Breastfeeding for Beginners

You know that breastfeeding is a natural process that happens after a mother gives birth – but do you know how it works? Here, Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) Lactation Consultant, Jennifer Lecleir, takes us through the basics of breastfeeding.

What is breast milk?

Breast milk is the optimal nutrition for all babies and the best first gift any mother can give to her baby! Breast milk starts off as colostrum. Colostrum is the early milk that comes immediately after birth in tiny drops as a yellow, clear, and thick fluid, similar to honey. After two to three days, it becomes more creamy, increases in quantity, and then eventually thins out to become more liquid and white. Colostrum is concentrated in antibodies and often referred to as a baby’s “first vaccination”. Most importantly, colostrum is baby’s superfood that contains all the nourishment a newborn baby needs in the first few days. 

Since many women don’t realize that colostrum is enough, they often feel compelled to add formula. In most cases, formula is not necessary and can negatively impact the establishment of breastfeeding. The key thing is to breastfeed early (immediately after birth) and often. Every tiny drop of colostrum is important for your baby and actually contains everything s/he needs to get the best start in life. By three to five days, mature milk starts to come and becomes more white and watery looking. 

How often should you breastfeed?

Newborn babies should be allowed to feed whenever they want and as much as they want. In the first six months, it’s quite often – they generally breastfeed every one to three hours, around the clock, day and night. By frequently breastfeeding on your baby’s cue, and by thoroughly emptying the breasts, you are sure to make enough milk and maintain a hearty supply. And it’s no wonder why babies need to eat all the time – they grow so rapidly. Imagine how much food you would need to consume if you were to double your body weight in three months!

What is skin-to-skin contact?

Skin-to-skin contact and “rooming in” has become the new recommended norm for all mothers and newborn babies. Being skin-to-skin with your baby means that the baby is naked, except for a diaper, and placed directly on your naked chest, with a blanket covering, leaving just the baby’s head exposed. Rooming in implies that mother and baby should always be together in the same room. Evidence has shown that, when babies are skin-to-skin and naked with their mothers, the overall success rate of breastfeeding increases. Babies have less hypothermia, there’s increased maternal-infant bonding, the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia decreases, the baby cries less and breastfeeds more, there is greater maternal satisfaction, and the baby experiences less apnea (when they stop breathing). 

Skin-to-skin contact is the best way to help your baby transition from being inside the womb to outside, and it is highly recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) to prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Its practice is also widely supported universally by WHO (the World Health Organization) and many other leading healthcare organizations.

How long should you breastfeed?

Breast milk provides all the essentials your baby needs to grow and develop for the first six months. WHO recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, and then up to three years. After six months of exclusive breast milk, solid foods may slowly be introduced, and then gradually increased over the next several months. By one to two years, most babies eat about 50%-80% solids, and from two to three years, they eat 75%-90% solids. 

Most children will naturally wean from breastfeeding around two to three years. Although some babies may show less interest in breastfeeding after six to 12 months, it does not mean that Baby is actually ready to stop. WHO recommends that babies breastfeed preferably up to three years. As Baby eats more solids and drinks less breast milk, the composition of breast milk changes in that it becomes more concentrated in antibodies. This gives your baby more protection against environmental pathogens and germs even though the amount of breast milk consumption is lower. 

While this may seem like a big commitment, the long-term health benefits for both the mother and baby make it worthwhile. Research has shown that babies who nurse exclusively for six months have fewer ear infections, less allergies, less diarrhea, and fewer colds and flus. Babies who breastfeed longer than one year have higher IQs and greater protection later in life against diabetes, obesity, asthma, Crohn’s disease, and heart disease. There are actually benefits for Mom to breastfeed too. She burns extra calories while producing milk and long-term breastfeeding has been linked to decreased incidence of certain cancers such as breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer. And the more children she breastfeeds, the more benefits there are for her.

Can Baby still breastfeed when Mom is sick?

There are very few illnesses that truly require a mother to stop breastfeeding. Keep in mind that most illnesses are not transmitted through the breast milk, but rather by exposure. If a mother has a common cold, the flu, a sore throat, fever, food poisoning, or mastitis, she does not need to stop breastfeeding. Withholding mom’s breast milk can actually increase the baby’s chances of acquiring the illness by depriving the baby from receiving the same antibodies that mom is making to fight the very illness she is experiencing. Taking precautions that limit exposure such as hand washing, covering the mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing, and avoiding kissing, is advised, but stopping breastfeeding is not.  

Can I learn more about breastfeeding at BJU?

Yes! Everyone is encouraged to breastfeed and BJU does their best to promote, support, and teach every mother who wants to succeed. Prenatal and breastfeeding classes in Chinese and English are available on a monthly basis. Having the right knowledge and knowing what to expect can be vital to your success. Even though breastfeeding is an instinct for Baby, it is also learned behavior that is improved and perfected over time. While babies are born to breastfeed, they’re not perfect at the start, and many mothers encounter challenges in the first few weeks. With the right support and education, women can feel empowered to do what’s best for them and for their babies. 

Jennifer Lecleir is BJU’s Lactation Consultant and childbirth educator. She counsels new moms who have just given birth and supports them with breastfeeding. She also holds a monthly English-language birthing seminar that’s held over one weekend, from 9 am-13:30 pm on a Saturday and Sunday. The cost is RMB 1,500 per couple. Reimbursement gift cards valued at 1,500 RMB are available for anyone who attends the English childbirth class and delivers at BJU. If you’d like to inquire or attend this class, please call the OB-GYN reception desk at 5927 7101 or email Jennifer directly at [e-mail].