Looking for the 5 Milk “Secrets” for your new baby?
You’re in the right place!
I have 5 gems of knowledge from Susie Menkes, PhD and a Certified Infant + Toddler Sleep Specialist, who has kindly allowed me to share!
After you’re done reading, be sure to come back and click here to visit Susie Menkes’s website for information on her sleep services.
Helping my new and expecting mamas is something I LOVE to do. Love it! (previous blog post is a perfect example)
Often times, I pass along my newborn laundry “secret” to my clients during their session in hopes that they find it useful and the implementation will leaded to prolonged use of their little one’s adorable outfits. (It definitely saved more than one of my daughter’s onesies.)
However, when it comes to offering health advice, I make sure to steer clear. It’s not my area of expertise and I certainly don’t want to jeopardize your little one’s safety. So how do I go about helping my new moms and dads get better sleep for both themselves and their little ones? I reach out to the brilliant and incredibly knowledgeable Susie Menkes, PhD for thoughts on what could help parents through their first few days, and even months.
A little about Susie.
Susie Menkes, PhD is a Certified Infant + Toddler Sleep Specialist through the Family Sleep Institute (FSI) and is dedicated to helping families get their little ones to be healthy little sleepers. As a mom of two, she knows and understands what you are going through and is here to support, educate, and guide you on all matters related to sleep. She had done extensive research, in addition to completing a 250+ hour training curriculum with the founder of the Family Sleep Institute. Susie is undeniably qualified to provide you, my wonderful moms (and dads), with guidance and assistance in caring for you sweet babes. I asked Susie if she had anything I could share with you, and fortunately for me (and you), Susie felt her milk “secrets” were a great starting point. While I found all of them useful, #4 and #5 were definitely the most interesting!
1. Using a “wide-neck” nipple will help your little one transition back and forth better from breast to bottle. And start giving a bottle (even pumped milk) around 3-4 weeks of age, so when the time comes, someone else can do the feeding for you. Ya know, so maybe you can get a shower in. And this will also help keep you stay clear of your little one ONLY nursing and not taking a bottle at all (something to think about if you’re going back to work).
2. If you notice your little one downing the bottle dry two feedings in a row, she wants more. Increase the amount in the bottle by 1/2 to 1oz for future feedings.
3. If your little one is taking longer than 20 minutes to finish a bottle, it’s time to move up a nipple level. You are making her work too hard, and she’s getting bored (especially if she’s tired!).
4. Your nighttime breastmilk contains melatonin (that powerful sleep hormone). So, if you’ve pumped at night, label and save that bottle for nighttime, so your little one can get those yummy sleep hormones from YOU! Psst… Your little one does not fully start producing melatonin on her own until about 4 months of age.
And lastly…
5. Careful if you’re feeding on demand… If it’s working great for you, then more power to ya! BUT if you’re finding your little one is hungry every hour or two and seems supper fussy and uncomfortable, well you might need to space the feedings out. Feeding too frequently can lead to a build up of lactose in the tummy because the milk does not have enough time to fully digest. These ‘tummy troubles’ lead to uncomfortable gassiness. Also, feeding too frequently can lead to not getting to the hind milk (the fatty good stuff that comes at the end of a feeding) that keeps your baby fuller longer. So, as long as your baby is healthy with no medical concerns, really try to space out the feedings.
Be sure to subscribe to her bi-weekly email newsletter! It contains amazing content from sleep to developmental tips to answering questions of readers and clients!!
Additional reads:
When to Expect Longer Stretches of Sleep
5 Signs You’re Getting in the Way of your Baby’s Sleep
