Breast-feeding provides many advantages to the newborn as well as to the nursing mother. However, occasional misconceptions about the nursing process may make it a bit harder to get started.

THE BABY REGULATES HIS SUPPLY

Nursing babies eat frequently, usually about 10 to 12 times per day (every 2 to 3 hours). THAT IS NORMAL AND NOT BECAUSE THE BABY ISN'T GETTING ENOUGH MILK. God, in his wisdom, made breast milk more digestible, allowing the infant a means of regulating his supply. The more frequent a baby nurses, the more milk the mother produces. In this fashion, a growing infant can get more milk to grow and develop.

THE NURSING MOTHER MUST HAVE ADEQUATE REST

Nursing a baby every 2 to 3 hours, especially after the rigors of labor and delivery, can become exhausting. If you can't get enough rest, your milk supply may suffer. Nap when your baby naps. This is not the time for gourmet cooking and house beautification projects. Arrange for some help to deal with the routine household chores. Your job is to nurse and nap. Factors that tend to increase a mother's milk supply are:
A) feeding more frequently
B) getting enough rest
C) good nutrition and fluid intake

Factors that will diminish milk supply are:

A) infrequent feedings
B) fatigue and anxiety
C) poor nutrition

ESTABLISHING BREAST-FEEDING AS THE PRIMARY MODE OF FEEDING

Once you and your baby leave the hospital, you should nurse exclusively. Avoid the temptation to supplement each breast feeding with formula. Sucking from a breast and from a bottle are two entirely different mechanisms and leads to "nipple confusion" in the newborn. This will decrease your milk supply and eventually cause the baby to stop nursing.

USE OF A "RELIEF" BOTTLE

By 2-4 weeks, nursing is usually well established as the primary mode of feeding. Once that occurs (usually between 2 to 4 weeks of age), a "relief bottle" may be safely substituted for a nursing session. The relief bottle is for you to sleep through and for someone else (preferably Dad) to feed. A good system might be for you to nurse at 9 PM and be asleep by 9:30 PM. Dad would take the next feeding between 11 and 12 PM, and you would nurse whenever the baby wakes up next. In this fashion, everybody gets a reasonable amount of sleep. This method will not interfere with nursing whatsoever.

What to put in the "relief" bottle is up to you and depends largely upon how easy it is for you to express milk. Formula or breast milk in the bottle equally acceptable to both your infant and to us.
Many parents choose to nurse exclusively, and that's perfectly acceptable as well. However, after 4 to 6 weeks of exclusive nursing, many babies will refuse a bottle completely, making it difficult for the mother to get away from her infant for more than a few hours at a time.

HOW TO TELL YOUR BABY IS GETTING ENOUGH

A breast-feeding mother often wonders if her baby is getting enough milk, since she can't see how many ounces the baby takes. Your baby is doing fine if he or she eats every 2 to 3 hours, appears satisfied after feedings, wets frequently, and has 4 or more soft stools per day. Normal breast feeding stools look like watery mustard and frequently are confused with diarrhea. Just to upset you, many breastfed infants will suddenly "stop" stooling at about 6-8 weeks of age. They may stool only 1-2 times per week. This is normal, and unless the baby's abdomen is distended or the stools are very hard, there is little to worry about.

GROWTH SPURTS

Every baby goes through growth spurts, usually 3 to 4 days at a time, every 3 to 4 weeks. During these spurts the baby will want to eat more frequently. This is normal and expected and does not mean your milk is drying up. After a few days of more frequent feedings your milk supply will increase to match your baby's new needs and the feeding schedule will normalize.