Breastfeeding provides babies with nourishment and immunity direct from moms. While a very natural practice, breastfeeding can be tricky.
Dr. Danielle Dunetz, pediatrician, shares benefits and recommendations for breastfeeding.
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Breastfeeding - What You Need to Know
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Learn more about Danielle Dunetz, DO
Danielle Dunetz, DO
Danielle Dunetz, DO is a general pediatrician with a special interest in breastfeeding. She completed a Quality Improvement Project in 2016 through the University of Virginia Medical School, Breastfeeding Consortium to help with breastfeeding education and to improve breastfeeding success rates.Learn more about Danielle Dunetz, DO
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Breastfeeding - What You Need to Know
Bill Klaproth (Host): So, why breastfeed? How often should you nurse? What about your diet during breastfeeding? You have questions. Southern New Hampshire Health has answers. And here to answer those questions for us and talk about breastfeeding is Dr. Danielle Dunetz a pediatrician at Southern New Hampshire Health. Dr. Dunetz thanks for your time. We hear about breastfeeding all the time. Why is it important to breastfeed?
Danielle Dunetz, DO, FAAP (Guest): Well, thank you for having me. Breastfeeding is the healthiest thing for both the mom and the baby both shot-term and long-term. If you look at breastmilk under a microscope, it’s alive. So, when a baby gets sick or if a baby’s exposed to germs; the mom will produce antibodies against those germs and it helps keep the baby healthy. And that’s something that you can’t get from formula. So, that’s very unique to breastmilk. So, long-term for the mom, it decreases the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary vascular disease.
Bill: So, there’s many benefits for the baby when it comes to breastfeeding. So, what about the question of the mom’s diet while breastfeeding? What does she need to know about this when it comes to her own diet while she’s breastfeeding?
Dr. Dunetz: So, it’s recommended that the mom continue on her prenatal vitamins and she has to be aware of different nutrients and making sure that she’s getting enough. So, for calcium; she needs to get like between 1000 and 1300 mg a day which is probably about three servings of milk, if you have eight-ounce cups of milk or three cups of milk a day or you could take a supplement, but it is better to get enough calcium through your diet. You also want to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. The baby is going to be put on vitamin D. So, usually babies are put on 400 units of vitamin D a day. The mom can get the vitamin D through her regular prenatal vitamins or she can go on over 5000 units of vitamin D a day and opt to not give the baby the 400 units. So, that way she makes sure that enough vitamin D is passing through the breastmilk. For protein, she needs about six to six and a half ounces a day when nursing. So, that’s a good amount of protein. So, you can get that in like three-ounce servings a couple of times a day. And you also have to be aware of iron and folic acid, but again, she should continue on her prenatal vitamins.
Bill: Okay, that’s good advice. And what about alcohol consumption?
Dr. Dunetz: So, that’s controversial. You can consume a small amount of alcohol, though there is like a pumping and dumping technique that is not recommended anymore. But if you feel the alcohol, that it’s affecting you, you should not be nursing the baby. At this point, it’s recommended that you wait like a couple of hours after having the drink until you don’t feel it before nursing or pumping. But pumping and dumping was something that people had been doing for years. so, right now it is controversial. It’s best to not drink alcohol. Alcohol in general, can decrease your milk supply. So, that’s one thing to think about. It can decrease it about 20% over the next 24 hours even if you just have one drink. So, even if you don’t feel it; it can decrease your milk production.
Bill: And speaking about milk supply; how often should a woman breastfeed?
Dr. Dunetz: So, she should feed on demand and go by the baby’s cues. At first, really every two to three hours and she shouldn’t go more than four hours until the baby’s back at the baby’s birth weight.
Bill: Interesting, alright. And what if a woman is experiencing discomfort while breastfeeding?
Dr. Dunetz: So, there can be different reasons why a woman might experience discomfort while breastfeeding. Lots of times, it’s the baby’s latch, so it would be good for either the pediatrician or a lactation consultant to see how the baby’s nursing and it might just be the positioning of the baby. Sometimes a baby could have something called a tongue tie or lip tie and that’s something your pediatrician could address. You could have cracked nipples, or you could get an infection like mastitis. So, that’s something to bring up to your pediatrician or they might have you see a lactation consultant.
