Munich - Breastfeeding mothers can cut down on their baby's crying by recognising promptly when the little one is hungry, noted the Munich-based Association of Paediatrics and Adolescent-Medicine Professionals (BVKJ). Stretching, sucking motions, and restlessness are the first signs of hunger, the BVKJ said. Subsequent signs are wriggling and crying. Hunger is not always the reason that a baby cries, however.
Newborns generally have to be nursed every two or three hours, around the clock, in the first weeks after birth. "Mother and child get to know each other as time goes by, which makes recognizing the signals easier," remarked Monika Niehaus, a paediatric and adolescent physician in the German city of Weimar.
After about two or three months, the frequency of feedings decreases from 12 times a day to between six and eight. But during rapid growth phases - about 10 to 14 days after birth, and at three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months - the baby may deviate from its accustomed feeding schedule and want milk more often.
Breastfeeding on demand is generally recommended nowadays, the BVKJ said. That means the baby should be fed whenever it wants.
"Some infants are pacified simply by sucking on something," noted Niehaus, who warned, however, that mothers should resist the temptation to give their baby a pacifier prematurely so as not to hamper breastfeeding.
"It's good to wait about a month, until breastfeeding has become routine," she said.
Mothers should consult their doctor if they have difficulty breastfeeding, if it is painful, the baby does not gain weight or is still restless after having been fed.
Other warning signs that something may be amiss are when the baby does not wet its nappy about six or eight times a day, or does not have a bowel movement three or more times a day.
