It is very common for new parents to ask how often a baby should be breastfed or how long a baby should be breastfed. Such concerns about newborn feeding are very normal. Because a completely different life begins for mom and dad. We can examine the following topics to answer the question of how often to breastfeed a newborn baby:
1- Every baby is different!
The advice of experienced mothers and friends is invaluable, but every baby is different. It is advisable to get to know your baby first and choose the frequency of feeding or breastfeeding according to his/her behavior .
2- Observe the baby!
This is especially important when it comes to breastfeeding. A newborn baby’s stomach is quite small. It is about the size of a small marble on the first day after birth, a ping-pong ball on day 3 and a large egg on day 10. This is why it is important to breastfeed often. You will know when your baby is hungry by observing his or her behavior.
3. Don’t underestimate mother & baby harmony!
It is completely normal to breastfeed your baby 8-12 times in 24 hours. Sometimes this can be exhausting for you! You may think that your baby will never sleep for more than an hour, but don’t worry, this is temporary. This can happen for about a few months, but don’t worry too much about your milk supply. Breastfeeding on demand not only makes sure that your baby gets enough nutrients, it also teaches your body to produce the amount of milk your baby needs.
Is it necessary to breastfeed at night?
While adults need uninterrupted sleep throughout the night, newborn babies do not sleep for more than one or two hours. For this reason, it is necessary to breastfeed the baby when it wakes up at night, burp it and put it back to sleep. You can get help from your partner here. After you breastfeed, your husband or other family members or helpers can burp the baby and put it to bed.
Don’t Skip Breastfeeding!
Skipping breastfeeding can affect milk supply. Even if someone else is feeding your baby when you are not with your baby , express milk with a breast pump at breastfeeding time . This sends a physical message to your body to continue milk production. You can store your expressed milk in breast milk storage bottles.