A Typical Day
Hunger cue
Mom’s Comfort
Position of Baby
Latch Baby
Observations during feeding
End of Feeding
After the feeding
Repeat – 8-10 x
Feeding On Cue
Nursing on cue will ensure that you milk supply is able to meet the needs
of your growing infant. Feeding your baby on cue is more important than
trying to follow a specific time schedule. Your baby will eventually settle
into a normal feeding routine. If the baby isn’t waking up regularly to eat
you should wake him or her every two to three hours for a feeding. A
healthy newborn should have approximately 10 feedings every 24 hours.
Common Hunger Cues
Smacking lips
Opening and closing mouth
Sucking on fingers or fist
Turning head to the side when mouth is touched
Sitting
Side Lying
Something to drink
Cradle
Cross Cradle
Football Side Lying
 Point nipple to nose
 Baby reaches for it by lifting chin & opening mouth
 Bring baby on – with nipple far back in mouth
 Support / prop baby & observe
 Suck – will start fast and slow over time
 Tension – will relax over time
 Swallow – will sound like forced exhale
 Baby naturally self-detaches
 Burp Baby & offer 2nd breast
 Baby will need diaper changed (1 / day of life up to 6 – 7 x per day)
 Baby will sleep for up to 2 hours
If baby can get the full day’s worth of calories in during the ‘day’, baby
may sleep more at night.
How to breastfeed
There are different ways you can hold your baby when
breastfeeding. Ask your nurse, lactation consultant or
nutritionist about them. Choose the position that is
most comfortable for you.
The most important thing to learn for breastfeeding is
how to help your baby "latch on" to the breast.
Here are the basic steps:
Hold your breast in one hand with your fingers
underneath and thumb on top. Keep your hand back
from the areola, the dark skin around the nipple. Your
hand should not get in the way as the baby latches on.
Your baby needs to get the nipple far back in the
mouth to nurse so milk can flow easily.
Put the baby's lips in front of your nipple. Touch the
baby's lips with the nipple until the baby's mouth
opens wide. Pull the baby quickly onto the breast.
Once the baby starts sucking, you will feel a tug on
the nipple. It should not hurt after the first few sucks.
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Breastfeeding should NOT hurt.
If it does hurt, start over. Put your finger in the baby's
mouth between the gums and take your nipple out.
Make sure the baby's mouth is wide open and the
tongue is down before the baby latches on again. It is
okay to start over.
Signs that Breastfeeding is Going Well
Breastfeeding is going well for you and your baby
when:
 You feel a tug, but it does not hurt, when the baby
sucks
 Your baby swallows hard after a few strong sucks
 Your baby is content at the end of the feeding
 By the time your baby is four days old, you see at
least six wet diapers and two to five bowel
movements every 24 hours
 Your baby is gaining weight at each check-up
Margie Wallis
Some other signs that you may notice:
 Your uterus may tighten during or after feedings the
first few days after delivery
 You may feel sleepy or relaxed when your baby
nurses
 You may notice that your breast softens as your
baby nurses
 Your baby's arms and shoulders will relax during
feeding
Beginning to Breastfeed
Breastfeeding mothers should start to nurse their
newborns immediately after birth. It is recommended
that the first feeding should occur within an hour of the
infant’s birth. When you first begin to breastfeed
achieving proper latch on and finding a comfortable
nursing position are the two most important skills to
master. Although occasionally some women have
problems in the beginning breastfeeding is a natural
process and most women are successful at nursing
from right from the start.
A word about cues
It is important to pay attention to your baby so that you
can identify early signs of hunger. Crying is a late
sign. Frequent short feedings are better for
maintaining your milk supply for your baby than longer
less frequent feedings.
A word about schedules
In the first five months, the baby is doubling his or her
birth weight, while also dramatically increasing
neurological organization. Feeding your baby is about
nutrition and neurological growth. When babies
identify feeding sensations, and parents respond
proactively with feeding, neurological connections are
made for the baby, impacting chemical, social, and
emotional development. Rigid schedules may require
a parent to over-ride the early feeding cues or feed a
baby when he/she is not actively hungry. Babies who
are fed on rigid schedules are more likely to have
weight issues and may even have additional
neurological affect as instinctive communication is
sometimes ignored in favor of the schedule.
