Originally published September 14 2005
Nursing mothers should feed babies between 8-12 times a day
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Because there is no set schedule for infant breast-feeding, many mothers are unsure when and how long to feed their babies. A normal feeding schedule is about 8-12 times a day and it is not uncommon for babies to lose weight during the first week of life due to the high amounts of colostrum in breast milk.
Most breastfed babies get enough milk from their mother to nurse exclusively for 6 months or more.
Since it is not possible to measure exactly how much breast milk a child takes in, moms often ask how they can be sure that their daughter is getting an adequate amount of milk.
At night, some babies keep this schedule while others are able to sleep for longer periods of time between feedings.
For the first 4 weeks, she should nurse 8-12 times a day.
As she matures, she will want to nurse less often but should still have 6-8 good nursing sessions per 24 hour period.
Weight For the first 4 days or so after your daughter's birth, you breasts produce colostrum.
It is common for a breastfed baby to lose weight while she is still receiving colostrum.
In fact, she can safely lose up to 10% of her birth weight within the first week of life.
She should, however, quickly regain this weight the second week once your milk comes in.
Once she has regained her original birth weight, she should continue to grow in height and in weight.
She should maintain a steady growth on a standard growth chart.
If a child suddenly begins to fall in weight percentages, it is possible that she is not meeting her nutritional needs.
For example, if your daughter who usually plots at the 75th percentile suddenly drops to the 40th percentile, she may not be getting enough milk.
Modern disposable diapers are extremely absorbent so it may be difficult for a new parent to tell when the diaper is wet.
For the first several weeks, your daughter should make no less than 3 stools a day.
All of your baby's nutritional needs can be met with exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months.
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