Normal (as in ''representing the biological or physiolog
Dear friends,
Normal (as in ''representing the biological or physiological norm'') newborn behavior includes being within touch range of their mother permanently, with lots of skin contact, sleeping often, but not deep and arousing often, but not necessarily completely wake up for a short, quick feed at breast. There may be some periods of alertness and some of a bit deeper and longer sleep in both mom and infant.
What we do see in what are considered normal infants in western institutionalized birth practice are babies who may be awake for an hour or 2 following birth and then falling off into a long end fairly deep sleep, probably not in skin contact with his mother, but in a crib next to her or even further away, mom being busy with other chores and very tired at night. This may seem to be normal newborn behavior, but it mainly is *common* behavior in the given setting.
Especially these latter dyads need to be brought together more closely and stimulated to wake more often (mom to tend to baby more instead of other people), and feed more often. Babies need to be monitored for periods of lighter sleep before made interested in feeding (no, not with cold wet washcloths and tickling and such!) and, yes, if not able or interested to feed at breast themselves, being spoonfed colostrum every couple of hours. This will coach them into more physiologic normal newborn behavior.
Warmly,
gonneke, IBCLC, LLLL in southern Netherlands
----- Original Message ----
From: Dave and Sharon <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 12:18:25 PM
Subject: [LACTNET] Normal breastfeeding behavior in the first 24-48 hours?
Hello,
I'm a midwife trained in the US and currently working in New Zealand. I'm trying to get some information about normal newborn nursing behavior in the first 48 hours. I'm struggling with trying to let babies sleep and only feeding them when they wake and are hungry. It is my belief that some normal babies sleep for long periods of time during the first 24-48 hours and that it's actually not helpful or necessary to wake them during this period as long as they are normal/well and have fed well after birth. Do you have any advice??
Everything I've found just talks about feeding them as often and as much as they want. Up to 10-12 times in a day. I'm actually looking at it from another angle. I don't like it when the women and their babies are being woken from a deep sleep to be told that their babies need to be fed. The practice I'm struggling with involves undressing babies, using cold wash cloths on their tummies, even flicking the baby's earlobes to wake them and then hand expressing and syringing colostrum into the mouths of sleepy, unhungry babies to see it just dribble out if you haven't been able to wake them.
It is my impression that this whole regime sets doubts in the mother's mind about having confidence in the normal interaction between baby and mother. It starts from day 1-2 to undermine the whole breastfeeding process. The mother's confidence, that her baby will tell her when he/she is hungry, is diminished right from the start. I'm struggling here.
Just like with labour/birth, I don't believe that it is appropriate to intervene "for safety's sake" in a normally progressing process. It is not harmless. So, I'm looking for evidence about what is NORMAL for newborn feeding behavior (for normal weight, term, normal newborns whose mothers were not gestational diabetics, etc., etc., that have fed well after birth) in the first 48 hours specifically.
I'm looking for evidence to support my practice of letting babies wake on their own for feeds. What I believe is truely breastfeeding "on demand" not just feeding on demand unless they haven't woken in 3-4 hours. Can you offer any help??
Thanks so much,
Sharon Robinson, RM
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