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Thu, 10 Aug 2000 23:43:26 EDT |
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A baby who nurses "perfectly" and goes side to side all through the first 24
hrs of life is probably getting only a few teaspoons of colostrum.
Therefore, a baby nursing not-so-well is being shortchanged very little in
the way of food, fuel and fluid.
There is absolutely NO medical/physiologic problem when a carefully observed
baby does not nurse well in the first day of life, except . . . we have to
help the mom with lots of encouragement and coaching so that things don't
slip during the second 24 hours.
BUT, even in those second 24 hours of life, the quantity of actual milk a
baby drinks is very small and weight loss continues unabated . . . as it
should. This state of "need" triggers increased desire to suckle and leads
to optimal breastfeeding.
One of the most damaging aspects of those little bottles of water (or, worse
still, ABM) is the satisfaction they can produce as they discourage a baby
from wanting to nurse stronger and stronger.
Nurses and doctors who do not know these basic principles are unpardonably
ignorant. Let's deal with them.
Jay Gordon, MD, FAAP, IBCLC (forever!)
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