Infant Nutrition Breast-feeding, The Feeding Process

Infant Nutrition Breast-feeding

There is little need for special preparation of the breasts. Excessive nipple preparation or skin softening creams are only potentially injurious and sensitizing. In the first 2 to 3 days postpartum, the breasts secrete a thin, orange-tinted substance called colostrum, which is an electrolyte-, macrophage-, and nutrient-rich substance with a premilk composition. Colostrum is an extremely important component of the initial feeding experience of the newborn infant. With nursing taking place every 2 to 3 hours, the true milk supply usually comes in (i.e., milk is “let down”) at about the third day postdelivery. The mother knows when this is happening because the breasts feel full, even engorged, quite

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