> I recently heard a new mother
> say her baby (born via c-sec) was given a bottle of formula 1/2 hour
> after
> being born "because he was hungry". I always thought that babies aren't
> really hungry until mom's milk comes in. Am I wrong? If  I am correct,
> then
> how can I explain why a newborn would take a bottle 1/2 hour after
> birth?
> How should I address this issue if it is brought up in my class?

Most babies, if born healthy, are awake and alert for an hour or two
after birth and are very interested in sucking. That's why it's a good
idea to keep babies with Moms and take advantage of this time to get
babies to breast. This can be difficult after a c-section, if the Mom is
sleepy from pain meds. If the mom has had a general, she won't be awake
at all. Additionally, many hospitals separate Mom and baby after a
c-sec, taking the baby to a nursery. (Mine doesn't.) If the baby cues
hunger there, they'll probably feed.

Are babies hungry before the "milk comes in"? From observation and
experience with my own children, I'd have to say yes. They nurse
frequently to help get the milk there, don't they?


Anne Stringer, RN, NICU
Michigan, USA
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