your body is designed to nourish your young with milk from your breasts—like all other mammals. Knowing this should empower your mind and strengthen your spirit that you are capable and enough for your baby. Prepare for the “fourth trimester”, a.k.a., breastfeeding, by taking pre-baby breastfeeding classes and including your intent to breastfeed in your birth plan. Join online breastfeeding communities! A community of support and a sisterhood of mothers is wonderful.
2. Breast is best. Breastfeeding provides the best start for your baby and the best chance to thrive and survive, most especially for preemies. Breastmilk contains the basic proteins, fats and carbohydrates in perfect and appropriate amounts, provides vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and hormones, and contains antibodies and lymphocites from the mother that help babies fight infection. This is why breastfeeding is the best choice.
Breastfeeding also helps mom’s body to recover. It triggers the body to naturally produce oxytocin to help the uterus contract back to its normal size, thereby preventing bleeding and unnecessary blood loss.
3. There are three stages of milk. “I don’t have milk dripping from my breasts. They say it usually takes three days for milk to come.” The truth is, mom’s first milk, colostrum, is too little in volume to be felt by mom. But don’t be deceived: this yellow and sticky and little quantity milk is packed with antibodies and serves as the baby’s first vaccine. It also helps baby pass meconium (baby’s first poop).
Baby’s latch is the best and most efficient way to extract this milk. Make sure that the Unang Yakap protocol is followed and breastfeeding is engaged in during the first hour of life. The Unang Yakap Protocol is a step-by-step program that details the treatment of the baby immediately after birth. Ask for the baby to be roomed in with you. The World Health Organization agrees that the non-separation of mother and infant is important for the mom and baby to thrive.
The next two milk stages are transitional milk, produced anywhere between 2-5 days after birth until 10-14 days after birth, and mature milk, which appears near the end of the second week from childbirth.
Tip: Don’t try to measure your baby’s milk intake by ounces. You will be frustrated and disheartened. A better way to do so is to check his output! A newborn should have at least one (1) dirty nappy and one wet nappy for each day of life (1 day = 1 wet diaper, 2 days = 2 wet diapers) until mature milk comes. By then, expect 5-6 wet nappies every 24 hours.
It would even be better if you and your spouse are able to attend breastfeeding classes before baby is born. This will help address possible breastfeeding hurdles such as shy or inverted nipples, tongue and lip ties, etc.
4. Baby’s fussiness isn’t necessarily about your milk supply. New parents tend to panic when their perfectly peaceful baby suddenly won’t sleep. Growth spurts are normal and usually occur during the first days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months. This has nothing to do with a mom’s milk supply or her ability to nourish her baby with her breasts and milk. A few nights of fussiness and clinginess result to either milestones or a leap in weight gain and increase in milk supply, so don’t panic!
5. Breastfeeding and vaccination can protect baby from serious illness. Some studies also suggest that breast milk may improve the immune response of the infant. Mothers pass on protective antibodies to their babies during breastfeeding for a variety of infectious diseases, including the flu. For the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding, baby is protected by mom’s antibodies passed on during breastfeeding by the entero mammary pathways. According to research, breastfeeding may actually enhance the effect of vaccines.
Breastfeeding is a beautiful journey of love and bonding between mom and baby, and with all these God-given benefits! There is much more to learn. Do your research, find an advocate to help you, and gain confidence in your knowledge about your natural ability to feed your child. May you find joy and success as you do.
Katrina Ambion a.k.a Mommy Kat is a full-time mom to Liane and Zuri and wife to Tagaytay Vice Mayor, Raymond Ambion. She is a trained breastfeeding peer counselor, babywearing and cloth diapering advocate and founder of Tagaytay Moms, an online mom and baby support group based in Tagaytay City that help families succeed in breastfeeding.
She is the Mompreneur behind Mommyfide PH and Katwalk. She is a skincare and beauty enthusiast. She loves travel and milk tea.
