Aug. 3, 2023 | Breastfeeding produces a natural connection between a mother and child but it also produces a lot of questions. Such as, how often and how long should a mother breastfeed? Newborn babies should breastfeed eight to 12 times per day for about the first month. Frequent feedings help stimulate milk production during the first few weeks. Breastfeeding should be “on demand”, or when your baby is hungry, which is about every one and a half to three hours. Your baby will show you they are hungry by smacking or licking their lips and putting their hands or fingers in their mouth. Newborns should not go more than about three hours without feeding, even overnight. By the time your baby is one to two months old, he or she will probably feed between seven and nine times a day. As babies get older, they may have a more predictable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go two to three hours between feedings.

Aug. 3, 2023 | A common question new mothers have involves taking medications while breastfeeding. Most medications that women who are breastfeeding might take are compatible with breastfeeding, but you should check with your doctor. There are a few medications that should not be used since almost all medicines pass into your milk in small amounts. Always talk to your health-care professional or pharmacist about medicines you are using and ask before you start using new ones while breastfeeding. This includes over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements. Before stopping breastfeeding, speak to a breastfeeding specialist. For some women, stopping a medication can be more dangerous than the effects it will have on the breastfed baby. Breastfeeding can’t prevent pregnancy even though it can delay the return of regular ovulation and menstrual cycles, so talk to your doctor about birth control choices that are okay to use while breastfeeding.

Aug. 3, 2023 | Mother’s own milk is very important when your baby is born too early or is sick at birth.  Feeding Mother’s Milk to a premature infant helps prevent several serious complications of prematurity.  Breastfeeding is also important for mother’s health and helps prevent some types of cancer and heart disease. But when a mother is unable to provide milk for her premature infant, pasteurized donor milk is the next best option. Human milk banks like the UAMS Milk Bank, scheduled to open this summer, collect, screen, process and distribute donated milk to meet the needs of individuals for whom it is prescribed. Dr. Misty Virmani, a UAMS neonatologist, says the primary beneficiaries of milk banks are infants in neonatal intensive care units, particularly premature or ill infants. Once the milk is donated, it is screened, pooled and tested so that it can be dispensed to hospitals and sometimes to outpatient families for use by infants in need.

Aug. 3, 2023 | When breastfeeding, it’s a good idea to alternate breasts and try to give each one the same amount of nursing time throughout the day. This helps to maintain your milk supply and prevents painful engorgement, which occurs when your breasts overfill with milk. You can switch breasts in the middle of a feeding when baby has finished feeding on the first side, and then alternate which breast you offer first for each subsequent feeding. If you can’t remember which side your baby last nursed, attach a reminder, like a safety pin or small ribbon, to your bra strap. Then, start with that breast at the next feeding. You may also keep a notebook handy or use a breastfeeding app on your phone to keep track of how your baby feeds. Your baby may like switching breasts at each feeding or prefer to nurse just on one side. If so, then offer the other breast at the next feeding. Just do whatever works best and is the most comfortable for you and your baby.

Aug. 3, 2023 | Your maternity leave is unfortunately over but there is no reason you have to stop breastfeeding when you return to work. Make a plan for pumping your breast milk at work. The federal Break Time for Nursing Mothers law requires your employer to provide basic accommodations for breastfeeding mothers at work, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These accommodations include time for women to express milk and a private space that is not a bathroom each time they need to pump. Breastfeed your baby before you leave for work, and every three to four hours at work or however often you would normally feed your baby. Keep the milk refrigerated and your baby can have it the next day while you are at work. It keeps for up to four days in the refrigerator. If you aren’t going to use the milk within four days, freeze it. It will last up to 12 months in the freezer. After work, breastfeed your baby as you normally would.