 This takes about one to two minutes and may be associated with a tingling sensation as your breasts fill with milk.
As your baby sucks, you will hear the milk being swallowed and sometimes even gulping noises.
The baby's sucking now becomes deeper and slower as he takes his milk feed.
By the end of the feed the baby will hardly suck at all, except for slight fluttery movements. These are important and will be still be stimulating your breasts. Let the baby continue until he lets go of the breast or falls asleep.
The first part of the feed is watery and quenches your baby's thirst. This is sometimes referred to as 'foremilk '.
The second part of the feed is more creamy and higher in calories. This satisfies your baby's need for calories and is sometimes referred to as 'hind milk'.
Try not to get confused with colostrum, foremilk and hind milk. They all combine to form the perfect combination of breast milk which adapts to the changing needs of your baby.
What is important though, is to complete the whole feed from each breast. If the baby gets only foremilk, it could cause him to become unsatisfied and may lead to colic.
You will know when your breasts are empty, because they will become much softer to touch and the feeling of fullness will lessen as the feed progresses. The best way to judge is to look at the baby, who is usually flat-out when they have emptied a breast.
Once the feed nears an end, the sucking pattern will become shallow and intermittent. When ready, the baby will let go of the breast and may fall asleep. If the baby does not let go by himself, you can put a clean finger into the side of his mouth to break the suction and release the nipple. Try not to just pull the baby from the nipple as you may become sore, especially when the teeth start to appear. I know this to be true from bitter experience!
As a rule, there is no need to 'wind' a breastfed baby as he will usually bring up any wind naturally. However, if you think your baby is uncomfortable, you could sit him up and support his chin under your hand, keeping his back straight. This will allow any wind to be passed easily. Alternatively, you could put your baby over your shoulder, which will have the same effect - do not forget to protect your shoulder first.
Breastfed babies are not often sick, but they may bring up a mouthful of milk at the end of a feed.
If the baby is still hungry, then change over to the other breast and let him feed until he has had enough.
© Sharon Trotter
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