Early initiation of breastfeeding - breastfeeding immediately after birth

In the first hour of life, most healthy newborns instinctively move towards their mother's breast and latch spontaneously. This early breastfeeding means a healthy start for your baby!

Skin-to-skin contact keeps the newborn optimally warm and encourages his/her feeding instincts. He/she receives the first feed of colostrum, rich milk with a protective role. Suckling helps the uterus shrink, accelerates placental expulsion and prevents bleeding. Early breastfeeding also helps to establish a strong bond between you and your baby.

Laid on the mother's chest and abdomen, dried and warm, after the phase of resting and getting used to the new environment, the newborn brings a hand to his/her mouth and makes sucking moves and sounds. He/she moves towards the nipple, finds it and takes it into his/her mouth wide open. The first breastfeed should be seen more as an introduction to the breast; the newborn should not be forced by pushing the breast into the mouth. You should not feel pressure as to the speed of initiating breastfeeding and its duration.

Advantages mother and child rooming in together:

The natural instinct of a mother and newborn is to be together after birth; there is no reason to separate a healthy newborn from his/her mother. Rooming in allows the mother to develop her maternal instincts at a time when her body's hormones are programming her for that role. Delaying and limiting rooming in can have detrimental consequences to establishing an emotional connection and breastfeeding success.

  • When your newborn is with you, he/she sleeps better and cries less;
  • Breastfeeding is more successful and lasts longer; the child gains weight faster;
  • Responsive breastfeeding is easier when the child is close, and this also stimulates the production of more milk;
  • You will gain the necessary self-confidence by caring for your child;
  • You will see that the baby is well and you will not worry if he/she cries while staying in another part of the maternity hospital;
  • The child is at lower risk of infection;
  • You may be afraid that you will not be able to rest; it has, in fact, turned out that the mother sleeps better when the baby is in a crib next to her.

Risks of unnecessary supplementation

A small amount of colostrum is enough to meet the needs of a healthy full-term newborn in the first days of life. Babies initially need a very small amount of milk. The amount of colostrum that the baby suckles during one breastfeeding session on the first day is 2 to 10 ml, in the second day - 5 to 15, and in the third day - up to 30 ml. The mammary glands produce a sufficient amount of milk for the first days; as the needs in terms of milk quantity grow, the baby provides him/herself with the needed amount of milk by suckling by frequently.

Your colostrum provides your newborn with the necessary amount of nutrients and fluids, as well as protection against infections. Unnecessary supplementation can cause the child to no longer want to suck because of the full stomach feeling. The milk supply will decrease, or your breasts will become full and hard. If supplementation is used to calm the baby, it can undermine your confidence that you will be able to breastfeed your baby successfully.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is based on the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding, which have been recognized and verified as key factors of breastfeeding success. The most important steps in the maternity hospital are skin-to-skin contact, mother and newborn rooming in, responsive breastfeeding and avoiding unnecessary supplementation. The more steps are consistently applied in the maternity hospital, the higher the success of breastfeeding!