![]() This is sometimes known as the ‘top-up trap’. Also, if your baby sleeps for longer after a bottle he might miss the next time he naturally would have breastfed. If you can’t breastfeed your baby directly for the first two weeks, you can express to build and maintain your breast milk supply through this crucial period and beyond.ĭid you know giving your baby extra bottles of formula unnecessarily can actually reduce your breast milk supply? It means your breasts aren’t getting the message to increase breast milk production, because milk isn’t being removed. Some mums try to increase the gap between feeds to give their breasts more time to make milk, but this is not a good idea, as it can slow your milk production. ![]() If you follow your baby’s lead and let him breastfeed as often as he wants, for as long as he wants, your breast milk production should follow. Protecting your breast milk production in the first month Breastfeeding makes your baby feel calm and contented as he adjusts to life outside the womb, as well as helping the two of you to bond. ![]() “We’re conditioned to think a tiny baby will only want to feed every few hours but that’s not necessarily true.”ĭon’t forget too that babies also breastfeed for comfort. “It’s easy to believe that you’re not producing enough milk in those first few weeks, because your newborn is feeding all the time, but this is natural,” says Jo, mum of two, UK. The frequent feeding is helping build your supply, so feed your baby on demand, rather than to a schedule. Remember, it’s normal for babies to feed a lot – perhaps as much as every 45 minutes – and this doesn’t mean they’re not getting enough milk. Each time milk is removed from your breasts, either by your baby feeding or by you expressing, they will make more. The more frequently your baby breastfeeds, the more milk you’ll make, through a process of supply and demand. The first weeks with your baby are vital for establishing a good breast milk supply in the long term. This process also matures your milk’s composition – during this phase of breast milk production your body is making transitional milk in quantities that continue to build. Your prolactin levels surge each time you remove milk from your breasts, ensuring they complete their development. In the first weeks, your body is really responsive to milk removal as it’s learning how much breast milk to make. The first month: Building your breast milk supply
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