JAUNDICE their first few days of life, they will have LATCH-ON CONCERNS • Your baby may be unable to latch on More than half of all newborn babies get fewer stools and may be more prone to Sometimes bringing baby and breast together because your breasts are overfull. If so, jaundice. When a baby is jaundiced, their skin jaundice. can be a challenge. It is important to get help wearing breast shells 30 minutes before and the whites of their eyes have a yellow if you are not able to solve a latch-on problem feedings will encourage your milk to leak, tinge. Most of the time no treatment is Babies may become jaundiced for other on your own. Good sources of help for softening the areola so the baby can grasp needed, and the jaundice will clear up on its reasons. Sometimes it happens when the breastfeeding difficulties may include health your nipple. own. If your baby gets jaundice, the doctor mother’s blood type is different from the care professionals, certified lactation • Some mothers help get the baby latched on may test their blood to make sure the level of baby’s blood type (as in a condition called consultants, other breastfeeding specialists, by squeezing a few drops of milk onto their bilirubin in their blood does not go too high. ABO incompatibility). When this is present, or members of the La Leche League. nipple so the baby can taste the level of bilirubin usually rises faster and the milk While you are pregnant, your body higher than in normal physiologic jaundice. Concerns and possible solutions. (specifically your liver) processes certain When babies have more difficult vaginal If you have difficulty getting your baby to substances for your baby. Bilirubin is one of births, perhaps requiring forceps or a vacuum latch on to the breast, some of these It is important to get help if those substances. When your baby is no extractor, and bruising occurs, jaundice may measures may help you: you are not able to solve a longer physically connected to your blood be more likely to develop. If your baby is born supply, their liver must process bilirubin by prematurely or is sick after delivery, they also • It is ideal to give your baby nothing but latch-on problem on your own itself. It usually takes a few days for a baby’s may be more prone to jaundice. breast milk until your baby’s breastfeeding body to be able to do this quickly and is well established. When baby is having efficiently. In the meantime, the bilirubin There is another kind of jaundice, appearing trouble latching on, an artificial nipple may builds up in their bloodstream, causing the later (at least 5–7 days after birth), that is only make things worse. If your baby needs • Sometimes a baby tries repeatedly yellow skin and eyes. This most common kind called breast milk jaundice. It occurs in about a supplemental feeding, it may be best to to feed, with no success, and begins to cry of jaundice is called physiologic jaundice. It is 1 of every 250 babies. Although the exact try a method other than a bottle (see frantically and act frustrated. usually noticed about the second or third day cause is still unknown, it usually resolves on “Alternate feeding methods,”page 41). If this happens with your baby, take them of life and is generally gone by the time the its own without hurting the baby while you • If you have flat nipples, try gently rolling away from the breast and calm baby is a week old. continue to breastfeed. them between your thumb and index finger them for several minutes before you begin to try to make them more erect. Pulling again. Skin to skin is a great way to calm The main way your baby gets rid of bilirubin You should notify your baby’s health care back slightly on the breast tissue or using baby before resuming or trying to is through stools. The more stools baby has professional if you notice your baby has the C-hold (see Figure 4) can also help the breastfeed again. (and the quicker they get rid of those first jaundice, especially if it develops at less than nipple protrude for easier latch-on. • If you have been trying to latch baby on in tarry stools called meconium), the less likely 24 hours of age, if it lasts longer than • Using a breast pump just before a feeding one position and it is not working, change it is that their bilirubin will go high enough to 7 days, or if it extends to your baby’s arms and will help soften the areola and pull your to another position. Even if it is one that require treatment. Of course, in order for legs. Make sure you contact the doctor’s office nipple out for easier latch-on. If your baby is didn’t work yesterday, just the fact that you It is important to get help if baby to produce stools, they must eat. if you think your baby is acting sick or unable to grasp the nipple after several tries have changed positions may allow your you are not able to solve a becoming a very sluggish feeder. and requires supplementation, you should baby to latch on. latch-on problem on your Babies who breastfeed frequently and take in begin to pump your breasts regularly with a own more milk are less likely to become jaundiced. hospital-grade electric pump. This will If your baby is breastfeeding poorly during stretch your nipple skin and help increase your milk supply. 24 25