Bill: And how do you know if your baby is getting enough milk?
Dr. Dunetz: The big thing is, is the baby’s weight. So, when the baby’s first born and the first couple of days, the baby shouldn’t lose more than seven percent of his or her birth weight. Then it’s really based on peeing and pooping. So, by a week of age, the baby should be peeing at least six times in 24 hours. It can take about two to three weeks for a breastfed baby to get back to birth weight. So, it is normal for babies to lose weight at first. But that’s I think one of like the mom’s biggest worry is that the baby’s not getting enough because you can physically see how much the baby’s drinking. So, the big thing is weight loss, getting back to birth weight and the number of wet diapers.
Bill: Very interesting information. So, how about common myths of breastfeeding? There are a whole bunch of them out there. Can you go through some of those for us?
Dr. Dunetz: So, one common myth is that breastfeeding is a great form of contraception and you can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding. So, lots of women will not get their period while breastfeeding, but you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. Especially after six months when the baby starts eating food, solids and they start sleeping more. So, some women will actually not get a period at all and they get pregnant.
Another myth is that women with smaller breasts can’t make enough milk. And that milk production has nothing to do with the size of the breasts, it has to do with the number of mammillary glands. So, whether you are small or big chested, it really doesn’t matter.
Bill: Dr. Dunetz what else should a woman know about breastfeeding?
Dr. Dunetz: I think it’s best to be relaxed. I think women that are more stressed out about their milk end up making less. Talk to your pediatrician. It is one of the most difficult things to do, but it’s really rewarding. I think another thing that you should know is that you don’t have to wean at twelve months. So, the recommendation is to nurse as long as mutually desired. So, if you are nursing your baby, that doesn’t mean you have to switch to whole milk at a year of age. That as long as the baby is continuing to nurse, the bay does not need cow’s milk. You just have to make sure that the baby is getting enough calcium whether through nursing or like yogurt and cheese and things like that. So, you don’t have to switch over to cow’s milk just because the baby turns one.
Bill: Great information Dr. Dunetz. Thank you so much for your time and talking with us about this today. For more information please visit www.snhhealth.org, that’s www.snhhealth.org. This is Simply Healthy, a podcast by Southern New Hampshire Health. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Breastfeeding - What You Need to Know
Bill Klaproth (Host): So, why breastfeed? How often should you nurse? What about your diet during breastfeeding? You have questions. Southern New Hampshire Health has answers. And here to answer those questions for us and talk about breastfeeding is Dr. Danielle Dunetz a pediatrician at Southern New Hampshire Health. Dr. Dunetz thanks for your time. We hear about breastfeeding all the time. Why is it important to breastfeed?
Danielle Dunetz, DO, FAAP (Guest): Well, thank you for having me. Breastfeeding is the healthiest thing for both the mom and the baby both shot-term and long-term. If you look at breastmilk under a microscope, it’s alive. So, when a baby gets sick or if a baby’s exposed to germs; the mom will produce antibodies against those germs and it helps keep the baby healthy. And that’s something that you can’t get from formula. So, that’s very unique to breastmilk. So, long-term for the mom, it decreases the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary vascular disease.
Bill: So, there’s many benefits for the baby when it comes to breastfeeding. So, what about the question of the mom’s diet while breastfeeding? What does she need to know about this when it comes to her own diet while she’s breastfeeding?
Dr. Dunetz: So, it’s recommended that the mom continue on her prenatal vitamins and she has to be aware of different nutrients and making sure that she’s getting enough. So, for calcium; she needs to get like between 1000 and 1300 mg a day which is probably about three servings of milk, if you have eight-ounce cups of milk or three cups of milk a day or you could take a supplement, but it is better to get enough calcium through your diet. You also want to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. The baby is going to be put on vitamin D. So, usually babies are put on 400 units of vitamin D a day. The mom can get the vitamin D through her regular prenatal vitamins or she can go on over 5000 units of vitamin D a day and opt to not give the baby the 400 units. So, that way she makes sure that enough vitamin D is passing through the breastmilk. For protein, she needs about six to six and a half ounces a day when nursing. So, that’s a good amount of protein. So, you can get that in like three-ounce servings a couple of times a day. And you also have to be aware of iron and folic acid, but again, she should continue on her prenatal vitamins.
