Making milk is easy — 10 steps to make plenty of milk
- Frequent feeds, not formula. The more often you feed, the more milk you make. If you give formula, your baby will feel too full to nurse frequently.
- All you need is breastmilk! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your baby have a diet of purely breastmilk for the first 6 months — no other food or drink is needed.
- Feed early and often. Feed at the earliest signs of hunger: if baby’s awake, sucking on hands, moving his mouth or eyes, or stretching.
- If he didn’t swallow, he didn’t eat. Listening for the sound of swallowing will help you know if your baby’s getting enough.
- Say “No” to pacifiers and bottles. If pacifiers and bottles are used when your baby is hungry, you may not be nursing often enough to make plenty of milk.
- Sleep near your baby and nurse lying down. You can rest while you feed your baby!
- Have baby’s mouth open wide like a shout, with lips flipped out.The tip of your nipple should be in the back of his throat. He should be directly facing you chest-to-chest, chin-to-breast. Proper positioning prevents sore nipples.
- Watch the baby, not the clock. Feed your baby when she’s hungry, and switch sides when swallowing slows down or she takes herself off the breast.
- Go everywhere! Plan to take your newborn everywhere with you for the first several weeks.
- Don’t wait to ask for help, if you need it. If you wait too long to get the help you need, it may be harder to breastfeed. Stick with it – it’s worth it!
