I am reluctant to use the swallowing as a measure of getting enough in the first days after hearing a baby swallowing- no, gulping after each suck and the baby was sucking on a pacifier! The research studies that I've read showed that estimates of intake by swallowing is not accurate. What do others think?
 
I also teach the nurses that babies don't dehydrate within the first 24 hours and that we like to get babies in the "breastaurant" often (if you want people to eat at your home, you sit them at the table and put the food in front of them), but we are happy with what ever they do (almost). We keep babies skin-to-skin quite a bit. Now the blood sugar issue is another thing, but I try to take the pressure off mothers by letting the nurses be more laid-back. Yes, I would suggest teaching hand expression of colostrum if the baby is really not latching and feeding often in the first 24 hours, or especially was not latched right after birth.
Terriann Shell

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