Fact: Milk supply is optimized when a healthy baby is allowed to nurse as often as he indicates the need. The milk-ejection reflex operates most strongly in the presence of a good supply of milk, which normally occurs when feeding on baby's cue.

Fact: Feeding is not the only method by which other family members can bond with the baby; holding, cuddling, bathing and playing with the infant are all important to his growth, development and attachment to others.

Fact: While many older babies can take in the majority of their milk in the first five to ten minutes, this cannot be generalized to all babies. Newborns, who are learning to nurse and are not always efficient at sucking, often need much longer to feed. The ability to take in milk is also subject to the mother's let-down response. While many mothers may let down immediately, some may not. Some may eject their milk in small batches several times during a nursing session. Rather than guess, it is best to allow baby to suck until he shows signs of satiety such as self-detachment and relaxed hands and arms.

Fact: Every baby/mother dyad is unique. A lactating mother's body is always making milk. Her breasts function in part as "storage tank," some holding more than others. The emptier the breast, the faster the body makes milk to replace it; the fuller the breast, the more production of milk slows down. If a mother consistently waits until her breasts "fill up" before she nurses, her body may get the message that it is making too much and may reduce total production.

Fact: A breastfed baby's frequency of feeding will vary according to the mother's milk supply and storage capacity, as well as baby's developmental needs. Growth spurts and illnesses can temporarily change a baby's feeding patterns. Studies show that breastfeeding babies fed on cue will settle into a pattern that suits their own unique situation. In addition, the caloric intake of a breastfed baby increases toward the end of the feeding, so putting arbitrary limits on the frequency or duration of feedings may lead to inadequate caloric intake.

Fact: Breastfed babies have faster gastric emptying times than fomula-fed babies--approximately 1.5 hours versus up to 4 hours--due to the smaller size of the protein molecules in human milk. While intake quantity is one factor in determining feeding frequency, the type of milk is equally important. Anthropologic studies of mammalian milk confirm that human babies were intended to feed frequently and have done so throughout most of history.

Fact: While most babies will indicate when they need to eat, babies in the newborn period may not wake often enough on their own and should be awakened if necessary to eat at least eight times a day. Infrequent waking to feed can be caused by labor drugs, maternal medications, jaundice, trauma, pacifiers and/or shutdown behavior after delayed response to feeding cues. In addition, mothers who wish to take advantage of the natural infertility of lactational amenorrhea find that the return of menses is delayed longer when baby continues to suckle at night.

Fact: Babies are uniquely wired from birth to feed, sleep and have periods of wakefulness. This is not disorganized behavior but reflects the unique needs of newborn infants. Over time, babies naturally adapt to the rhythm of life in their new environment and do not require prompting or training.

Fact: It is more important to let baby finish the first breast first, even if that means that he doesn't take the second breast at the same feeding. Hindmilk is accessed gradually as the breast is drained. Some babies, if switched prematurely to the second breast, may fill up on the lower-calorie foremilk from both breasts rather than obtaining the normal balance of foremilk and hindmilk, resulting in infant dissatisfaction and poor weight gain. In the early weeks, many mothers offer both breasts at each feeding to help establish the milk supply.

Fact: Studies have shown that even malnourished women are able to produce milk of sufficient quality and quantity to support a growing infant. Most cases low weight gain are related to insufficient milk intake or an underlying health problem in the baby.

Fact: The most common causes of milk supply problems are infrequent feedings and/or poor latch-on and positioning; both are usually due to inadequate information provided to the breastfeeding mother. Suckling problems on the infant's part can also impact milk supply negatively. Stress, fatigue or malnutrition are rarely causes of milk supply failure because the body has highly developed survival mechanisms to protect the nursling during times of scarce food supply.

Fact: A healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins is all that a mother needs to provide the proper nutrients to produce milk. Calcium can he obtained from a variety of nondairy foods such as dark green vegetables, seeds, nuts and bony fish. No other mammal drinks milk to make milk.

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Additional Links:
Much of the information for these breastfeeding pages came from the La Leche League International, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Women's Health Information Center, Parenting and American Baby magazines, and the Iowa Area Education Association. Visit the following links for additional information.

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