A clicking sound and dimpled cheeks during nursing are two
indicators that your baby is not sucking adequately. Take the following
test yourself. Curl your tongue and place it near the roof of your mouth
and then pull it away. You should hear a clicking sound. When your baby
is nursing, you should not hear that sound nor see dimpled cheeks. It
means your baby is sucking his own tongue not the breast. If you hear
clicking, remove baby from breast and then relatch him. If this continues,
contact your pediatrician.
Even with a complete understanding of how the breast works and the
many benefits of colostrum, mothers may still wonder if their babies are
getting enough food in that first week. Consider these important clues.
One sign that your baby is receiving adequate nutrition is his stooling
pattern. Newborn stools in the first week transition from meconium,
greenish black and sticky in texture, to a brownie batter transition stool,
to a sweet-odor, mustard yellow stool. The yellow stool is a totally
breast-milk stool and a healthy sign. After the first week, two to five or
more yellow stools along with seven to eight wet diapers daily are
healthy signs that your baby is getting adequate milk to grow on. Healthy
baby growth indicators are discussed in chapter 5. A bottle-fed baby will
pass firmer, light brown to golden-or clay-colored stools, strong in odor.
After Your Milk Comes In
Unless specified by your pediatrician, a baby normally does not need
additional water or formula prior to mother’s milk coming in because
your baby is getting colostrum. Once your milk is in, your nursing
periods will average fifteen minutes per side. As mentioned, some babies
nurse faster, some slower. Studies show that in established lactation, a
baby can empty the breasts in seven to ten minutes per side, providing he
or she is sucking vigorously. This astounding truth is not meant to
encourage less time at the breast. Rather, it’s a clear demonstration of
baby’s ability for speed and efficiency.
Usually a mother’s milk comes in between three and six days. During
that period, some weight loss in the baby (up to 10 percent of birth