• Patient Gateway Login
  • Patient Gateway Login
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Contact

Need to talk to us?

Call 617-243-6000
  • Physicians
  • Locations
  • Specialties
  • Patients & Visitors
  • Search
  • More
  • Walk-in Clinics
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Classes & Community Resources
  • Medical Education
  • Nursing Department
  • News
  • Research
  • Volunteer

What can we help you find?

Newton-Wellesley Hospital

2014 Washington Street

Newton, MA 02462

617-243-6000

Open 24 hours
Lab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary
 

Get Directions | View Hours

Ambulatory Care Center - Natick

307 W Central St

Natick, MA 01760

617-243-5345

Get Directions | View Hours

Ambulatory Care Center - Newton

159 Wells Ave

Newton Centre, MA 02459

617-243-5777

Get Directions | View Hours

Ambulatory Care Center - Walpole

111 Norfolk Street

Walpole, MA 02081maps

617-243-5345

Get Directions | View Hours

Ambulatory Care Center – Wellesley

978 Worcester Road (rte 9)

Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482

781-235-5200

Get Directions | View Hours

Maxwell Blum Emergency Pavilion

2014 Washington Street

Newton, MA 02462

617-243-6000

Open 24 hours

Lab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary

Get Directions | View Hours

Outpatient Surgery Center - Wellesley

25 Washington Street

Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481

617-219-1520

Get Directions | View Hours

Waltham Walk-In

9 Hope Ave

Waltham, MA 02453

617-243-5590

Monday through Saturday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

Sunday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Lab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary

Get Directions | View Hours

Our Locations

  • Newton-Wellesley Hospital
  • Ambulatory Care Center - Natick
  • Ambulatory Care Center - Newton
  • Ambulatory Care Center - Walpole
  • Ambulatory Care Center – Wellesley
  • Emergency Department
  • Outpatient Surgery Center - Wellesley
View All Locations
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Laboratory / Pathology
  • Radiology

  • Bariatric Surgery
  • Maternity
  • Rehabilitation Services

  • Cancer Care
  • Medicine
  • Robotic Surgery

  • Cardiovascular
  • Neurology
  • Spine Center

  • Dermatology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Sports Medicine

  • Emergency Medicine
  • OB/GYN
  • Surgical Services

  • Endocrinology & Diabetes
  • Orthopedics
  • Urology

  • Gastroenterology & Hepatology
  • Orthopedic Walk-In
  • Vascular Surgery

  • Heartburn and Reflux
  • Pediatrics
  • Weight Management

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Primary Care
  • Women's Health

  • Kaplan Joint Center
  • Psychiatry
  • View All
Breastfeeding Frequency
Maternity Guide  /  Postpartum Guide  /  Postpartum - Chapter 4  /  Breastfeeding Frequency
617-243-6000

Section Menu

  • Postpartum Care Team
  • Your Hospital Stay
    • Hospital Basics
    • Security Instructions for Parents
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Preparing to Take Your New Baby Home
    • Early Maternity Discharge Information
  • Taking Care of Yourself
    • Pain Management
    • Diet and Weight Loss
    • Daily Adjustments
    • When to Call Your Physician
    • Exercise After Delivery
    • Helpful Hints by Week
    • Emotional Adjustment
  • Taking Care of Baby
    • Understanding Your Newborn
    • Newborn Hospital Stay
    • Jaundice in Newborns
    • Special Care Nursery
    • Taking Care of Your Newborn
    • Infant Safety
    • Reducing the Risk of SIDS
  • Infant Nutrition
    • Breastfeeding Basics
    • Breastfeeding Positions and Latch-On
    • Breastfeeding Frequency
    • Postpartum Breast Pain
    • Breastfeeding FAQs
    • Formula Feeding
    • Newborn Feeding Guidelines
  • Parenting Resources
  • Return to Patient Guides and Forms

Breastfeeding Frequency

Recognizing Signs of Hunger
The following are signals from your baby that will alert you that he or she is hungry:

  • Open eyes
  • Baby starts to wake (eyes flutter and hands move)
  • Baby starts to squirm or move
  • Sucking movements of the baby’s mouth
  • Attempts to suck on fingers or fist
  • Rooting (turning toward anything the baby’s face comes in contact with)
  • Tongue thrusting

A baby does not have to cry to show readiness for feeding. Crying is a late hunger sign. It is much easier to nurse a baby who is calm and just beginning to show hunger than a baby who has been waiting so long for food that she or he is upset and crying. Just like you, your baby learns best when not distracted by discomfort or frustration.

Feeding Frequency
In the first few days after birth, your newborn may not seem to want to vigorously breastfeed. During this time, it is important to encourage at least 10 feedings in 24 hours. This allows for some feedings to go more smoothly than others, while still allowing your baby enough opportunities to learn and enough signals for your breasts to produce more milk.

Watch for cues that your baby is hungry, and gently wake your infant to nurse her/him after any three to four hour period of sleep. Avoid using pacifiers in the first weeks so that your baby will use all of his or her sucking energy for feeding.

Frequent feedings during the first few days encourage milk production and help minimize breast engorgement. Your newborn’s stomach is very small. Consequently, he or she can only eat a small amount at a time and will need to feed frequently.

You’ll know your baby is sucking well when:

  • The feedings are not painful for you.
  • The baby has at least one bowel movement in a 24-hour period.
  • The baby seems satisfied after feeding.
  • You can hear your baby swallowing (after your transitional milk has come in).
  • The baby has six to eight wet diapers in a 24-hour period (after your transitional milk has come in).

During the first few weeks at home, the baby will usually feed 10 to 12 times in a 24-hour period. Your infant may “cluster feed,” which means wanting several feedings within a short period of time followed by a longer sleep period. Feedings will average one every two to three hours. Cluster feeding is fine for your baby. It is important to breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry. Your baby will nurse less often as he or she gets older. Take advantage of these early days. Put your feet up, get plenty to eat and drink, and rest while your baby nurses.

Burping
You can try burping your baby when he/she slows down during a feeding. Hold your baby upright against your chest with her/his head at your shoulder and give the baby gentle pats or circular rubs on the back. Alternatively, you can hold your baby in sitting position on your lap for a burp, with one hand patting and the other supporting the belly and jaw. Babies may not burp after every feeding.

Find the right doctor for you

Go to Find a Doctor

Newton-Wellesley Hospital

2014 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02462
Get Directions
617-243-6000

©2024

 

Contact Us

Quick Links

CareersCommunity Resources DoctorsLocations Medical & Surgical Services Patients & VisitorsPrice Transparency Site Map
Mass General Brigham
Legal Statements | HIPAA Guidelines | Website Privacy | Website Disclaimer

We use cookies and other tools to enhance your experience on our website and to analyze our web traffic. For more information about these cookies and the data collected, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

×