» Reasons to Breastfeed
» Tips for Successful Breastfeeding
» During the Learning Period
» Signs Your Baby is Positioned Well
» Signs Your Newborn Baby Is
» Getting Enough
» Returning to Work or School
» Storing Breastmilk
» How Long Should You Breastfeed
» Your Baby?
» Weaning Tips

Reasons to Breastfeed

• Breastmilk helps your baby grow strong and healthy.
• Breastmilk is the perfect food for your baby. It’s just what your baby needs in just the right amounts.
• Breastmilk changes to meet your growing baby’s needs. No formula can do that.
• Breastmilk is gentle to your baby’s stomach and very easy to digest.
• Your baby will have less colic, constipation, and diarrhea.
• Your early breastmilk, colostrum, gives your baby protection against disease. Your baby will have fewer doctor visits and fewer trips to the hospital.
• Breastfed babies have fewer earaches and colds.
• Breastfed babies have less asthma, food allergies, and eczema.
• Breastfeeding helps decrease your baby’s risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
• Breastfeeding helps you lose the weight you put on during pregnancy. Weight loss can be easier, and it helps your uterus return to normal size at a faster rate.
• Your breastmilk is always ready. No mixing, measuring, or heating. No sterilization and refrigeration. No clean up.
• You don’t have to worry about breastmilk being “recalled” like formulas are for contamination or manufacturing problems.
• Nighttime feedings are quick and easy.
• Breastfeeding saves money - there is nothing to buy. You will have extra money for you, your baby and your family.
• Breastfed babies are easy to take out - no bottles or formula to pack up!
• Breastfeeding is a warm and cozy time for you and your baby.
• Breastfeeding helps you feel close to your baby and feel confident about yourself as a mother.
• Breastfeeding is special to your baby. Your baby will always know who you are.

Tips for Successful Breastfeeding During the Learning Period

• Learn all you can!
• Get support and encouragement: call your WIC office or healthcare provider if you have any questions/concerns about breastfeeding or would like to weigh your baby.
• Get comfortable: relax and use extra pillows to support your back and arms, and baby too!
• Massage your breasts gently before and after a feeding.
• Gently support your breast, placing 4 fingers under your breast and your thumb on top of your breast.
• Place your baby on his side, facing you, tummy to tummy.
• Tickle your baby’s lips lightly with your nipple until he/she opens WIDE to properly "latch on":
  • Bring your baby in, chin first, to your breast; baby’s head should move slightly back, with the bottom lip touching the breast first.
  • Baby needs to take much of the dark part of the breast (areola) far into his mouth; part of the areola should be showing above the baby’s top lip.
  • Baby’s nose should be away from the breast (or lightly touching it) and his chin should be pressed into the breast.
  • Both of baby’s lips should be flanged (poked) out.
  • Your nipple will be drawn far into baby’s mouth; he will NOT be sucking on the nipple.
• To end a feeding, slip your little finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth to break the suction and take the baby off the breast.
• Breastfeed your baby as soon after birth as possible.
• Nurse your baby “on demand” – if your baby seems hungry, feed him! Remember, a new baby generally needs to be fed every 1-3 hours both day and night.
• If your nipples are sore: check that your baby is positioned well on the breast; vary the baby’s nursing position often; start feeding on the less sore breast first; rub a little breastmilk onto your nipples and let them dry after each feeding; call your doctor or breastfeeding professional to get help if soreness persists or becomes painful.
• A sleepy baby does not feed well, so you may need to wake him. Tips for waking a sleepy baby: unwrap baby, change his diaper, gently pat his feet and wiggle his legs gently, talk to him, rub his back or wash his face with a cool cloth.
• Drink a large glass of water, juice, or milk every time you breastfeed, to prevent dehydration.
• For privacy, wrap a sweater or baby blanket over your shoulder; wear a shirt that pulls up from your waist or buttons up the front; unbutton shirts from the bottom.

