Breastfeeding Resources

Here are some general resources for postpartum & breastfeeding.

Sleep

• Babies will often cluster feed in the early evening. They want small, frequent feedings and are sometimes inconsolable. Some  babies will sleep long stretches at night (4 hours “counts” as sleeping through the night), others need to feed frequently at night. Both are normal newborn behaviours. 
• Safe sleep sharing to facilitate breastfeeding
• On comfort nursing
• On night feedings

Feeding & Diapers 

• How much milk does my baby need?
• Signs of a good feeding
• Signs of a good latch
• Babies drink about 25-30oz/day (whether milk or formula). They don’t need more as they get bigger because they grow at a slower rate as they get older. Here's how to read a growth chart.
• All about normal poop
• Green poop

Tummy time resources

Using apps to track feedings/diapers

There are many apps out there that families find helpful to keep track of things during the newborn period. I do not recommend a specific app or solution, and do encourage you to “graduate” from the app as soon as your baby’s weight gain is well established. A close relationship with your baby including physical connection, eye contact, and responsive parenting will tell you exponentially more than any app. I also want to make you aware of some privacy concerns with these apps, which are unregulated.
 

Here are resources for your wellness during the postpartum period

• To self-assess for postpartum  depression or anxiety
• Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety
• Alcohol and breastfeeding
• OTC meds and breastfeeding
• Birth control information
• This link has everything you need to know if you get a cold

Do you know the signs of potentially life-threatening complications that could affect you after you give birth? Specific signs you should watch for during the first year after birth include:

1. Pain in your chest
2. Obstructed breathing or shortness of breath
3. Seizures
4. Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby
5. Bleeding that is soaking through one pad/hour, or blood clots the size of an egg or  bigger
6. Incision that is not healing
7. Red or swollen leg that is painful or warm to touch
8. Temperature of 100.4° F or higher
9. Headache that does not improve, even after taking medicine, or bad headache with      vision changes

If you think you are experiencing one of the post birth warning signs, it’s important to get help and let the person responding to your needs know that you’ve just had a baby within the past year.

For example, if you call 911, tell the operator: “I just had a baby a week ago and I have a really bad headache that won’t go away.” Or “I had a baby on [Give the Date] and I am having some chest pain and trouble catching my breath.” Do this with any encounter you have when seeking help whether it’s with 911, an emergency room or urgent care provider, or your own healthcare provider.

The sooner your nurse, midwife or doctor can identify your symptoms, the sooner they can make a diagnosis and provide the necessary care. Just as I have shared these instructions with you, please share this same information with your family and friends; you may not be able to act on your own, for example, if you’ve have had a stroke or seizure.