Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding Quotes

“Although mothers are rarely told this, there is no question that some of the medication used in epidurals does get to the baby. One study measured the levels of epidural medication in newborns’ umbilical cords after birth; the longer the mother had had the epidural in place, the higher the level of medication in the cord (and therefore the baby). A study looking at the effects of epidural using Fentanyl (a narcotic) on the baby showed definite negative effects on his ability to breastfeed, especially at higher doses. Those women who had the higher doses were much more likely to have stopped breastfeeding by six weeks after birth, even though all the mothers in the study had successfully breastfed a previous baby for at least six weeks. Studies that evaluated the way the baby breastfed have found that, after being exposed to the epidural medications during the labour, the baby was less able to latch on well and suckle effectively. Some studies have seen subtle effects of epidurals that lasted up to a month.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“So-called breastmilk jaundice is actually the norm for exclusively breastfed, well-gaining babies for as long as three months or more after the birth. Most of the time the jaundice is not very obvious, but if you look carefully, you can often see a subtle yellow tinge to the baby’s skin. In some cases, especially if at least one parent is Asian or Native Canadian, the jaundice is more obvious, and then doctors worry. Here is the most important statement in this whole section: if the baby is exclusively breastfed (or breastmilk fed), gaining weight well and abnormalities causing jaundice are ruled out, jaundice is normal. What”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Phototherapy is said to increase the baby’s requirements for fluids by about 15%. For this reason, mothers are told they must give the baby a supplement, usually formula. However, many of the babies admitted for jaundice and dehydration are already on intravenous fluids, and IV is a better way to rehydrate the baby than formula. If an IV is not in place, supplementing with 5% glucose water (using a lactation aid at the breast) would be more appropriate to replace fluid loss than formula. But still, the first choice would be the mother’s own milk, and the second choice would be banked breastmilk.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Many pediatricians and other physicians believe that breastmilk causes higher levels of bilirubin in the first few days of life. Not true. But the reason that some breastfed babies are more jaundiced is that they are not breastfeeding well and are not getting enough breastmilk. That means the baby will also not have substantial enough bowel movements to remove the bilirubin in his intestine and prevent it from being absorbed back into the body. The answer is not to give formula, but to help the mother with the latching on of the baby and making sure he is breastfeeding well (see how this is done earlier in the chapter). Then he will poop more (because colostrum is a laxative) and the bilirubin will decrease. In most cases no supplementation is needed; if it does become necessary it should be given by a lactation aid at the breast, in this order of preference: 1. The mother’s own expressed breastmilk. 2. Banked breastmilk. 3. The mother’s own expressed breastmilk with added 5% glucose so that there is enough volume. 4. Formula. This should be used only if we cannot get the baby breastfeeding well and the first choices do not work. There are other causes of higher-than-average bilirubin levels in the first few days, but none require the mother to stop breastfeeding. Phototherapy”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Note that a baby who is large for gestational age but whose mother is not diabetic is not at risk for low blood glucose. Even in Baby-Friendly hospitals it is sometimes assumed that a baby of 4 or 4.5 kg at birth is at risk for low blood sugar, but this is false.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Some mothers with sore nipples are told that if they latch the baby on and it hurts, they should un-latch the baby and try again; if it hurts again, un-latch the baby and try again, and again, and again. Unfortunately, each time the baby is relatched poorly, more damage is done to the nipples. The mother is in pain and frustrated, and the baby may get so frustrated that he refuses to latch on at all. It is often possible to improve the latch without taking the baby off the breast. The mother pushes the baby’s bottom into her body, which makes the latch more asymmetrical. And she can gently pull down the baby’s chin to get more of the breast into his mouth. Even if these “tricks” don’t help, the pain usually improves as the feeding goes on (if it doesn’t, the baby may have a tongue tie). So if she can get through this feeding, she can try again to fix the latch when the baby takes the other side.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“The idea is still out there that 20 minutes on each side is enough, or that there’s no more milk in the breasts after that, so the baby is taken off before he’s finished. If the baby feeds well, he will be relaxed and content. If the baby is unhappy but doesn’t want to breastfeed, being skin to skin with the mother”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“What is the best supplement? Not formula. The first choice is always the mother’s own milk. Hand expression during the first few days, when there is not a lot of colostrum, is often more effective than the best pumps.