Medical Questions » Pregnancy Questions » Question No. 797
| Question: | I am only three months pregnant, but very keen to breast feed my baby when he/she is born. How soon should you start breast feeding after having a baby? |
| Answer: | Breast feeding may be started immediately after birth in the labour ward. Babies have an instinct that enables them to turn towards the nipple when it is brushed against their cheek, and the suckling at this early stage gives comfort to both mother and child.
In the next few days, relatively frequent feeds should be the rule to give stimulation to the breast and build up the milk supply. The breast milk is initially called colostrum and is thin and yellow. It slowly becomes thicker and whiter over the next week, and contains vital ingredients for the baby' s growth and health.
After the first week, the frequency of feeding should be determined by the mothers and child' s needs, not laid down by any arbitrary authority. Each will work out what is best for them, with the number of feeds varying between five and ten a day.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, not all mothers are comfortable with breast feeding (despite what the ardent supporters of lactation may say). These women should not feel guilty or failures, but should accept that this is a problem that can occur through no fault of theirs, and be grateful that there are excellent feeding formulas available for their child.
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