Breastfeeding Information

• Your newborn baby will breastfeed about 8 or more in 24 hours but not always at regular times.
• Babies are born knowing to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. The best way to know when to feed them is to look for signs that they are hungry.   
• Feed your baby when they first show signs of hunger such as:
  • Smacking their lips 
  • Sucking on their hands 
  • Turning their head to look for your breast
  • Being more alert and moving around more
• Waiting until your baby starts crying might make it more difficult for them to latch onto the breast.

• The way that you hold your baby when you are breastfeeding can help you to have a good latch.
• A good latch:
  • Allows your baby to get the breastmilk they need
  • Prevents pain while breastfeeding
  • Supports your milk supply
  • Start by getting in a comfortable position and then bringing your baby to your breast. You can use pillows to support your arms and back. You might also want a footstool for your feet. 
  • When you latch your baby, hold your baby so that their body is touching yours from their hips to their chest. Line up your baby’s nose to your nipple and wait until your baby has a big wide-open mouth to latch. 
  • When your baby tilts their head back to latch, look for their chin to be touching your breast snugly.
  • You know your baby is latched on well if:
    • Their chin is touching your breast
    • Their nose is free 
    • Their head is tilted slightly back
    • Lips are turned outward like a fish
    • You can see more of your areola can be seen at the top than the bottom

View BestStart's Guidelines for Nursing Mothers Reference Chart

• Your first milk (colostrum) comes in very small amounts and is filled with nutrients and immunities. 
• Over the first 3-5 days, the look of your milk will change. It will start to become more white in colour. You will also notice that you will start making more. The is referred to as “milk coming in”.
• While you are breastfeeding, your body makes milk 24 hours a day.
• When your baby drinks and takes milk out of your breast, your brain gets a signal to make more milk.
• When you first start breastfeeding, it is important to feed your baby whenever they are showing signs they are hungry. This tells your body to keep making milk and will help you to establish your supply.
• If you are separated from your baby, hand express or use a pump to remove your milk

• Skin to skin means holding your baby on your chest with their bare skin against yours
• Skin to skin helps:
  • your baby adjust to life after birth.
  • to steady your baby’s heart rate, breathing, temperature, blood sugar and blood pressure.
  • with bonding and helps to calm your baby when they are upset.

• Your baby needs frequent and small feedings in the first few days.
• Your first milk is called colostrum and comes in very small amounts.
• Colostrum is all your baby needs and within a few days your milk supply will change to match your baby’s changing needs.
• You can support early breastfeeding by holding your baby on your chest, skin to skin and helping them to latch when they show signs they are hungry. 
• Check out our positioning and latching as well hand expression sections for helpful tips.

• It is common for families to find the second night to be difficult.
• Your baby may struggle to adjust to new noises, lights, sounds and smells.
• If you find your baby is crying more, you can try holding your baby skin-to-skin, breastfeeding and other strategies to soothe your baby.
• If you start to feel overwhelmed, ask for support from family, friends or your health care team.
• Learn about other options for support in Hamilton.

• Cluster feeding is when a baby feeds many times over a few hours .
• It is normal and does not mean your baby is not getting enough milk.
• Continue to follow your baby’s cues.
• Holding your baby skin-to-skin, and feeding your baby based on their cues will give your baby what they need.

• If you are having challenges with breastfeeding, some things you can do are:
  • Hand express or pump every 3 hours to support your breastmilk supply
  • Hold your baby skin to skin
  • Use your expressed milk to feed your baby 
  • Get support 

Ask for help with breastfeeding when:

• You are feeling worried or concerned
• Breastfeeding is painful or your nipples are red, cracked or blistered
• You have itching or a rash on your nipple or areola
• You have a lump on your breast that does not go away with massage after 24 hours
• You have a fever or flu-like symptoms such as body aches, chills or fatigue.
• Your breasts are full and sore

Ask for help when your baby:

• Does not breastfeed at least eight times in 24 hours
• Does not want to eat and refuses two feedings in a row
• Does not wake, cry or fuss to be fed after six hours
• Cries a lot and is not sleeping between most feedings
• Does not have the expected number of poopy or wet diapers for his age
• Is very sleepy when feeding and does not drink

• There are different reasons you may need to supplement your baby’s feeds with expressed breastmilk or formula.
• Some reasons your baby might need to supplement are:
  • low blood sugar
  • large weight loss or trouble gaining weight
  • being premature
  • dehydration 
  • other medical conditions 
• Some reasons you might not be able to breastfeed are:
  • Being too ill to breastfeed
  • Needing medication that is not safe for your baby
• If you think you need to supplement, speak with your health care provider or lactation consultant to create a feeding plan that works for you and your baby. 

• Expressing breastmilk is a way to remove milk from your breasts to feed your baby or store for later. 
• The amount will be just drops in the beginning and will increase as you have more milk supply. 
• You can express breastmilk by using a breast pump or by hand expression. 

