Slurp and burp

So, you've just painfully, tiringly squeezed out your own version of the Hungry Mouth...and now you are holding a tiny, mysterious little bundle - how to tell what she wants? Not to put too fine a point on it, inside you she was on a drip and catheter, and has never even felt hungry before.





Well, here are a couple of handy hints from Muslin Mummy and my home-visiting midwife (really, who can complain about the NHS? Not new mothers, anyhow.)





After your baby has fed and come naturally off the nipple, gently lift her arm. If it's all floppy, she's full, at least for the moment. If it's still springy or clenched, she wants more milk. So offer the other side.

Also, if she's slipping her tongue in and out of her mouth, this isn't a sign that she's still hungry, it's 'mmm, that was delicious'.

If she looks a little blue around the mouth, and her lips turn up in a fleeting smile shape, that's wind. So burp her. Also, if she is twisting uncomfortably (see post on colic), that's probably trapped wind too.

If she yowls, she's extremely probably hungry. Nothing much else bothers newborns. Her tummy is really tiny, and breastmilk digests faster than formula. Even if you feel like you only just finished feeding her, it was probably long enough (an hour?) for her to feel hungry again...So never mind that nappy/hot/cold/bored/overstimulated checklist till a good bit later. Just nipple up, Muslin Mummy!

To burp her, support her back and tummy with each hand to straighten her spine, let her head droop a bit, or lean it on you, and patiently wait for her to burp. If she's fallen asleep, drape her over your shoulder, and wait, maybe taking a small stroll while you do.

Dab on nipple cream (use any pure lanolin, like Lansinoh; nothing else works). Take a couple of pretty baby snaps. Change her nappy. Wait till she starts fussing again.

Repeat all of the above...many times a day and night. (Eventually, your nipples will stop hurting.)