Feeding Your Baby

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Feeding Do’s

• Skin-to-skin care during feeding
• Feed every 2 to 3 hours (at least 8 times in 24 hours) – wake baby when it is time to feed!
• Hand express or pump each breast for 20 minutes to build milk supply and increase your baby’s appetite
• Follow your baby’s feeding cues

Feeding Cues

When your baby is finished feeding they will behave satisfied. Your baby will look relaxed, quiet and content, and will no longer show feeding cues.

A baby who is feeding enough will have an adequate number of both wet and stool soiled diapers. Right after birth it is normal for babies to lose up to 10% of their birthweight. At 2 or 3 weeks old, baby should return or surpass their birthweight.

Breastfeeding

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, and then adding foods at 6 months and continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years and beyond, is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) to promote growth, brain development, and protection from disease.

Why choose breastfeeding?

• Helps with bonding between mom and baby
• Helps with mom’s vaginal bleeding by contracting the uterus
• Reduces the risk of developing cancer of the breast and ovaries
• Breast milk does not cost any money
• Provides immunity to baby
• Can prevent obesity and diabetes for baby

While in the hospital, your healthcare team can help you with proper latching technique and positioning your baby to breastfeed.  They can also help you with hand expression to help you produce milk.

Latching Your Baby
In order to feed properly, you need to help your baby get a good latch on your breast.

How do you know if your baby has a good latch?

• You can see and hear baby sucking and swallowing
• Your breasts feel empty after a feed
• There is no pain, redness or cracking of nipples during feeds

Positioning
There several ways you can hold your baby during feeding.  It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different positions to help you get comfortable with holding your baby.

Some different feeding positions include:

• Laid-back
• Cradle hold
• Cross-cradle
• Football position
• Side-lying

For more information on positioning and latching visit the La Leche League International website

Hand expression

In hospital you will be taught hand expression. Hand expression helps produce milk and relieves engorgement.

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Engorgement

Engorgement is when your breasts are overfilled with milk and become firm and swollen making it hard to breastfeed. Frequent feeds, gentle hand expression, reverse pressure on areola, and icepacks will help prevent and relieve engorgement. Ibuprofen may also relieve discomfort.

Formula Feeding

If you choose to feed your baby formula, you need to know how to:

• sterilize water and supplies
• prepare formula properly
• feed your baby with a bottle

Your health care team will give you information and education on how to safely formula feed.

You can find more information about formula feeding at the Region of Peel website and on the Best Start website.

Use cow’s milk-based formula if possible.
Soy-based baby formula is not recommended unless your baby cannot have cow’s milk products for health, cultural or religious reasons. Ask your doctor before using soy-based formula.

It is important to prepare your infant formula safely.

Formula comes in 3 forms:

For important facts about formula preparation and formula recalls you can visit Best Start tip sheets.

Make sure you have a supply of formula ready for your baby once you get home. The hospital does not provide you with formula when you leave.

Feeding Support

In hospital:
During your stay, your nurses can help you with feeding your baby.  Our nurses are highly skilled and knowledgeable; ask them questions and discuss your feeding plan before going home.
You may also be referred to an in-house lactation consultant if you are having difficulties with feeding.

After discharge:
If necessary, we can provide follow-up breastfeeding support following discharge from the hospital at our Postnatal Clinic.  An appointment will be made for you before your discharge if needed.

We also partner with Peel Public Health to provide community support for our parents Peel Region; your nurse can provide you with more information.

For breastfeeding support in your community, please visit: www.ontariobreastfeeds.ca

Community Resources

Bilingual Online Ontario Breastfeeding Services – To help you s​earch for breastfeeding services www.ontariobreastfeeds.ca

Bilingual Online Ontario Breastfeeding Services – To help you search for breastfeeding services www.ontariobreastfeeds.ca

Breastfeeding Hotline – Telehealth Ontario offers 24/7 Breastfeeding advice and support service Tel: 1-866-797-0000

Local public health unit - www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/phu/locations.aspx

Virtual appointment with lactation consultant - ontariobreastfeedingclinic.ca, lactationclinic.com

International Breastfeeding Centre - ibconline.ca

Support for breastfeeding families - Home | Halton Baby Friendly Initiative

Breastfeeding videos - Online Support | Mysite

La Leche League Canada – For mother-to-mother breastfeeding support Tel: 1-800-665-4324, www.lllc.ca

Breastfeeding Matters: An Important Guide to Breastfeeding for Women and their Familieswww.beststart.org/resources/breastfeeding/breastfeeding_matters_EN_LR.pdf

Breastfeeding for the Health and Future of Our Nation - www.beststart.org/resources/breastfeeding/BFHFN_sept26.pdf

Selection of Educational Breastfeeding Videos - Breastfeeding - parenting - Region of Peel

Sleep Well, Sleep Safe – A booklet for parents of infants from 0-12 months and for all who care for infants www.beststart.org/resources/hlthy_chld_dev/pdf/BSRC_Sleep_Well_resource_FNL_LR.pdf

Canadian Paediatric Society – Caring for Kids www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy_sleep_for_your_baby_and_child

Public Health Agency of Canada: Safe Sleep resources and videowww.publichealth.gc.ca/safesleep

FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) Ontario - www.fasdinfotsaf.ca/en

Risk of Cannabis on Breastfeeding - Risks of Cannabis on Fertility, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Parenting - Best Start​

Breastfeeding Class