Medical Insider – Dr. Ria P. Maslog

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.