Q: Hey doctor, thanks so much for helping us young mothers. May God richly bless you..
What can be given to a new born baby like 30mins old baby crying and the mother’s breast milk has not started coming out????

A: Okay, I’m absolutely impressed that 30minutes after having your baby, you’re awake and energetic enough to think of feeding him! 😀 That’s really awesome and that establishes a bond with the baby immediately…

Feeding should, ideally, start within one hour of having your baby. So, you’re on to a great start. Your breast already has a stock of breast milk but it does take your baby sucking to make the breast milk ‘come out.’ So, the earlier you put the baby to the breast, the sooner proper breastfeeding can be established. Your baby will probably sleep away the first 24 hours or so, so it may be a challenge to put the baby to the breast. Try the best you can and make sure that your baby’s mouth covers the areola which is the dark coloured area of the nipple.

Some women who had their babies through Caesarian Section may also experience delays in breast feeding just like some other women. There’s no specific reason for this and the same advice of putting the baby to the breast often suffices. The more often you put your baby to the breast, the better your milk supply will be.

Just in case you’re worried that your baby will starve before full breast feeding  is established, don’t be. Your baby doesn’t need more than a few teaspoonfuls of colostrums (which your breast already has and baby gets as he suckles) in the first few days. They contain a lot of substances that help build your baby’s immunity. If, however, by 72 hours you’re still not making breast milk, be sure to discuss with your doctor so that he can confirm that your baby is getting enough to eat. Before this time, don’t get tempted to offer glucose water or formula feeds if you plan to breast feed.

Now just in case you wondered about pap with milk and whether this helps breast milk come in faster? Well, my answer is this. If you want to take your pap, please indulge…in sizeable portions. If it helps your breast milk come in, that’s fine. I guess if the pap is watery enough, it will help hydration and you certainly need to be well hydrated for breast feeding to happen without stress 😀

Have a good night 😀