Summer Babies

Caring for your newborn baby in summer takes a lot more than any other time of the year. Your newborn needs you to be extra attentive in the coming months. They may not be able to say it out loud but summer is never easy to our precious babies. Here are a few tips that might help:

summer, requires you  to increase your intake for you and baby by 50%. “More breastfeeding also means that you also need to be able to produce more milk.

In your fourth trimester you  should be drinking enough water to keep yourself  hydrated to meet the demand of your thirsty newborn baby. As we learn in the crazy first few weeks of babies life, they feed on demand as they are growing at the rate of knots. You will find they cluster feed around week 2,4,6,&8. So on top of that you are dealing with heat and thirst. The more you feed the more you will build up your milk supply. Also remember to feed yourself. We are always the last ones to look after but it’s super important to get the right nutrients and fluids in to support you and baby. Have a few snacks prepared in the fridge and some hearty warming meals. A cold  salad won’t help your milk supply compared to a warm soup or spag bowl. Remember this part of your motherhood journey is about love and listening to your body and what it’s asking for, so don’t feel bad about that big bar of choc. A common issue I see when supporting mummies is they feel they don’t have enough milk. It takes time to build up your supply and your body is incredible how it keeps baby satisfied with colostrum in those early days. If Combi feeding remember to stay frequent with your breastfeeding and timings, also to keep your mind at rest when pumping, you aren’t necessarily getting what you would when you breastfeed. The amazing love hormone (oxytocin) helps release your milk. So lots of snuggles goes along way to get the let down going. 

When pumping you’re listening to a machine that isn’t your bubba. Good tip is to have a baby close by. I remember when my babies were in the intensive care unit I would pump and produce so much more milk being near my baby, than being in another room. You will notice this when out and about with your baby or with another baby close by crying, your boobs will set off. 

Again how amazing is the mummas body. 

Mumma’s who are bottle feeding and have a set amount of recommended  ounces to get into baby, it might go off routine when either they are going through a cluster feed/growth spurt or if it’s hot. Also to remember they can’t have water for the first 6 months. If it’s hot they might not necessarily be hungry but thirsty. So some feeds might look like they are having less to others. Nothing to be concerned about, they are just taking what they need at that moment in time. There’s always a recommended amount but each baby takes in different amounts. So don’t put the pressure on. They have just arrived earth side, everything is so new. That’s why we call it the fourth trimester. These tiny little bundles should really still be in the womb. They will be sleeping, feeding, pooping on repeat. So embrace the wild ride as you will blink and they will be independent little people.