info borstvoeding engels - Verloskundigen praktijk Almelo

Adriaen Brouwerstraat 6
7606 AM Almelo
telefoon 0546-532004
www.verloskundingenpraktijk-almelo.nl
INFO BORSTVOEDING ENGELS
Catharina Wilhelm
Vronica Falkmann
Gerda den Ouden- Zoer
Hilde Lenferink- Booijink
Ellen Pol
Alie Kuiterman
Carien Dijkstra-Groothuis
Lidewij van Maanen-Fraatz
Summary of the “Twente Breastfeeding Protocol”
At the Baby and Childcare Department of the Twente Hospital Group, we use the so-called “Twente
Breastfeeding Protocol”.
For you as parents, we have drawn up a brief summary of this Protocol. The page numbers refer
to the more detailed information in the Protocol.
Placing your baby at the breast for the first time
A healthy infant may be placed at the breast immediately after birth or as soon as
possible.
How to place baby at the breast
•
Baby lies with its head turned toward the mother; head and body are aligned
•
Stimulate the breast-seeking reflex by touching the upper lip with the nipple
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Baby will start seeking the breast
•
Wait until baby’s mouth is open wide, then move baby towards the breast
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Baby is holding a big mouthful of breast in its mouth
•
The first sucking (up to a maximum of 1 minute) may be painful during the first week after
birth
•
If the pain persists, the baby has not been properly placed at the breast!
Taking your baby off the breast
•
If your baby has not been placed at the breast correctly, you can take it off the breast by
putting your (little) finger between the baby’s jaws at the corner of the mouth; this
releases the vacuum.
When has baby not been placed at the breast correctly?
•
If pain persists during feeding
•
If baby makes smacking noises
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Sucked-in cheeks, lower lip sucked in
When should the baby be placed at the breast?
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When baby asks for this by making smacking noises, licking its lip with its tongue, sucking
on its fists (we call this ‘feeding signals’).
•
To be able to see this, you should have your baby in your room with you (rooming-in).
•
Don’t wait until baby starts crying; it is hard to place a crying baby at the breast.
During the first few days your baby may want to feed as much as 10 to 12 times; once milk
production is well underway, 8 times every 24 hours is completely normal (a baby needs to drink at
least 6 times per 24 hours)
The more often a baby breastfeeds, the more breast milk will be produced. We call this the supplyand-demand principle. If a baby is growing well, it will need more food; at some point it will want to
feed more often for a while: regular days.
Supplementary feeding
A healthy baby that was born to term does not need any supplementary feeding. Supplementary
feeding is given only on doctor’s recommendation; in this case we prefer not to use the bottle.
Baby-bottle mouthpieces (including pacifiers!) may have a negative impact on breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding in Special Situations
Below we give a brief summary of the Breastfeeding Protocol for special situations.
If it still isn’t working…
Sometimes an infant cannot yet drink from the breast properly after birth. Even babies that
were born to term and are healthy sometimes have trouble really taking the breast in their
mouth.
Some babies still feel sick or have a headache (e.g. after vacuum delivery).
•
Keep on putting the baby at your breast, and express the milk after feeding (by hand or with
a breastpump)
•
The expressed milk can be administered using a small spoon, cup or syringe.
•
Offer the baby skin-to-skin contact with the mother and let it seek the breast for itself.
The Incubator Room
Babies who are sick, premature or require extra care for other reasons, are put in the incubator
room. Breastfeeding is of particular importance for these babies, but it does require extra attention.
Often such infants need more time to learn to drink from the breast properly.
•
Milk production must be stimulated by expressing the milk.
•
At first, baby’s first acquaintance with the breast can consist of just smelling and/or licking the
breast.
•
Babies who have to be placed in an incubator, need food (almost) immediately.
The expressed breast milk can be used for this purpose, supplemented with artificial nutrition
if the supply of breast milk is not yet adequate.
•
Baby can be fed in several different ways (probe, cup, finger-feeding), depending on its
condition.
•
Premature infants often have trouble coordinating sucking, swallowing and breathing; usually
this improves at about 35 weeks.
•
As opposed to a healthy infant, a sick infant does sometimes need a pacifier, to comfort it
after a nasty experience (such as drawing blood).
Expressing your milk
If baby cannot yet be placed at the breast, you can use a breastpump to stimulate and maintain
milk production.
•
Sit down and relax, keeping everything you need within reach
•
Warmth and breast massage help stimulate the flow of milk
•
Express milk from each breast for 5 minutes, then for 3 more minutes and finally for 2
minutes
•
•
Once production is underway, express milk as long as it is still flowing from the breast.
Store breast milk as agreed with the clinic.
More information?
If you would like to read more about breastfeeding, ask the nurse for the Twente Breastfeeding
Protocol or for the brochures about e.g. expressing milk, premature babies or the thematic
brochures of the Natural Breastfeeding Association [Vereniging Borstvoeding Natuurlijk] or the La
Lêche League.