Baby's First Feeds

The Right Circumstances For First Feeds

Baby's First FeedsIf a baby's sucking reflexes are respected and used in his very first feeding experiences he will quickly learn the lesson that "sucking = milk = comfort". But it helps him to learn and it helps him to get enthusiastic about the whole feeding business if the feeds are kept comfortable and peaceful, and the more enthusiastic he becomes, the more comfortable and peaceful you will feel. It is not always easy to arrange life for your baby exactly as you would like it in a busy hospital, especially if your baby is in the nursery rather than beside your bed. If they really will not allow rooming-in, what about an early discharge?

For the smoothest possible start:

Avoid even trying to feed a baby who is very upset and screaming. He will not suck well. While he is overwhelmed by his feelings there is little chance of him discovering that he can suck himself better. At home, it will be better for both of you if he is always picked up and offered food before he reaches that point. In hospital, staff sometimes misguidedly keep your breast-fed baby away from you and waiting for his feed because they want you to rest, especially at night. And nurses may be making up feeds for the bottle-fed babies at certain hours so unscheduled feeds are not available. If, despite all your efforts, your baby has been kept waiting and is upset, he needs soothing by close wrapping, rocking or walking before you attempt to persuade him to suck.

Noise and movement may distract your baby from sucking. If this seems to be a problem and you are at home, try excluding everyone but your partner from the room while you are nursing, at least for a few days. If you are in hospital, you can at least position yourself so that your body is between your baby and the room and your face is directly above his. If you can get him to focus on you, other things will be less distracting. Wherever you are, keep up a gentle stream of talk. Your voice will block out the other sounds.

Don't try to force a sleepy baby to stay awake. In the very first days many babies are too sleepy to suck for long, especially if they were dosed with your pethidine. It really does not matter if your baby goes to sleep after a few sucks because if he is mature enough to need more food', he is mature enough to wake again and ask for it. On the other hand it does matter if he is upset by being bounced around and having his feet flicked in misguided attempts to make him take the "proper" amount all at once. Feeding should be gentle bliss.

Make sure your baby gets properly rewarded for the effort of sucking. In breast-feeding, a somewhat pendulous breast (especially one that is not yet full of milk but only has some colostrum in it) can block the baby's nose when he tries to suck so that instead of being rewarded, he gets in a panic because he cannot breathe. Either move his bottom further in to your body so that his forehead moves fractionally away, or use the fingers of your free hand to depress the breast a little just above the areola so his nose is clear.

In bottle-feeding, a teat with too small a hole may frustrate your baby. Instead of an easy reward for his sucking he has to work for every sip and in these early days he may easily give up. If you up-end the bottle, milk should drip out of the teat at a rate of several drops per second. If it is slower than that you need a larger-holed teat.