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“To summarize the reasons for skin-to-skin contact: • It helps to get breastfeeding started. • It maintains the newborn’s temperature more effectively than an incubator. • It helps the baby adapt to the new environment, especially in terms of sugar levels, acid-base balance, respiratory rate and heart rate. • It provides comfort to the new baby after what has been said to be a stressful experience. • It facilitates bonding. • It causes oxytocin release in the mother, which helps her feel loving and nurturing toward the baby. • It encourages milk ejection as well as uterine contractions (to reduce bleeding). • It improves immediate and long-term breastfeeding success.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Not giving the baby enough time to latch on can also prevent self-attachment. It often takes an hour or more of being skin to skin for the baby to crawl to the breast and latch on. Often he just lies on the mother for 20 minutes or more. But hospitals have other priorities: weighing the baby, putting drops or ointment in his eyes, etc. Would it really matter if the baby was weighed an hour or two later? Ointments and drops in the baby’s eyes may also affect his vision, making it harder for him to find the nipple (does he find it more easily because the areola is a different colour?). And what about the pediatrician’s examination to determine the Apgar? Well, if a baby is alert and pink and breathing, and crawling to the breast, I give him a minimum of 9 out of 10. If necessary, one can put a stethoscope on the baby’s chest while he’s on the mother, skin to skin.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“If there is a strong medical indication for giving formula, it should be given with a lactation aid at the breast, not in a bottle, a cup or a syringe or by any other method that supplements the baby off the breast. Babies learn to breastfeed by breastfeeding and when they are supplemented with a lactation aid at the breast, they are still breastfeeding.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Artificial nipples interfere with breastfeeding. If supplements (preferably the mother’s own expressed milk, or, as a second choice, banked breastmilk) are needed, they are best given by lactation aid at the breast. If the baby is not taking the breast, a spoon, open cup or finger feeding can be used instead of a bottle. Finger feeding is best used to prepare a baby who is having difficulty latching on, not really as a feeding method (see the chapter “When the Baby Does Not Yet Take the Breast”). The bottle is not a good choice. Furthermore, if the baby is breastfeeding well, there is no need for pacifiers; having the baby satisfy his sucking needs at the breast helps to establish a good milk supply. If the baby is not satisfied at the breast, the mother needs help to make the breastfeeding work better; the baby does not need a pacifier. And if the baby is breastfeeding poorly, pacifiers often make the problem worse.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Research by anthropologist Kathy Dettwyler suggests that the natural age of weaning for humans is somewhere between two years and seven years. Breastfeeding for this length of time seems to promote optimum brain development and good development of the baby’s teeth and jaw, and to reduce the incidence and severity of many illnesses and allergies; it also results in these children having strong self-esteem and feeling secure, self-confident and independent.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“In fact, in Canada, where most mothers with full-time employment have 52 weeks of maternity leave, many never use a bottle.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Women should know the truth. They can take it; they are adults, not children. If a mother opts for formula rather than breastfeeding, there is good evidence that her baby will score lower on IQ tests and will have a higher risk of many illnesses including some cancers, diabetes, respiratory illnesses, diarrhea and ear infections. She should know that her own risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer will be higher, as well as her daughter’s risk of breast cancer. The mother increases her own risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and becoming overweight by “choosing” formula feeding. There is accumulating evidence that the risk of mental illness (alcoholism, ADHD, schizophrenia) is increased by not breastfeeding. A recent study suggested that even behaviour problems in adolescents are more likely if the child was formula fed. The longer the child is breastfed, the lower the risk both for the child and the mother.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Mothers talk about the sheer pleasure of being skin to skin with their baby, and of seeing him drift off to sleep at the breast with a trickle of milk running down his chin. As the baby gets older, he’ll begin to play at the breast, letting go to smile, patting the mother’s cheek or investigating her teeth, making happy noises as he nurses. These are all part of the joy of parenting.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Being at the breast reminds the baby of being in the womb: there’s that familiar heartbeat and soothing voice, as well as the warmth and comfort. And that makes the transition to the outside world a little easier.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition