Once you're feeding
Once you're happy with your baby's position, let her
feed for as long as she wants, because your body's getting
used to making milk. Once you've got plenty of milk, a feed
will probably last around 30 minutes.
Breastmilk is made up of two different types of
milk. “Foremilk” which your baby gets each time she
starts to feed and a richer “hindmilk” which comes afterwards.
To get both types of milk, your baby needs the chance to empty one
breast before you move her to the other. Unfortunately, there's
no particular sign to tell you when a breast is empty but as your
confidence grows you will start to know.
When you start breastfeeding, your new baby will
want to feed as often as every two hours and it's important
to let her do that. It's this frequent feeding that tells
your body how much milk to make. Gradually, as your baby grows,
the gaps between feeds will lengthen.
And don't forget – because you are in demand
around the clock, it's important to look after yourself too. Eat
well, drink plenty of fluid, say yes to any offers of help and rest
and sleep whenever you get the chance.
If you are new to breastfeeding, remember
your Child Health Nurse or the Australian Breastfeeding Association
(http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au)
is there to help you and can answer all your questions about breastfeeding.
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