Planning Ahead for Exclusive Nursing with a Robust Supply
I have several clients who are waiting for the delivery of their next baby. They want a better experience this time..more efficient nursing with a larger supply. They can do this for sure..and I educated them that it does start with the initial feeding in the Labor & Delivery area. See the handout: "Tips for First Feeding in Labor and Delivery."
In an ideal situation, baby is placed on your chest, dried and rubbed with a warm towel. RN's asses your baby while there, skin to skin with you. In that first hour of life, your baby will begin to root and look to nurse. Current best practices promote letting the baby stay tummy to tummy in this natural, laid back hold. Hold your newborn gently behind the neck at the level of the ears and latch the baby after she opens with a wide gape. To promote her staying latched, take the other hand and gently compress the breast to help the colostrum move to your baby. This hands-on nursing really helps her obtain more and become more of an efficient nurser. The more milk you express, the more milk you will make! That's the key..Let your baby nurse more often, especially the first couple days and weeks. Don't worry about the clock, or eventual schedule...Frequent feeding, and on demand, will set your body up for the right milk production your baby needs.
Sometimes your newborn has to be separated from you if she is early/needs to go to the NICU. In that case, you want to utilize a breast pump in the first hours. See this link from Dr. Jane Morton: "Maximizing Milk Production."
Frequent nursing attempts in the NICU along with pumping with a hospital grade Medela Symphony pump can really help!
Once you are home, protect your nipples with a laid back hold. This hold helps with a variety of nursing issues and the best part is that it also protects your nipples from pain, bruising, or cracking. Keep your baby awake at the breast and make sure you still hear audible swallows. Engorgement can be relieved with cold compresses, ibuprofen, and very gentle massage. Make sure you keep track of your baby's wet and dirty diapers..If you fear your baby is not hydrated enough, nurse more often and/or pump and feed a bottle of your expressed breast milk.
In general, adding in a pump each morning will help you achieve a higher supply. Moms generally have the most milk supply in the early morning. After that typical early morning nursing, pump both sides and place that bottle in the refrigerator. That can be an additional feeding your support person can give. Late evening may be a helpful time for him to give that bottle, giving mom a nice break for some needed sleep! Then, next time you wake to nurse again, you have had some rest and feel rejuvenated. You can do it!!
