Common Need of a Newborn Baby – Newborn Breastfeeding

It can usually be done up to eight to twelve times in a 24-hour period for the first two to four weeks. However, when you decide to breastfeed your child, be mindful of your close ones who ask you to breastfeed less often. Let it depend solely on your baby’s needs. Pay attention to their feeding cues like rooting, sucking, mouthing, etc. If it’s been more than 3 hours and your newborn isn’t showing the need to breastfeed, wake them up and encourage them to breastfeed.

• If your baby is mostly sleeping, healthcare professionals recommend waking them up for feeding.
• Avoid giving them pacifiers for the sake of lengthening the time between each feed.
• Crying is a late sign of hunger and makes breastfeeding much harder.

The Length of Each Feed

If you’re a mother to a newborn, you might have to breastfeed the baby for at least 20 to 45 minutes. However, the newborns are mostly sleeping, and this duration takes time and patience. Feed your baby on the first side until they stop sucking, their hands are no longer fisted, and your baby appears tired and peaceful. After that, pause one side, burp your baby, and shift them to another side. The major sign is that when the newborn is breastfed, they’ll gradually stop taking the feed. Moreover, not every baby needs to take the feed from both breasts. So, even if they’re full from one side, you can stop and hold them for a burp. Also, it’s common for babies to take feed in short gaps and then sleep for several hours without feeding.

Is My Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?

Every new mother has this concern about whether my baby is getting enough feed or how many minutes a newborn should be breastfed. It happens in the beginning, but over time, you’ll start identifying the signs that your baby shows. If their bowel movements are on track, it apparently means that they are getting enough breastfed. Newborn breastfed babies’ stool patterns vary, but by the third day of life, they should have at least two to three stools in 24 hours. Most breastfed newborns have at least four yellow, seedy faeces per day at five days old. Older babies differ. Some babies have bowel motions every day, while others have them every few days.

What If I’m Breastfeeding Twins or Triplets?

It can be challenging for new moms to breastfeed every child equally when there’s more than one. It takes energy, time, and patience. Given that breastfeeding is less expensive and beneficial for a newborn baby’s growth, you will get used to it. Do not worry about the milk supply because you’ll have plenty.