Signs That Your Baby is Positioned Well

• Your baby’s chin, chest and knees are facing toward your breast.
• Your baby’s mouth is wide open, like a yawn.
• Both of your baby’s lips are curled out, and not sucked or puckered in.
• Your baby’s chin is firmly touching your breast.
• Your baby’s nose is lightly touching your breast.

Signs Your Newborn Baby Is Getting Enough

Your newborn (birth to 6 weeks) is probably getting enough if:

• Your baby nurses at least 10 - 12 times in 24 hours. It is normal for very young babies to wake up often and nurse.
• Your baby has at least 6-8 soaking wet diapers every 24 hours.
• Your baby has at least 1-2 large bowel movements every 24 hours.
• The bowel movements are changing from black and sticky to yellow liquid by day 5.
• Your breasts feel softer and lighter at the end of each feeding.
• You can hear and/or see your baby swallow while nursing.
• Your baby is usually content, alert and active when awake.
• Your baby is happy and satisfied after nursing.
• Your baby gains 4-8 ounces per week after the first week.

Take your baby to the doctor right away if you see any of these signs:

• Your baby has a very dry mouth and lips.
• Your baby’s skin or eyes have a yellow color.
• Your baby’s urine is a dark yellow color.
• Your baby’s soft spot on the top of his head sinks in.
• Your baby doesn’t wake up to be fed.
• Your baby isn’t nursing well.
• You feel your baby does not look well.

Returning to Work or School

It is best to wait until your baby is at least 6 weeks old before going back to work. Talk with your employer to see if you can take off longer.

At least two weeks before:

• Finalize plans with your baby’s caregiver.
• Select a comfortable and effective breast pump.
• Stockpile expressed breastmilk in bottles or special milk storage bags.
• Establish a nursing and pumping routine.
• Establish a routine of giving expressed breastmilk in bottles to your baby (many babies will take a bottle better from someone other than yourself).
• Purchase a bag for pump and freezer packs to keep milk cold.
• Find out if your place of employment has an area for you to pump in privacy.

One week before:

• Leave your baby with the caregiver for a few hours each day.
• Get up an hour earlier than you normally would to practice getting you and the baby ready for the day.
• Time the route to your caregiver’s home and to work. Allow plenty of time for settling the baby and saying good-bye.
• Get in the habit of packing the baby’s bag and your pump each evening.

The night before:

• Pack diaper bag
• Pack pump, beverages, and snacks for work.
• Freeze ice packs.
• Go to bed early.

The morning of:

• Get up a little earlier.
• Get yourself ready first
• Eat breakfast
• Wake and nurse your baby.
• Dress your baby.
• Pack milk and freezer ice pack in bags.
• Remember to pack everything into the car.

Allow more time if:

• You have other children.
• There is bad weather.
• There is heavy traffic.

At work:

• Pump your breasts on breaks and during your lunch hour.
• Store your breast milk in a small cooler or refrigerator.
• At first your breasts may leak more; you may need to wear breast pads.

After work:

• Nurse your baby as soon as possible after work.
• Nurse your baby when he needs to at night.
• Go back to nursing on demand on weekends and days off.

Working and Breastfeeding Resource Website: www.wicworks.ca.gov

Storing Breastmilk

Important Collection and Storage Reminders:

• Always wash your hands before handling the milk and storage containers.
• Pump or express milk into clean, dry collection containers (bottles or milk storage bags).
• Label containers with the collection date if you’re not using the milk immediately.
• Use solid lids/caps and seal the container tightly.
• Do not refrigerate or freeze bottle nipples; add them after thawing.
• Freeze milk in small portions, 2 to 4 ounces per container; smaller amounts thaw more quickly.
• When freezing milk, do not fill containers more than ¾ full to allow room for the milk to expand.
• Cool milk before freezing it; and when adding newly expressed milk to frozen milk, cool it first.
• Never use a microwave to thaw or heat breastmilk.
• Shake the container after thawing to re-mix the breastmilk.
• Rotate your stock. Use oldest milk first.
• Put only 2-4 ounces of milk in a bottle because unused milk leftover from a feeding should be thrown out.

