Serving Families
Services: infant feeding support
Infant Feeding Support
Feeding your baby is a relationship that changes every day.
Feeding a newborn is a parent’s first challenge after giving birth. Providing adequate support and encouragement through the critical first weeks is vitally important to building a successful bond. Consider MotherTree doulas to be part of the professional support that can help bridge the gap from birth site to home. We provide home consultations, phone support and resources. Yes, we look forward to that 4 am call because we know it’s important!
Breast Milk and Breastfeeding and Chest-feeding
Feeding your baby is a relationship that changes every day.
Baby-Led Breast/Chest Feeding Babies have a natural instinct to find the breast. Parents have a natural instinct to help.
- Parent is relaxed in a reclined position with the chest area free of clothing
- Baby rests heart-to-heart on parent’s chest (skin-to-skin)
- Parent soothes with cuddling or stroking or suckling finger when frustrated
- Baby initiates feeding
- Baby’s chest and rump are securely held by parent (45 degree angle)
- Baby’s head is free to bob, using feel & smell to find the breast (Some babies bob, some babies slide, some babies rock, some babies climb to the breast)
- Baby’s nose aligns with the nipple
- Baby’s head is allowed to rock back so baby can look up at mother and chin and mouth are in the “baby bird position” allowing a wide open mouth
- Baby reaches over the nipple to secure latch onto the areola
- Baby suckles until complete
At birth, limit washing babies hands so that baby can use the smell markers of the amniotic fluid from birth to find the nipple. Limit pacifiers until latch is securely established. Allow healthy well baby to initiate breastfeeding. Limit “forced latch”.
For Breast/Chest Feeding, doulas can provide nurturing, education, assessment and support. For more complicated needs, the doula will refer to a lactation support specialists.
RESOURCES: Lamaze Breastfeeding overview
When baby is small, sleepy or has a significant weight loss or other health concerns require additional support by the parent to initiate breast/chest feeding.
- Parent is relaxed in a supportive position with additional pillows as needed
- Baby is positioned belly to belly, close to mother, with head free to reach up to nipple. (see positions ofchoice)
- Parent initiates breastfeeding (2-3 hrs or with supplementation of body milk, donor milk or formula)
- Support your breast (C-hold, U-hold, wash cloth, “nipple sandwich”)
- Encourage latch/wide open mouth by brushing babies lips/nose or cheeks with nipple
- Additional stimulants (skin-to-skin, wet wash cloth, tickling babies feet, blowing on baby) may encouragesleepier babies
- Express milk to nipple to encourage/entice baby
- Additional tools may be needed (nipple shield, SNS, finger feed w/ syringe or bottle)
- Continue skin to skin “breast nourishment time”
- Parent changes sides after 10-15 minutes of suck-swallow.
RESOURCES: YouTube: Breastfeeding Positions
Supplementation of donated milk or formula as medicine for parent or baby. Consider Paced Feeding for infant development.
- Parent Baby Bond is primary (not how nourishment is provided)
- Create a peaceful, loving environment for both mother and baby
- Create an easy system for maintain adequate supplementation and hygiene
- Use comfort holds that are similar to breastfeeding (cross cradle, football, etc) and switch sides to
encourage continued cross-brain development
- Encourage latch & baby-initiated feeding when health allows
- Maintain emotional nourishment with skin to skin time, eye contact and switching sides, comfort touches and interaction during feeding rituals
- Choose the right bottle for baby (to encourage sucking development, decrease gas)
- Consider combo-systems (SNS) that allow supplementation and breast time together
- Maintain support systems (pediatrician, family, friends)
- Create other bonding rituals like baby massage, wearing baby in a carrier or free-play
- Create relaxing “pump station” that includes: Comfortable chair, foot stool, pillows, magazine or media (picture or video of your baby crying or being cute!), phone, water bottle, note pad & pen, clock or timer, snack
- Pumping Rituals – Longer Pump sessions in the “rest times” (morning, lunch or missed feedings)10-15 min • Power Pump on busy days (setup pump at the counter and do “drivebye’s” for 5 minutFrequency of pumping (draining the breast of milk) is more important than length of timeDon’t panic when you get a “low day”. Ask, am i tired? Am I stressed? Am I hungry? These all affect the amount of milk
- Make sure your equipment fits you (right size)
- Lean forward (gravity);
- Massage breast tissue or use warm compresses or shower before pumping to encourage let-down
- Consider “hands-free” bra or medela system
- Consider that it’s a 24-hour clock: Babies calories are up and down throughout day. It’s how it all added up at the end of the day—and there’s always tomorrow
- Remember that Baby is Best! Babies who are nursing well are almost always more efficient than the pump
RESOURCES: YouTube: Global Health Media Project: Breastfeeding Series; “How to Express Breastmilk”
Rule of 4’s
- 4 hours room temperature
- 4 days in fridge
- 4 months in freezer
Other Helpful Supplies
- The right nursing bra!