A word about taking care of yourself
As a breastfeeding mother taking time to care for
yourself and to adjust to your newborn’s schedule is
crucial. A well-rested and relaxed mother will produce
more milk and find breastfeeding easier than a mother
who is tired and stressed. Limiting the amount of
visitors that you have during the first couple of weeks
can help you adjust to nursing your baby. Without tons
of family and friends over you will be able to focus
your attention on caring for your new baby and getting
plenty of rest.
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Latching On
In order for your infant to be able to latch on his or her
mouth needs to be wide open before taking your
nipple. When the baby is properly latched on his or
her lips will be slightly flared and the tongue will cup
your nipple from the bottom.
Comfortable Nursing Positions
The two most common nursing positions are sitting up
and lying down. Many mothers prefer to use the lying
down position for night feedings since it is more
comfortable and convenient for that time of the day.
When positioning your baby to nurse the two of you
should be chest to chest and the baby’s body and
head should be aligned in a straight line.
It is important to remember that when nursing a baby
you are bringing the baby to your breast not the other
way around. You should sit or lie in a comfortable
position before giving the baby your breast. Once the
baby is properly positioned he or she should not have
to stretch or twist around to latch on well.
Nursing your baby in an uncomfortable position may
affect the baby from latching on properly and can
result in sore nipples. As your infant grows older and
successfully learns to nurse you will be able to
achieve comfortable positioning and proper latching
more naturally.
Is my baby getting enough?



Does he or she seem content (sated) after the
feeding?
Is he/she having wet and poopy diapers after
most feedings?
Does your breast feel softer after a feeding?
If you answered YES to all 3 of these questions, your
baby is being nourished. If you answered NO to any
of them, you may consider speaking with a lactation
consultant who can assess your baby and help correct
any possible issues.
Am I making enough?
Many mothers worry that they aren’t making enough
milk. Milk is made as needed. Your body makes the
same volume of milk as what is removed the prior day.
So, when your baby is in a growth spurt, he or she will
want to eat at closer intervals and for longer periods of
time. By the end of the day, the actual amount of
ounces of milk the baby receives will be higher
because there are more frequent feedings. As the
growth spurt ends, the baby will naturally space the
feedings back out.
If your baby is not showing signs of satiety, call a
lactation consultant to get some additional help.
Margie Wallis
Breastmilk Storage Guidelines
The objective of proper breast milk storage is to
preserve its nutritional value and infection
preventing qualities. Washing your hands before
handling your expressed breast milk and
following these guidelines will ensure that your
milk is properly preserved for your baby. By
storing milk in the amount that your baby eats
during each feeding, you can avoid wasting
expressed breast milk.
When freezing or refrigerating expressed breast
milk it is best to store it in clear, hard plastic
bottles or glass containers with tight fitting lids or
in breast milk freezer bags designed for breast
milk storage. Storing milk in disposable bottle
liners is not recommended. Since these bags are
not intended for storage, they may not preserve
the nutritional value of the expressed breast milk.
Breast Milk Storage Guidelines
Always store your expressed milk in the back of
the refrigerator or freezer to ensure that it stays
cool. Refrigeration is the preferred method of
storing expressed milk because it preserves the
natural immunity factors in the breast milk better
than freezing. It is also important to label milk
that will be frozen with the date it was expressed.
Be sure to use the oldest stored milk first.
Expressed breast milk may be stored:
At room temperature for up to 10 hours
In a refrigerator for up to 8 days
In a freezer for up to 3 or 4 months
In a deep freezer for up to 6 months
Heating and thawing your milk can be done by
simply holding the bottle under warm running
water. Frozen milk may also be thawed in the
refrigerator over night. You should not heat the
breast milk in a microwave or bring it to a boiling
point. After thawing frozen milk, it may be
refrigerated for up to 24 hours, but it should not
be frozen.
According to OSHA and the US Center for
Disease Control, expressed breast milk does not
require special handling or storage. Therefore,
when stored in a tightly closed container
expressed breast milk may be stored in a
common refrigerator at your baby’s daycare
center or your workplace.
These guidelines are based on recommendations
provided by the La Leche League International
and the American Academy of Pediatrics for
storing your expressed breast milk at home or
work
Resources
My favorite online resource for breastfeeding
mothers is kellymom.com.
My favorite lactation consultant is
Wendy Blumberg. She helped me with my
children, and is a much respected colleague.
She also sells Moby Wraps, and rents and sells
breast pumps. Her contact information is:
PH: 972-985-8828
Web: www.babybirthandyou.com
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Margie Wallis