Breastfeeding Record

Use this breastfeeding record log when you breastfeed and when your baby needs a diaper change during the first week. This will help you keep track of how well your baby is breastfeeding.

1. Circle the hour closest to when your baby starts each breastfeeding.
2. Circle BM when your baby has a bowel movement.
3. Circle the W when your baby has a wet diaper.

It is okay if your baby has more wet diapers or more bowel movements than the goal for the day. You can write in additional W or BMs. If your baby has fewer wet diapers or bowel movements than the goal for that day, call your breastfeeding helper or the baby's health care provider.

Expect a BM to be at least the size of a tablespoon. Diapers should be very obviously wet by day two or three.

Breastfeeding Care Plan English
Breastfeeding Care Plan Spanish

Feeding Frequency

• Hold your baby skin-to-skin as much as possible. This calms a fussy baby, wakens a sleepy baby and helps you see a baby's early feeding cues (wiggling while asleep, fluttering eyelids, bringing hands to mouth, or sucking on hands). Crying is a late cue and baby needs to be calmed first.
• Feed on cue, eight to 12 times in 24 hours. Your baby may feed several times in a row and then sleep for a stretch of time. Practice makes perfect for both moms and babies!

Position

• Your baby's body should be completely facing you with your baby's ear, shoulder, and hip in a straight line.
• Hold skin-to-skin, chest to breast, your baby's chin lifted, leading latch, nose in line with your nipple.
• Keep your baby close to you, supporting the shoulders and back. Brace your baby's hips close against your body.
• If there is any pinching or pain, bring your baby closer to your body. If this is not better, re-latch for optimal comfort. If your baby does not latch comfortably in the first few tries or gets fussy, return to skin-to-skin holding. If unable to latch, hand express, pump, and feed the baby expressed breast milk. Use formula if necessary.

Latch

• Mouth wide open.
• Tongue over the gum line.
• Lips rolled out.
• Comfortable and feeling like a tug, a pull or a draw.

Duration

• Allow your baby to finish the first side then offer the second. Your baby may only nurse on one side.
• Massage and compress the breast during feeding to increase milk flow.
• Listen for frequent swallows.

Monitor Output

Nipple and Breast Care

• Massage and hand express.
• Apply expressed breast milk to your nipple and areola. Let air dry.
• Expose to air for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Wear shells as instructed. Do not use while sleeping.
• Use Lansinoh three times a day sparingly on damaged skin only.
• Use salt water solution after feeding if needed. Rinse and pat dry. Apply expressed breast milk.
• Use reverse pressure to lessen any areolar swelling.

Frequency of Pumping

• Apply warm compress, massage, and hand express before pumping to increase milk flow.
• Pump eight to ten times every 24 hours.
• Double pump 12 to 15 minutes or single pump 15 minutes on each side.