Colostrum and the First 48 Hours–Going For the Gold!
Many babies in the hospital will not latch or breastfeed, so how do you get all of your wonderful liquid gold from your breast to your baby’s belly? Spoon feeding! Plastic spoons from home or from the hospital kitchen work great.
This special milk, called colostrum, is exactly what baby needs for the first 3 days of life.
- During this time your baby's entire system is in recovery from birth and in transition to extra-uterine life.
- Baby's stomach capacity is about the size of a shooter marble and was not designed to get too much milk at this time.
- Colostrum cleans out the digestive system.
- Colostrum causes baby to bring up excretions and release meconium–this keeps the baby from getting jaundiced.
- Colostrum calms the nausea that babies seem to have in those first few days.
- Colostrum makes baby feel good, which is why on day 2 (24-48 hours old) she/he will not want to let go of the breast!
- The breast is the only place where baby feels good in these critical days.
How Much Should I Feed My Baby?
Your body has been producing thick, sticky milk from about the 16th week of pregnancy. It is yellow in appearance--it is packed full of beta carotene.
Offer 5 small spoons(not filled to overflowing) from each breast about every 2 hours during the day. If you stick to that, you will find a totally different baby the next day. Oftentimes babies lose too much weight because mom gave only 2 spoonfuls the whole day and baby has not gotten enough.
