Some Breastfeeding Questions & Answers

When welcoming a newborn into the family, one of the primary questions is "Should I breastfeed?". For those who decide to go this route, we have prepared a few questions with answers to help the new mother when breastfeeding their newborn.

Q. How frequently should I nurse my newborn?

A. A newborn should be nursed no less than 8 times a day, depending upon how long he sleeps between feedings at night. If he can go four hours between feedings, then you will probably feed him twice between 11pm and 7am. If you feed him right before he goes to bed, then you may only have to get up one time during the night.

Q. What are the number of times an older baby should be nursed?

A. This can depend on the age of your child. Generally, you should be feeding him every 3-4 hours during the day. As your child gets older, they will nurse less, but they will be eating more during each nursing. If you are going to nurse after your child is over 6 months old, you should not nurse less than 5 times a day. If your milk supply is decreasing, then you may need to add a nursing or two to your day to help increase your milk supply.

Q. How do I begin the weaning process as my baby gets older?

A. The most common method is to begin lengthening the routine from every 3 hours to every 4 hours. You could also begin dropping a feeding in the middle of the night, or dropping a late-night feeding.

Generally speaking, your baby will let you know when they are ready to change their eating habits. This is usually revealed by a change in their sleep pattern. A baby that has been on an every 3 hour routine normally takes 3 naps a day and if they eat every 3 to 4 hours, they may drop the last nap of the day or shorten one of the other naps considerably. Babies are usually ready to do this at around 3 months of age.

You will find that the majority of infants cease their middle of the night feedings by themselves at around 6-14 weeks old. The most common way of knowing that they are ready is when you awake in the morning wondering why your baby did not wake you up for a feeding. The other side to this is your baby will require more food during the day though, and if you are breastfeeding, your breasts may feel full for a few days, but it is well worth it!

Keep in mind, the late night feeding is usually the hardest to let go of, more for you than for your baby. Some parents think that if they do not feed the baby right before bed, their baby will wake up in the middle of the night. If you don’t think your child can do without the late night feeding, then push it back in 15-minute increments until you are feeding him more on your schedule than his.

The bottom line is, should you choose to breastfeed your newborn, with some minor adjustments throughout the process and putting these tips into practice, it will work itself out and both you and your baby will be much happier for it!