MEDICAL INSIDER
DR. RIA MASLOG

Newborn

Today’s topic is still a continuation of how we pediatricians
instruct our mothers on newborn care. Let us now talk
more about breastfeeding.
While in the hospital, we emphasize to every mother the
importance of breastfeeding and the benefits that every
newborn will get through this practice.
We, pediatricians and the hospital staff, hold breastfeeding
classes so that mothers will know how to properly do
breastfeeding.
The following are the simple techniques about
breastfeeding that we teach the mothers:

  1. Mothers should be in the most comfortable position
    during breastfeeding. She could either lie on the bed or be
    seated properly on the chair with her back rested
  2. The mother should wear a dress with buttons opening in
    front and she should wear a breastfeeding bra so that it
    would be easier for her to do breastfeeding anytime and
    anywhere.
  3. The mother may wash her nipples gently with soft clean
    water once a day during her bath and not every
    breastfeeding to avoid dryness around the breast area.
  4. Mothers are informed that the key or stimulus for her
    breastmilk to flow is the sucking of her baby on her nipple.
    This will send signal to her brain to release breastmilk.
    This is what is called as feedback mechanism. The more
    the mother will let her baby suck on her breast, the more
    signal there will be to the brain and the more milk
    production will happen.
  5. The baby should lie tummy to tummy with her mother
    during breastfeeding and the baby’s mouth should cover
    the areola of the mother. The mother is told that she will
    know if the sucking position is proper if no sounds will be
    heard and a dimpling on the baby’s cheeks can be
    observed.
  6. In 5-10 minutes of breastfeeding, the baby can almost
    empty the milk content of that breast so they should be
    transferred to the other breast so that the baby can also
    empty the content of that breast. Both breasts should be
    emptied at the same time so that it will be refilled at the
    same time, too. For the next feeding time, the mother
    should let the baby suck on the breast that was last
    sucked by the baby.
  7. After each breastfeeding, we encourage every mother
    to burp her baby well.
  8. Purely breastfed babies may not need extra water since
    mother’s milk is complete. It is the mother, who should
    drink more fluids
  9. We tell the mothers that they should get good sleep,
    good nutrition and proper mindset that they have milk and
    that they are capable of purely breastfeeding their babies
    for 2 years.