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Dr Jacqueline Kent and her team have spent years researching breastfeeding and have found that it\u2019s different for every mum and baby.<\/p>\n
Which of your findings surprised you the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n The variability \u2013 there is such a broad range of \u2018normal\u2019. We were so used to textbooks saying a baby should feed eight to 12 times a day and should gain 150\u00a0g (5.3\u00a0oz) a week. But babies haven\u2019t read the textbooks \u2013 they do their own thing! Some babies grow more slowly and some grow very rapidly.<\/p>\n Our studies of exclusively breastfed babies aged one to six months showed they typically breastfed between four and 13 times a day, and for between 12 minutes and nearer to one hour during each feeding\u00a0session.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n How much milk do breastfed babies drink?<\/strong><\/p>\n Our studies showed that they can drink as little as 54\u00a0ml (1.9\u00a0fl\u00a0oz) or as much as 234\u00a0ml (8.2\u00a0fl\u00a0oz) of milk per\u00a0feed.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Sometimes mums think their baby has had a good feed, but are surprised to discover he only had a very small amount of milk. Other times he can be slipping on and off the breast, only feeding for a few minutes, and yet take 100\u00a0ml (3.5\u00a0fl\u00a0oz). So being fussy doesn\u2019t necessarily mean he\u2019s getting less milk overall.<\/p>\n All babies are different, but they all take what they need. Some will be ticking along quite nicely on 500\u00a0ml (17.6\u00a0fl\u00a0oz) a day, some drink up to 1,356\u00a0ml (47.7\u00a0fl\u00a0oz) a day!<\/p>\n And did you know, on average, boys drink 76\u00a0ml (2.6\u00a0fl\u00a0oz) more than girls each day? As long as your milk supply is adequate, your baby will set his own agenda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Should mums offer one breast or both?<\/strong><\/p>\n I advise mums to offer the second breast after feeding from the first. If your baby accepts, then great, he obviously wants more. But if he says no, don\u2019t worry. Let your baby decide \u2013 he knows how full his tummy is. Our research shows that 30% of babies take exclusively from one breast, 13% always take from both, but most (57%) do a mixture of the\u00a0two.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n How can a mum tell if her baby is getting enough milk?<\/strong><\/p>\n In my experience, mums often feel guilty and worry they\u2019re not producing enough milk. Ask yourself: Is my baby growing and putting on weight? Is my baby alert? Does he have good skin tone? Is he producing enough\u00a0wet nappies and dirty nappies<\/a>? If all of this is happening, then whether he\u2019s having long or short feeds, be reassured you\u2019re giving enough milk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What\u2019s the biggest misconception mums-to-be have about breastfeeding?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mums tend to think that as their babies get older they will need more feeds and a greater amount of milk every 24 hours. They\u2019re often very surprised when I tell them that between four weeks and 26 weeks, if everything is going normally, there\u2019s no change in their total milk\u00a0production.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In the first few months, babies grow very rapidly and have a high metabolic rate. The milk they take in is mostly put into growth and maintaining their metabolism.<\/p>\n Then, from three to six months, their metabolic rate goes down and so does their growth rate, so the same amount of milk can satisfy them. This means your baby doesn\u2019t need to increase his milk intake as he gets bigger. In fact, feeds start to become shorter and less frequent, and yet he\u2019s still getting the same amount of milk as he feeds more efficiently.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Does your research show when breastfed babies start sleeping through the night?<\/strong><\/p>\n Most babies feed at night. Their stomach capacity is not big enough to go all night without a feed, and breast milk is digested very rapidly. So of course, they wake up hungry in the night \u2013 and it\u2019s likely to happen for at least the first six months. Night feeding is normal. When you\u2019re awake at night feeding your baby, be reassured that other mums with babies the same age all over the world are probably doing the same thing \u2013 and hopefully it\u2019ll only be for a few\u00a0months.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n What do mums worry about most in the first few weeks of breastfeeding?<\/strong><\/p>\n The most common concerns are whether the baby is latched on and sucking properly, and if the baby is satisfied after a feed. It\u2019s usual for mothers to be concerned about nipple pain too. The key thing is getting\u00a0breastfeeding positioning and attachment correct<\/a>\u00a0from the beginning because, anecdotally, it makes a lot of difference to both milk transfer and mums\u2019 comfort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When should a mum worry that breastfeeding isn\u2019t normal?<\/strong><\/p>\n The mother should reach full milk production by two weeks. If a baby hasn\u2019t started to regain weight by five or six days after birth, alarm bells should ring. Parents should seek medical advice, and healthcare professionals need to make sure milk is being produced and its composition is changing from\u00a0colostrum<\/a>\u00a0towards\u00a0mature milk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you could give a new mum breastfeeding advice, what would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n Have skin-to-skin contact with your baby as soon as possible after birth. Breastfeed within an hour if you can, or at least encourage your baby to latch on. Get your positioning and latch monitored and corrected as soon as possible to make sure there\u2019s no nipple damage.<\/p>\n Feed often. New mums can\u2019t always read their babies\u2019 cues and cries. Definitely feed on demand rather than at regular, set, intervals. Offer the breast as soon as there are any signs of hunger \u2013 babies usually feed better if they\u2019re calm. If your baby\u2019s crying it can be harder for him to latch on. If in doubt, offer the breast. Your baby will soon tell you if he wants it or not.\n<\/p><\/div>\n For an overview of Dr Kent\u2019s research findings, download the What is the range of \u2018normal\u2019 when it comes to breastfeeding?<\/a><\/u> infographic or read it below. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/medela.ph\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/what-is-normal-breastfeeding-image.jpg\")
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