Question: How do I ensure that I am successfully breastfeeding my baby?
fall 2005 – volume 2, issue 4
Debbie Kijowski responds:
It is well documented that if women receive accurate, consistent and ongoing support, they will be successful breastfeeding their new infant.
The professional staff at Markham Stouffville Hospital have designed their maternal child programs to provide the best start to your breastfeeding experience.
You will receive valuable information throughout your pregnancy about breastfeeding from a variety of sources that range from general reading to prenatal classes you may take in the community.
Markham Stouffville Hospital offers a Breastfeeding Class called Breastfeeding Me. This class was designed to help you manage the first minutes, hours, days and weeks of breastfeeding your new baby. We suggest you attend this class around 36-38 weeks in your pregnancy when the information will be fresh in your mind when you come to give birth.
During your hospital stay, starting immediately after the birth of your baby, nursing staff will support you to initiate different strategies to ensure your breastfeeding experience is off to the right start. These strategies include:
• Encouraging you to put baby to breast during the first 30 minutes following delivery as baby is alert, eager and ready to make its first attempt at breastfeeding.
• Encouranging you to keep your baby close skin-to-skin to stimulate those natural reflexes like rooting, searching and attempting to suckle.
• Guiding you in ensuring your baby is properly latched and positioned at each breastfeeding attempt.
• Assessing the effectiveness of your baby’s breastfeeding. Babies who are latched on and drinking effectively will receive exactly what they need.
• Teach you and your partner how to assess your baby’s hydration through effectiveness of breastfeeding and what to expect for numbers of wet and dirty diapers.
• Encourage you to attend our inpatient breastfeeding class on the childbirth unit taught by the lactation consultants.
All too often women are reporting abandoning breastfeeding much earlier than they would have liked. The main reason reported for stopping breastfeeding in a feeding study that was done in York Region in 2002/03 was lack of confidence in milk supply.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