How to use a breast pump

• Wash your hands before using your breast pump
• Put your pump pieces together according to the instructions
• Apply a thin layer of food oil such as coconut or olive oil to the inside tunnel of the flange
• Place the flange with your nipples in the middle. Check to make sure that you have the right size flange so that only your nipple is pulled into the tunnel
• Turn the pump on and increase the level of suction until it is slightly. Uncomfortable. Then turn it down to the highest level that is comfortable for you
• Stop pumping when your breasts feel empty
• Store the breastmilk safely in the fridge if you will not be using it right away
• Take your pump apart and clean any pieces that came in contact with your breast or breastmilk with hot soapy water. Let the pieces airdry on a clean surface 

How to hand express breastmilk

• Massage and stroke your breasts to help your milk start flowing
• Position the thumb and first two fingers on either side of the areola
• Press your fingers back toward the chest wall. Avoid spreading your fingers apart
• Compress your fingers and thumb together. Do not squeeze, pull or slide over the breast tissue
• Relax and then repeat the above steps to express milk from your breast
• Watch the video Hand Expression of Breastmilk to see how to hand express breastmilk

• There are many ways you can feed your baby expressed breastmilk or formula. 
  • Cup feeding is best in the first few days
  • Paced bottle feeding is best if you plan to continue breastfeeding
  • A lactation aid is best when your baby is latching well but still needs extra milk
• If you think cup feeding or a lactation aid may be best for you, please reach out to a lactation consultant or health care provider to get more help. 
• Paced bottle feeding
  • When buying nipples for your bottle look for nipples that are labelled slow flow to help control the flow of breastmilk of formula.
  • When feeding your baby with the bottle, hold your baby in an upright position and hold the bottle horizontal to the ground.

More information on paced bottle feeding: 

Breastmilk should be stored at the back of your fridge or freezer where it is the coldest.

• Breastmilk should never be put in the microwave.
• Let frozen breastmilk thaw by leaving it in the fridge overnight or by letting it up warm up in a container with lukewarm water.
• Once breastmilk has been thawed it can be stored in the fridge and used within 24 hours.
• Never put thawed breastmilk back into the freezer.

• For information on how to safely prepare formula for your baby please visit the Government of Canada's website on Preparing and Handling Infant Formula.

• There are benefits for continuing to breastfeed for both parents and babies
• For the breastfeeding parent:
  • Hormones are released that help you to relax
  • Breastfeeding allows mom to sit and connect with her baby in a busy day
  • Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast and some other cancers. The longer you breastfeed the better
  • Breastfeeding reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and may protect against osteoporosis
  • Breastfeeding reduces insulin requirements of diabetic women
  • Breastfeeding saves money
• For your baby:
  • Breastmilk changes to meet a baby’s needs as they grow and mature and provides antibodies to your baby that they cannot get anywhere else
  • Breastmilk makes immunizations more effective
  • It continues to help fight off illness as babies grow and is the perfect food if a child becomes ill
  • Breastmilk helps your baby accept a wider variety of tastes and foods
  • Breastmilk is the perfect way to be comforted through stress, illness and learning
  • It is a stable, safe food supply in case of emergency or natural disaster
  • The immune benefits of breastfeeding remain as effective at 2 years as they were at 2 months

• As your baby starts solid food, their need for breastmilk may slowly decrease.
• Time spent at the breast may also decrease. Your breastmilk supply will adjust to this.
• As your baby matures they may become easily distracted; this is a normal developmental stage and you may find it easier to breastfeed in a quiet spot.
• Your baby may become more aware and effected by their environments. The hormones released in children during breastfeeding can help them to relax and help control anxious feelings.
• Breastfeeding until your child is ready to wean may help him to develop a secure independence.

• Some mothers are worried about continuing to breastfeed when their baby begins to get their teeth. 
• Some babies may begin to bite while breastfeeding due to:
  • New teeth coming in
  • Learning how to use their new teeth and wanting to practice
  • Wanting to get milk to flow faster 
  • Falling asleep at the breast and biting as a reflex 
• To prevent your baby from biting you can try these strategies:
  • Pay attention to when your baby is biting during the feeding; it is hard for babies to bite when they are actively sucking and swallowing.
  • Make sure that your baby is well latched to the breast. When the baby is latched well, the tongue is over the lower gum line and your baby is not able to bite.
  • Discourage your baby from feeding with a lazy or shallow latch.
  • Remove your baby from the breast when suckling slows, you no longer hear swallowing, or when you notice your baby is beginning to fall asleep.
  • If your baby is biting when you are seeing a lot of suckling and hearing swallowing, remove your baby from the breast, firmly tell him “no” and then resume the feeding.
  • If your baby bites, again, repeat “no” and end the feeding; your baby will learn that biting is unacceptable.

• The weaning process begins when both you and your baby are ready.
• It is most successful when it is baby-led.
• Weaning is a process that usually takes place over several months.
• When you and your baby are ready to wean, start by dropping a feed every few days starting with the feeds that your baby is least interested in.
• If you are doing parent led weaning some tips to help the process include:
  • Remove feedings gradually. Eliminate one feeding every 5-7 days
  • Shorten the length of a feeding before eliminating it
  • Change your daily routines (e.g., sit in a different place where you would normally feed your baby before a nap)
  • Offer other foods or drink, or use distractions during the times when your baby would normally breastfeed. (e.g., reading, singing, or going to the park before the child has a chance to think about breastfeeding)