Getting Off to a Great Start

Before having a baby, it’s normal to talk to friends or family about their laboring or surgical experiences, but not all of us have people in our lives that have provided breastmilk to their babies.

Some of us turn to TikTok or social media for answers.

It’s important to gather information to make an educated choice for you and your child.

At WVU Medicine Children’s, we offer prenatal lactation appointments that provide evidence-based info and allow you to ask questions privately. We also offer once a month group classes.

The Breastmilk Basics

Human milk is universally acknowledged as the optimal source of nutrition for infants worldwide.

The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for all babies have been well-established by decades of research.

Respected organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) support this stance. They recommend that babies receive only breastmilk for the first six months of life before introducing solid foods, and encourage continuing breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond, as long as it’s mutually desired.

You may be wondering what to do to get off to the best start, or how you can best prepare for what’s to come after the birth of your child.

To make sure we’re all on the same page, the term “breastfeeding” includes the making or receiving of mothers’ milk with or without a latching baby.

For various personal reasons, or simply out of preference, some parents choose to exclusively pump and bottle feed their babies breastmilk.

All families establish a personalized feeding plan for their baby that works best for them.

Colostrum and Learning to Express It

The benefits of colostrum and breastmilk are extensive. Colostrum is the first breastmilk that your body makes with production starting around week 16 of pregnancy.

Colostrum is concentrated, which means a little bit goes a long way.

It’s also known as “liquid gold” for its yellow hue, but it may also be clear or white. It is protein packed, high in calories and antibodies, and just the right amount for your baby’s marble-sized belly.

You may have heard about someone expressing their colostrum to help feed their baby. Hand expression means gently using the hands to release a small amount of milk from the breast. This practice may be the most efficient way to remove colostrum from a mother’s breast, other than the baby latching on.

This can be useful when trying to latch with a newborn. A few drops of colostrum can wake up a sleepy baby or calm a frustrated baby. Pumping is also great for stimulation if a baby isn’t latching.

If you try hand expression, you may only see very, very small amounts of colostrum. Only seeing drops, if any, is expected and normal at first.

Know that when babies are latched effectively, they take more colostrum than what you see when hand expressing or pumping.

More mature milk is thinner with greater volume and is not meant to transition until three to five days after delivery. This gives babies the time to learn and practice their “suck, swallow, breathe” coordination with the very small amounts of thicker colostrum.

It may take some practice to perfect hand expression, but it can be used for months or years to come.

All nurses from the Birthing Center at WVU Medicine Children’s are trained to assist with breastfeeding, pumping, and hand expression. We also have several dedicated lactation consultants in-house. Your feeding goals will become ours and we truly look forward to providing support to you and your family along your journey.

After you leave the hospital, we encourage you to contact our office with questions or issues. Should you prefer in-person support, we offer two lactation clinics at Cheat Lake Physicians and University Town Centre. Virtual visits are also an option through Cheat Lake Physicians. You can even follow up with the same nurse practitioner or doctor you saw for your prenatal lactation appointment.

Call University Town Centre at (304) 598-4835 or Cheat Lake Physicians at (304) 594-1313 to schedule a prenatal lactation appointment. You can also be seen with your baby in the lactation clinics.

Call the hospital Lactation Office before or after delivery with questions at (304) 554-8529.

If you are a WIC participant, or are interested in becoming one, please contact your local WIC office for prenatal and postpartum support online.

First Droplets is another online resource for moms to learn more about breastfeeding.

Although the terms “mother” and “breastfeeding “are used in our materials, we are mindful of the fact these are not used by every parent. WVU Medicine Children’s supports all kinds of families.