What it means
Human milk gives babies ideal nutrition and antibodies that protect against infections, and breastfeeding lowers the parent's risk of some cancers. Major health groups advise breast milk alone for about the first 6 months, then continued with other foods. Newborns usually feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. The first milk, colostrum, is thick and yellow, and the milk "comes in" a few days after birth. Many drugs pass into milk, so each one is checked.
For the nurse
Help with a deep latch: the baby's mouth covers much of the areola, lips flanged out, with audible swallowing. Signs of enough milk include 6 or more wet diapers a day after the first week and steady weight gain. Check drugs against a lactation reference before giving them.
At a glance
| Spanish | lactancia materna |
|---|---|
| Also written | breastfeed, breastfed, breast-feeding, chestfeeding |
Related terms
postpartum
The time after giving birth, usually the first six weeks, while the body returns to its non-pregnant state.
neonatal
Relating to a newborn baby, in the first 28 days after birth.
lactation
The making and release of milk by the breasts.