FRESHLY EXPRESSED breastmilk can be stored:

• 8 – 10 hours at room temperature (throw away if not used that day.)
• 5 - 8 days in the refrigerator
• 2 weeks in the freezer section of a one-door refrigerator
• 3 - 4 months in the freezer section of a two-door refrigerator
• 6-12 months in a 0 degree deep-freeze

THAWED breastmilk:

• If thawed in the refrigerator: use within 24 hours.
• If thawed on the counter or under running water: use within 4 hours.
• Do not refreeze breastmilk.

How Long Should You Breastfeed Your Baby?

• The Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding (no other food or drink) for the first 6 months, continued breastfeeding (accompanied by the introduction of solids and juice) until at least the baby’s first year of life, and after that as long as the mother and baby want to. View the AAP’s Policy.
• Weaning is easiest if left up to the baby (baby-led weaning); since all babies are different, they wean at different times, but most during the second year.
• There is nothing wrong with you or your baby if your baby wants to continue nursing past 2 years.
• Older babies who nurse get their main nourishment from solid foods, but breastmilk is still very important for them: It still keeps them from getting as sick, and helps to satisfy their emotional and sucking needs. Nursing can be very helpful when the baby is sick or hurt or afraid.
• Studies show that nursing a toddler does not make him too dependent on the mother. In fact, children who are nursed for a long time usually grow up to be independent and self-reliant.

Weaning Tips

Baby-led weaning (when the baby is the one wanting to wean): This is usually the easiest and most gradual type of weaning. The best advice is: Don’t offer the breast, but don’t refuse it when he wants it.

Mother-led weaning (when you are the one who wants to begin weaning): A gradual, slow weaning process will be easiest on both mother and baby; it allows mother’s milk supply to decrease slowly, without breast fullness and discomfort, and gives the baby time to get used to other kinds of attention and love to substitute for the closeness shared while nursing.

• Suggestions for Weaning Slowly:
• If possible, plan to do it very slowly: this way, the baby won’t feel rejected, and it reduces your chance of becoming engorged and getting a breast infection.
• If your baby is less that a year old, you may need to wean him to a bottle to satisfy his strong sucking needs; waiting to wean until the baby is at least a year old allows for weaning to a cup.
• Begin by taking away one feeding every 3-5 days, starting with the feeding baby seems to be less interested in; replace this feeding with formula, juice or solids, depending on the baby’s age.
• Often a baby will refuse these replacement feedings from mother: you might ask another family member to help feed the baby at this time.
• After a few days when baby seems satisfied with the substitute feeding, replace another nursing time, and keep on like this until the baby is no longer nursing.
• Distract an active and curious toddler with games, outdoor play, story-telling or reading.
• Give your baby extra cuddling and loving.
• You may find the hardest feeding for baby to give up is at bedtime: if nursing him for a while at night helps him to sleep in peace, you might want to continue this one special feeding a while longer.
• Suggestions for Sudden Weaning:
  • Because this kind of weaning is most difficult for both mother and baby, it is not recommended unless there is an unavoidable situation (such as in the case of illness in the mother or separation of mother and baby).
  • Replace breastfeeding with formula, juice or solids, depending on the baby’s age.
  • Be aware that sudden weaning can cause feelings of sadness and guilt for a mother due to hormonal changes as well as the unexpected end of the nursing relationship; talk about these feelings with people you trust.
  • Hand express or pump a small amount of breastmilk to relieve breast fullness and to prevent engorgement; remove only enough milk to relieve fullness because the more milk you remove, the more milk you’ll make.
  • Put ice on the breasts to relieve pain and reduce swelling. Bags of frozen peas wrapped in wet washcloths work well.
  • Wear a snug bra for comfort and support.
  • Wear nursing pads to absorb leaking milk.
  • Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.
  • Give your baby extra cuddling, loving and distractions to make up for the loss of nursing.