Bill: Okay, that’s good advice. And what about alcohol consumption?
Dr. Dunetz: So, that’s controversial. You can consume a small amount of alcohol, though there is like a pumping and dumping technique that is not recommended anymore. But if you feel the alcohol, that it’s affecting you, you should not be nursing the baby. At this point, it’s recommended that you wait like a couple of hours after having the drink until you don’t feel it before nursing or pumping. But pumping and dumping was something that people had been doing for years. so, right now it is controversial. It’s best to not drink alcohol. Alcohol in general, can decrease your milk supply. So, that’s one thing to think about. It can decrease it about 20% over the next 24 hours even if you just have one drink. So, even if you don’t feel it; it can decrease your milk production.
Bill: And speaking about milk supply; how often should a woman breastfeed?
Dr. Dunetz: So, she should feed on demand and go by the baby’s cues. At first, really every two to three hours and she shouldn’t go more than four hours until the baby’s back at the baby’s birth weight.
Bill: Interesting, alright. And what if a woman is experiencing discomfort while breastfeeding?
Dr. Dunetz: So, there can be different reasons why a woman might experience discomfort while breastfeeding. Lots of times, it’s the baby’s latch, so it would be good for either the pediatrician or a lactation consultant to see how the baby’s nursing and it might just be the positioning of the baby. Sometimes a baby could have something called a tongue tie or lip tie and that’s something your pediatrician could address. You could have cracked nipples, or you could get an infection like mastitis. So, that’s something to bring up to your pediatrician or they might have you see a lactation consultant.
Bill: And how do you know if your baby is getting enough milk?
Dr. Dunetz: The big thing is, is the baby’s weight. So, when the baby’s first born and the first couple of days, the baby shouldn’t lose more than seven percent of his or her birth weight. Then it’s really based on peeing and pooping. So, by a week of age, the baby should be peeing at least six times in 24 hours. It can take about two to three weeks for a breastfed baby to get back to birth weight. So, it is normal for babies to lose weight at first. But that’s I think one of like the mom’s biggest worry is that the baby’s not getting enough because you can physically see how much the baby’s drinking. So, the big thing is weight loss, getting back to birth weight and the number of wet diapers.
Bill: Very interesting information. So, how about common myths of breastfeeding? There are a whole bunch of them out there. Can you go through some of those for us?
Dr. Dunetz: So, one common myth is that breastfeeding is a great form of contraception and you can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding. So, lots of women will not get their period while breastfeeding, but you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. Especially after six months when the baby starts eating food, solids and they start sleeping more. So, some women will actually not get a period at all and they get pregnant.
Another myth is that women with smaller breasts can’t make enough milk. And that milk production has nothing to do with the size of the breasts, it has to do with the number of mammillary glands. So, whether you are small or big chested, it really doesn’t matter.
Bill: Dr. Dunetz what else should a woman know about breastfeeding?
Dr. Dunetz: I think it’s best to be relaxed. I think women that are more stressed out about their milk end up making less. Talk to your pediatrician. It is one of the most difficult things to do, but it’s really rewarding. I think another thing that you should know is that you don’t have to wean at twelve months. So, the recommendation is to nurse as long as mutually desired. So, if you are nursing your baby, that doesn’t mean you have to switch to whole milk at a year of age. That as long as the baby is continuing to nurse, the bay does not need cow’s milk. You just have to make sure that the baby is getting enough calcium whether through nursing or like yogurt and cheese and things like that. So, you don’t have to switch over to cow’s milk just because the baby turns one.
Bill: Great information Dr. Dunetz. Thank you so much for your time and talking with us about this today. For more information please visit www.snhhealth.org, that’s www.snhhealth.org. This is Simply Healthy, a podcast by Southern New Hampshire Health. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.