Common problems during breastfeeding
After labour and delivery, your next concern will be breastfeeding. Many times, mummies would start to wonder if they should be breastfeeding their babies or if they should go with formula. For babies, they would get the most amount of antibodies (from the viruses that the mummies are exposed to from their surroundings) from breast milk compared to formula. Although it seems easier and less time-consuming for mummies to feed the baby formula milk from the start. However, after around 5 weeks post-delivery, when the mummies get better at latching, it will require less time to breastfeed, just bringing your baby to your chest and getting comfortable, compared to feeding formula milk, as you would require more time to prepare the milk and wash the bottles.
The next concern will be if they are latching their babies correctly. When you latch your baby, there should not be any pain or discomfort. There is no one position to latch that is better than the other, your baby will still be able to get the same amount of milk, the best position to latch would be the one you feel the most comfortable with. Regardless of which position you decide to latch, it is important that you also get your arms and back properly supported.
How much milk is enough for my baby?
For the first 24 hours, your baby should be feeding between 2-10ml every feed (at least 8 times in 24 hours). From 24-48 hours, your baby will have an intake of 5-10ml every feed (every 3 hours), from 48-72 hours, your baby’s intake will be around 15-30ml every feed (every 2-3 hours). From 72-96 hours, your baby’s intake will be around 30-60ml every feed. By 2 weeks post-delivery, the goal of milk supply should be 750-1000ml per day.
If you are concerned that your baby is not drinking enough, you can check in with your paediatrician about your baby’s weight. If your baby is gaining weight steadily, there should not be too much concern about their intake.
You can also monitor your baby’s intake by observing their output. On day 1 you should expect around 1 wet diaper with 1 stool. On day 2, there should be around 2-3 wet diaper with 1-2 stools. On day 3, there should be 3-4 wet diapers and 3-4 stools. And on day 4, there should be more at least 4-6 wet diaper with 4 large or 10 small stools. After that, there should be at least 6-8 wet diapers and 4 sizeable stools daily.
Engorgement
When your milk supply starts to increase at the beginning, you might experience engorgement, whereby your breast feels abnormally full and painful. For many mummies, it can happen from day 5-14 after delivery. Do not be too alarmed when you feel a lot of engorgement, continue to feed your baby regularly or pump out any extra milk (if necessary). Once your body adapt to the milk supply, the pain will subside, however, you would still need to feed or pump regularly.
> Click here to find out about the Lactation Consultant Home Visit Service.
Physician Lee Jia Ven
TCM Physician
IBCLC Certified Lactation Consultant
Ayurvedic Therapist (500hrs)
Kelly spearheads our Women’s Health Physiotherapy Service. She has a keen interest in helping mothers with the pregnancy related issues and also post-partum issues. She runs antenatal and post-natal programs, focusing on easing the pain of pregnancy and post-partum issues like Diastasis Recti (DR), breastfeeding, etc. She is also one of a few physiotherapist in Singapore that is certified as a Lactation Consultant. She is a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, awarded and recognised by the International Board of Lactation Examiners.
Academic Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), 2019
- Diploma in Physiotherapy, Nanyang Polytechnic (Singapore), 2015
Achievements
- Lactation Consultant / Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, International Board of Lactation Examiners, 2022
- Women’s Health Physiotherapy, IHFA, 2022
Memberships / Affiliations
- Allied Health Professions Council, Singapore