Just keep nursing

There a few notes I'd like to share about those early weeks. As educated and informed as I was, there were still a few things about nursing a newborn that I wish I'd known.

The very first, and the first thing I share with other new mothers or mothers-to-be, is that it is PERFECTLY NORMAL for your newborn (and I mean up to 3 months) to want to nurse almost constantly. This does not mean something is wrong with your supply. Is the baby peeing? Then he's fine, and your supply is fine. Just keep nursing. Your breasts are not just food for him. They are warmth and comfort. They help him get all that sleep his tiny baby body needs. They relax him. They are his center in a freaky, freaky world where he spends more than half his time, on average, physically separated from his mother, whom he hasn't realized is a separate person.

Physiologically, he has a teensy tummy, and a liquid diet processes quite quickly through it, as it should. And he is growing at an astonishing rate, so of course he wants to eat all the time. That "every three hours" crap is for formula-fed babies, who are trying to digest cows/soy milk, which their tummies are not designed to accept. Just keep nursing

Physiologically for the mother, your boobs have to figure out how much this critter needs. That takes almost two months to get into a flow (ha ha). Give yourself and your baby a break. Just keep nursing.

Second, sometimes your baby is just thirsty. Breast milk starts with a thinner flow, then after a few minutes of nursing changes to a thicker, more fatty liquid. He might just need a tasty beverage. Get yourself one, too.

And third, you cannot overfeed a baby. He'll just barf it back up if he needs to, or refuse the breast. You're not going to make him overweight. I actually knew this, but thought it was important enough to share here.

Cosleeping is tremendously helpful to the nursing relationship. I wish I hadn't been so afraid to sleep with my boy when he was small. Check out DrSears.com for tips on cosleeping safely. If you're really nervous, buy a cosleeper. I can't believe I got up, went and got the baby, sat up, nursed, then put him back, often unsuccessfully, and stumbled back to bed. TOTALLY not going through all that next time.

I think those were my important notes for the early weeks. Thanks again for reading,
-Anne