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6 common questions parents have when breastfeeding their babies

You may not know much about breastfeeding when your baby is born other than its nourishing benefits. It’s totally normal to seek guidance along the way by asking your baby’s pediatrician questions about breastfeeding.

As a pediatrician, here are answers to some of the most common questions I get asked:

1. How can you make sure breastfeeding gets off to a good start?

Skin-to-skin contact right after birth helps promote breastfeeding. Keep your healthy newborn in the room with you so you can react to any early nursing cues.

Always offer both breasts at each feeding, especially in the early days. At the next feeding, start off with the breast your baby finished on at the last feeding.

2. How can you tell if your baby is getting enough milk?

You can always tell whether your baby is getting enough milk by counting the number of wet and dirty diapers they have. In the early days, your baby should have as many diapers as the number of days they are old – one wet diaper the first day, two wet diapers the second day and so on. By day six and after, they should have at least six wet diapers a day.

Babies should always have at least one dirty diaper a day. Many fully breastfed newborns have frequent small bowel movements.

Also watch whether your baby seems satisfied after a feeding. At the start of a feeding, their hands may be in tight fists. By the end of a feeding, their hands and their facial expressions should relax.

If you’re still concerned, a pediatrician or lactation consultant can weigh your baby and suggest ways to improve your feedings. Most breastfed babies don’t have trouble gaining weight though.

3. Why do babies want to breastfeed so often?

Frequent breastfeeding is normal. Breastfed infants usually feed eight to 12 times in each 24-hour period. That averages out to every two to three hours. Sometimes the interval between feedings varies. However, breastfed babies shouldn’t go more than four hours without a feeding.

4. Does taking medication, smoking or drinking alcohol affect breast milk?

Talk to your doctor about medications so you can make the best choice for both you and your baby. When taking any medication, watch closely for reactions in your baby, including loss of appetite, diarrhea, sleepiness, excessive crying, vomiting or skin rashes. Call your baby’s pediatrician immediately if any of these symptoms appear.

Avoid smoking and vaping because they can decrease milk production and may cause poor sleep, breathing problems, lung infections, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in infants. Also, avoid the use of cannabis-containing products.

Since alcohol passes into your breast milk, you should wait at least two hours after drinking before breastfeeding your baby again. If you’re going to drink alcohol, do it right after a feeding and minimize the amount you drink.

5. When should a baby start eating solid foods?

You can start solid foods when your baby is six months old. At this age, your baby will show these signs of being able to manage solids:

Sitting up alone or with support
Controlling their head and neck
Opening their mouth when you offer food
Swallowing food rather than pushing it back out onto their chin
Trying to grasp small objects, such as toys or foods

Offer soft, nutritious foods from each food group. Offer new foods one at a time so you can check for signs of a food allergy. Start with mashed or pureed foods so your baby can get used to swallowing. Your baby will gradually learn to chew soft foods, like bananas or cooked vegetables.

Follow your baby’s lead. Some babies love solid foods and others don’t like the texture. But babies eventually learn to eat the same foods as the rest of their families.

6. How long can you store pumped breast milk?

When you pump or express milk, you can store it in a glass or plastic bottle with a secure lid. Use these guidelines for safe storage:

Breastmilk can stay at room temperature for four hours
Breastmilk can keep in the refrigerator for five days
Breast milk can stay in the freezer for three to four months or up to six months in a deep freezer

Make sure to label the date the milk was pumped. Use older dated milk first.

Do you have more questions about breastfeeding?

As your baby grows, breastfeeding will become more routine, and you’ll have fewer questions. Take the time to enjoy this stage of parenthood and get support when you need it.

Dr. Mandana Farhadieh Morales is a virtual pediatrician at Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care.