"Ask an IBCLC"

Our International Board Certified Lactation Consultant is Marlene Giel, a RN here in Aruba at The Horacio Oduber Hospital. She's been a L&D Nurse since 1995 and did her specialization in Obstetrics&Gynecology. She Graduated in 2002 from the Erasmus Medische Centrum Rotterdam. Always having had a passion for breastfeeding, she took on a new title that of Certified Lactation Consultant since beginning her studies in 2006. She is in the course of completing absolute certification for IBCLC.  

Question : My baby is almost two weeks old, and yesterday, he wanted to nurse all the time! He was practically attached to my breast ALL day! Anytime I finished nursing him on both sides, and I put him down, he began to cry again, it was every hour on the hour! Is my supply too low? Do I still have enough milk?

Answer: When this is happening, we talk about a growth spurt.
Most babies go through several growth spurts during the first twelve months.
During a growth spurt, breastfed babies nurse more often than usual, sometimes every hour and often they are fussier than usual. The increase in baby's milk intake during growth spurts is temporary.

Physical growths is not the only reason that babies may have a temporary need for increased nursing. When the baby develops advances such as rolling over, crawling, walking or talking they need more of mom's milk for growing the brain as well as the body.

Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months.
Growth spurts usually last 2-3- days, but sometimes a week.

How to handle a growth spurt?
Follow your child's lead. Baby will automatically get more milk by nursing more frequently and your milk supply will increase due to the increased nursing. It is not necessary to supplement your baby with formula or expressed milk during a growth spurt. Supplementing interferes with the natural supply and demand of milk production and will prevent your body from getting the message to make more milk during the growth spurt. Listen to your body, you may need to eat or drink more during the time that baby is nursing more often.


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