Signs your baby is getting enough from breastfeeding. Dr. Ilinca Tranulis: "It's not the time that helps us, but THIS helps us!" / VIDEO

Many parents wonder if they should time how long the baby has been at the breast. Well, according to the specialized pediatrician, minutes are not quite as helpful in this context. Why? Because we need to see the effect. Dr. Tranulis explained that we don't have calibrated breasts to know exactly how many milliliters the baby has swallowed, and time doesn't always provide precise information.

"The minutes don't help us. Unfortunately, we need to see the effect. That's why it's challenging at the beginning because mothers would like to know 'Has the baby eaten this many milliliters?' We don't have calibrated breasts to be able to say that, and time doesn't help us at all. What's important to see is that a small baby usually needs to eat at least eight times in 24 hours, so they need to eat frequently. There's no such thing as too many breastfeeding sessions. They can suckle after half an hour, after an hour, and after an hour and a half. Most likely, a breastfed baby won't take breaks longer than 3 hours. When the baby is nursing, it's extremely important to hear frequent swallows in the first few minutes. The baby can stay at the breast for an hour and a half without swallowing. That's not okay, that's why I say that the duration of nursing doesn't help us. I need to monitor that at the beginning of the nursing session when the milk flow is higher, I hear 'gulp, gulp, gulp,' the baby swallows constantly, regularly, frequently. During nursing, these swallows become less frequent because the flow slows down. It's possible that at some point, they might not swallow much, doze off a little, but then they have another round of healthy swallows, possibly switching to the other breast", Dr. Ilinca Tranulis stated on the Parents Present show, a program by ParintisiPitici.ro.

Dr. Ilinca Tranulis: "Time doesn't help us!"

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According to the doctor, the essential thing to consider is having 8-10 breastfeeding sessions within a 24-hour interval and hearing consistent swallows within a 5-10-minute timeframe.

"So, it's not the time that helps us, but the fact that the baby is breastfed around 8 - 10 times in 24 hours, for several minutes, probably 5 - 10, and I hear healthy swallows. If, when I put the baby to the breast, they take a sip, doze off a bit, stay a little, cry a bit, detach themselves, and then take another sip, that's not a nursing session where milk is being transferred. I can't expect the baby to be full and satisfied or sleep well afterward, nor can I expect it to stimulate my milk production. It should already raise a red flag, and I should seek help. Something is happening: maybe the baby isn't latching well, doesn't have enough strength, their tongue movement isn't right, or they are more used to bottle feeding than breastfeeding. A consultant can identify these issues and help the mother make corrections.

Some mothers have been taught: to hold for 10 minutes on one breast, 10 minutes on the other. Well, for some mothers, the milk flow only starts after about 2 minutes of putting the baby to the breast, and we're shortening the baby's meal. Let them eat there until they know better when to stop", further explained the internationally certified lactation consultant.

How can we tell if the baby has eaten enough at the breast?

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Dr. Tranulis indicated that essential signs of adequate feeding include the baby having at least five to six heavy diapers per day, indicating they are receiving enough milk. Additionally, they need to have at least three yellow stools per day, indicating sufficient feeding. The real confirmation of this process comes at the end of the month when it can be assessed whether the baby has gained weight properly.

"How do we know? We don't know immediately. Even I, as a lactation consultant, can't be sure if the baby has gained weight properly at the end of a meal. Well, I can get an idea, but I can't be certain. It's not just about one meal. Maybe we got lucky and had a phenomenally good meal, but for the rest of the day, the baby doesn't transfer milk as effectively. What I need to see is that they wet at least five to six full diapers every day, and I can feel that they are heavy. That's a sign of an adequate milk quantity. They have a minimum of three yellow stools per day, indicating that my child is being fed sufficiently. At the end of the month, I need to see that they have gained enough weight. Only then do I know they are eating enough.

Of course, I also follow the baby's cues. If a baby is calm, relaxed, sleep well after nursing, and wakes up on their own to request more breastfeeding, that's a good sign. If a baby constantly wants to nurse non-stop, something may not be right. If a baby, on the other hand, sleeps a lot, they could be dehydrated, and that's not good either", dr. Tranulis emphasized.

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