Taking care of a newborn can be tough, especially when you’re also in the process of recovery. If you’re planning to breastfeed your newborn, read this article ahead to know what to expect for the first few weeks postpartum. Learn valuable insights and tips for breastfeeding your newborn during this critical period.
What Are the Signs of Hunger?
How to know if your newborn is hungry besides crying? Crying is considered a ‘late sign’ of hunger. By recognizing early hunger cues, you can avoid dealing with a crying baby. Feeding a crying baby can be challenging, and it’s difficult for them to latch on properly when they’re upset.
Early Signs of Hunger
- First, they will move their mouth, their head starting to turn as they look for a breast.
- Babies often suck on their hands, putting their fists and fingers in their mouths.
- They may also stir and become more active.
- They might stick their tongue out, open their mouths constantly, turn their heads around to look for breasts and move their lips as if trying to suck.
You know your baby is looking for food when you see those signs.
If your baby is crying, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s hungry. It might be due to other reasons such as feeling too hot or cold, lack of security, needing a nappy change, etc. Many moms mistakenly believe that crying is the only sign that their baby is hungry, but it’s actually a sign of distress. Hungry babies will exhibit signs of hunger before they begin to cry. Watching for and responding early to your baby’s hunger signs may help prevent them from crying. Once a baby is crying, it can be harder to latch.
How Do I Know If My Newborn Is Breastfeeding Enough?
Are you nursing your baby around 10 to 12 times per day? If so, then you’re likely nursing enough. As stressed by Kelly Bonyata, “you can’t nurse too often, you can nurse too little”.
Signs that Your Newborn is Drinking Enough Milk
- Wet diapers > 6 times per day
- Dirty diapers = 4-5 times per day
- Soft/empty breasts after nursing
Can I Switch Between Breasts When I Nurse?
Yes, you can and should switch between breasts when nursing. It’s important to nurse on each breast equally to ensure that the milk ducts in each breast are equally emptied, promoting an equal supply of breast milk from each breast.
Friendly reminder: You might forget which breast your baby just latched on to, so it’s definitely a good idea to keep track on your phone or in a notebook!
Should I Purchase a Nursing Cover?
Even if you’re in a single-room ward or confinement centre, you can still have many visitors coming to see you every day, and it’s hard to keep them out of the room. Now, when you need to feed your newborn but the visitors are still in the room, what should you do?
Having nursing pyjamas with a nursing cover is a good idea. Nursing pyjamas typically have nursing openings on each side, allowing you to feed without having to lift your entire top. Additionally, you can use another nursing cover or bed sheet placed over your shoulder, allowing the cloth to naturally fall and cover your breast.
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