Breastfeeding in the First Hour After Birth
Ideally, babies will nurse for the first time within about one hour
after birth. In that first hour or hour and half, babies tend to be very awake
and alert. After that, they may fall asleep for a period of two to six hours,
during which it’s hard to rouse them for a feeding.
Some babies are ready to feed immediately after birth, some may not
be ready till almost the end of the first hour, and trying to push
breastfeeding before that may only lead to frustration for all involved.
Many experts recommend the following process for initiating
breastfeeding. Immediately after birth, the baby is placed skin-to-skin on
mom’s belly. To keep baby warm, make sure the room is quite warm, or he can be
covered by a blanket, or a heat lamp can be used. It is best not to wash baby’s
hands before doing this; if his hands smell like amniotic fluid, that helps him
to recognize mom’s smell.
Baby is then allowed to nuzzle against mom; he may touch her belly
and breasts, may sniff or lick or mouth at her skin. He may “crawl” and wiggle
his way up to her breast on his own, eventually. If placed near her nipple, he
may begin bobbing his head up and down, or turning his head from side to side.
He may find the nipple on his own, then may latch onto the breast on his own. (More
on self-attachment.)
Research
indicates that it may take a baby up to 50 minutes to latch on his own, but if
allowed to do so, generally will have a very good latch from then on, and
generally mom will have less problem with sore nipples and other breastfeeding
challenges. These mothers tend to breastfeed their babies longer
than those who did not feed shortly after birth.
However, some babies do not latch on by themselves. If mom had pain
medication during labor, self-attachment is less
likely. If by 45 minutes or so after birth, the baby isn’t seeming
interested in feeding, try expressing a little colostrum, and rubbing it on
baby’s lips.
If by 50 minutes after birth baby has not yet latched on and
nursed, then mom will want to follow the steps described under position and latch, to help her baby learn to nurse.
c. 2004, Janelle Durham, www.TransitionToParenthood.com