Feeding Your Baby in the Hospital

Feeding On Demand

• Feeding on demand means feeding your baby as often and as long as they want.
• Your baby may show hunger cues and want to feed every hour or more, this is normal.
• Feeding as often as your baby desires also allows you to increase your supply of breast milk.
• At the start, your baby will be eating colostrum, a small but nutrient-rich substance.
• To help stimulate the production of milk, you will be taught hand expression.
• Fatigue is common, be sure to turn to your support person or nurse for help.

Breastfeeding After a C-Section

If you deliver your baby by C-Section, your healthcare team will take special care to ensure you and your baby are able to breastfeed successfully as listed below.

• Skin-to-skin in the operating room: After delivery and when you and your baby are considered stable, your baby will be placed skin-to-skin with you until your surgery is completed.
• Skin-to-skin after your c-section: If you recover in a separate area, you will see your baby within 2-3 hours. During this time, your support person can be with the baby.
• Help with position and latch: Finding a comfortable position when breastfeeding can be more challenging after a C-section. Your healthcare team will help you find breastfeeding positions that lead to a good latch while minimizing your discomfort.
• Rooming-in: Unless your baby needs to be admitted to the Nursery, your baby will stay in your room with you during your entire hospital stay. This will make it easier for you to feed and bond with your baby.
• Lactation Consult: If you are struggling to breastfeed or need help finding comfortable breastfeeding positions, your healthcare team can contact a lactation consultant for assistance.

Breastfeeding After Labor Induction

If you deliver your baby after having your labor induced with medication, you and your baby may experience some breastfeeding challenges. These challenges are typically mild and temporary, and there are many things you and your healthcare team can do to overcome them.

• Sleepy baby: Medication used to induce labor can make babies sleepy after birth, making it more challenging to initiate breastfeeding. To help babies start breastfeeding, healthcare teams encourage skin-to-skin contact as soon as possible after delivery. If babies are too sleepy to feed, healthcare teams may suggest gently rubbing the undersides of their feet to wake them.
• Swollen breasts: Labor induction often involves receiving intravenous (IV) fluids along with the medication used to induce labor. These fluids can cause your breasts to swell, making it difficult for your baby to latch on. Your healthcare team can help you and your baby latch on successfully, and a lactation consultant can provide additional support.
• More weight loss in the baby: If you receive a large amount of IV fluids, it's possible your baby will have more fluid in their system. After birth, they will urinate more to get rid of the excess fluids, leading to weight loss. This may be normal.

Nursery

Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for your baby, even if your baby is transferred to the nursery after birth. Breast milk provides extra nutrients that can help protect your baby from infection and prepare them to go home sooner.

Your healthcare team will let you know if you can breastfeed directly or need to express breast milk or use donor human milk to feed your baby by spoon, cup, or syringe.

Additional Tips

• Express breast milk every two hours during the day and at least twice at night.
• Hold baby skin-to-skin on your chest as much as possible.
• Breastfeed as much as possible.
• Talk to a lactation consultant if you are concerned about your milk supply.

Resources for When You Go Home

• Returning to Work or School
• Community Resources
• Recursos de la comunidad