15 Sep 😭Is your baby screaming and unsettled after feeds? 😬Been told to reduce the volume of milk your baby takes in each feed by feeding baby for 5 minutes every hour?
Getting to know your newborn baby and learning to breastfeed can be extremely challenging and stressful for new mums. 🤱Often it takes 6-8 weeks to settle into a routine that suits baby and mum.
Recently, a new mum we met shared about how stressful she feels when her baby is not tolerating tummy time to strengthen his neck muscle because he seems to have reflux and is screaming with discomfort after feeds. She was advised by the Early Child Health Nurse to reduce baby’s feeding time to control the volume of milk baby was having every 4 hours to prevent baby’s “reflux”. So mum has been breastfeeding baby for only 5 minute every hour. However, the end result was no difference for baby and in fact worse for mum, as she is now feeling more exhausted!😰
The truth is snacking – that is feeding your baby for 5 minutes every hour is a bad idea! 🙅♀️Here are 3 physiological reasons why “snacking” is not beneficial for baby:
1. Only allowing baby to breastfeed for 5 minutes each time means that baby is only having the less nutrient rich foremilk each time, instead of having the hindmilk contains higher fat, vitamins A and E, and higher calories than foremilk.
2. Waking baby up for feed every hour disrupts their sleep pattern. Deep sleep known as Non Rapid Eye Movement Stage 3 sleep is what babies and children need to grow. Constantly waking baby to feed prevents baby from falling into NREM stage 3 sleep.
3. When baby is not getting sufficient nutrient rich milk and disrupted sleep, baby will likely not have appropriate weight gain and will not be rested to have wake times to play and strengthen their neck muscles to gain gross motor skills.
So if you are struggling with baby’s feeding cycles and tummy time play, ring My Favourite Physio on 📱(02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today!🤓
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