[Breastfeeding] Why It’s Different with a Newborn

We’ll be talking about why nursing a newborn is different from an older baby. It’s often assumed that bodyfeeding will simply work, but most lactating parents report significant problems within the first week. Fortunately, understanding why newborns feed the way they do can make the whole process a breeze. Theresa Nesbitt is tells us more, including how to avoid nipple pain, encouraging a good latch, and setting yourself up for a good milk supply. Check it out.

What we talked about:

• Most common newborn feeding complaints: pain, difficulty latching, milk production concerns
• Good ways to avoid those difficulties
• Helping your newborn get a mouth-full of breast
• How a newborn’s lack of voluntary movements affects lactation
• Why the “bottle feeding images” we have in our heads don’t work for newborns
• Re-programming those “bottle feeding images” with the “training wheels” position (a.k.a. biological nurturing)
• Your newborn’s built in GPS system
• Anchoring your newborn’s pressure buttons to activate their core-stabilizing inborn motor patterns that help them to feed effectively (or as I call it: the frog legs!)
• Position yourself before you position your newborn
• Avoiding common setbacks
• Fussy at the chest? “Swoosh and squoosh”!
• How “breast shaping” can help you

Related resources*:

• The Vojta Principle: Who developed Vojta Diagnostics and Therapy?
• Everything on naturalbreastfeeding.com, including the free video and other instructional materials for getting lactation off to a great start
• Nancy Mohrbacher’s YouTube channel, with free short videos that show the biological nurturing positions in action
• Suzanne Colson’s website, which has information about and clips of laid-back feeding
• Nancy Mohrbacher’s website; see the blog section on “Breastfeeding Positions” and latch animation in “Videos” under “Breastfeeding Resources”
• La Leche League International’s resources on positioning (go to the section on “Laid-back Breastfeeding”!), and they have some great printables in their “Tear-Sheet Toolkit”
• Breastfeeding: Instinct or Instruction? La Leche League International
• Midwifery Today article by Suzanne Colson, originator of the concept “biological nurturing”

Courtesy of Theresa Nesbitt

About Dr. Theresa Nesbitt

Dr. Theresa Nesbitt is an Obstetrician-Gynecologist with special training in Maternal Fetal Medicine. Theresa promotes health and wellness for women, with a focus on mothers. She has a particular interest in brain growth and development. Dr. Theresa is Director of Family Health Coaching, editor of Babies and Breastfeeding Magazine and author of Evolutionary Eating: How We Got Fat and 7 Simple Fixes. She is also co-author (with Nancy Mohrbacher IBCLC, FILCA) of the Natural Breastfeeding Program – The Solution to Successful Start.

Dr. Nesbitt developed an interest in lactation because she observed that, although many pregnant people intend to bodyfeed, they are not really prepared to do so. Her interest in brain health, nutrition and developmental kinesiology have helped her to look at lactation and human milk from a new perspective.

Learn more at her website drtheresa.com, and at naturalbreastfeeding.com too!