- Extra-Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut Oil (natural lubricant and anti-microbial that can lubricate and protectbreast/nipple tissue and lower chances of thrush); consume for added breastfeeding-friendly fats to diet
- Lanolin (also baby-safe nipple cream)
- Hot-Cold packs (or a bag of frozen peas makes as nice pack)
- Soothies (gel packs for moist healing)
- Supplements like Fenu-greek, tinctures or Nursing Tea to increase supply (under doctor supervision)
- water, water, water
- Foods to increase: eggs, oatmeal, brewer’s yeast, coconut oil, soups, Mama Chai!
- Foods to potentially avoid: caffeine, gassy veggies, legumes, sugar, chocolate, dairy, gluten
- Pillows, baby carriers and other posture supports
"Creating a Culture of Nurturing — one baby, one family, & one doula at a time."
12 Reasons to Breastfeed
Why The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it
- Breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs.
Breast milk composition changes from week to week, from day to day, from hour to hour, and during a feeding. It is always the perfect food for your child. - Nursing is convenient and economical. It can be a savings of up to $2000 in the first year. Breast milk is free, always available, always at the right temperature, and never goes bad.
- Breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mother and child. When a woman breastfeeds, hormones are produced in her body that help her relax and bond with her baby.
- Breastfed Babies are healthier
Breast milk contains immunities that are passed to your child. Breastfed children get sick less often. Breastfed children get fewer ear infections, childhood lymphomas, and diabetes. - Breastfeeding raises children’s IQs.
- Breastfed babies have better tooth and mouth development.
- Breastfeeding reduces your chance of getting breast cancer and your daughter’s chance of getting it as an adult.
- Breastfeeding is great for the environment.
The production and consumption on formula uses a great deal of resources and produces a huge amount of waste. - Breastfeeding lowers the risk of SIDS.
- Breast milk tastes great. Have you tasted formula? It’s awful. Try drinking an 8 ounce glass of it before you give it to your baby. Plus, your baby will have less allergies and a healthier digestive tract.
- That’s what breasts are for. Unfortunately, many societies have sexualized the breast to the point where mothers don’t feel comfortable breastfeeding. Trust your body. We have breasts for a very important reason: to feed our young.
- Breastfeeding tones the muscles of the uterus and helps a woman’s body recover from childbirth and recondition itself more rapidly.
How Breastfeeding Empowers Women, by bestfed.com
- Breastfeeding reduces a mother’s economic and medical dependence.
- Breastfeeding diminishes the power of commercial interests to manipulate in the advertising of breastmilk substitutes.
- Breastfeeding confirms a woman’s power to control her own body – breastfeeding challenges the established medical models and business interests that promote bottle feeding
- Breastfeeding confirms a woman’s unique ability to care for her infant in the best way possible.
- Breastfeeding challenges the view of breasts as merely sex objects.
- Breastfeeding promotes optimum infant and maternal health.
- Breastfeeding shows children that Women are accepting of their bodies, slowly erasing issues of an ‘ideal’ body.
Contact MotherTree for more
Looking to find a doula nationwide?
doulamatch.net has been connecting Families and Doulas Since 2008, with a community spanning all major cities in the US and Canada with over 10,000 doulas and 50,000 reviews. Their site was developed to help expectant families quickly and efficiently find doulas who are available during their due dates. It’s also a great place to get a baseline understanding of each doula’s training, certification, and experience levels.
